Before there were bloodthirsty vampires, doppelgängers, and love triangles that could implode timelines, there was Nina Dobrev, holding it all together with one arched brow and a supernatural smirk. From the endlessly tormented Elena Gilbert to the deliciously unhinged Katherine Pierce, Dobrev’s dual performances on The Vampire Diaries were proof that she could scream, seduce, and stab with Emmy-level flair. Given that, it makes sense she dipped her fangs into horror again, this time with a sci-fi twist.

Yet Flatliners, her forgotten thrill ride, is gathering digital cobwebs on Netflix, despite having at least three pulse-spiking reasons to visit it.

The ensemble of Flatliners is what happens when casting directors dream of drama school reunions and CW crossovers. Nina Dobrev leads a surprisingly impressive cast that includes Diego Luna, Kiersey Clemons, James Norton, and Ellen Page, each attempting death and dialogue with equal intensity. Their chemistry is chaotic in a good way, like an anatomy class taught by method actors.  One could almost believe they rehearsed in a haunted med school.

The premise is so intriguing, it feels like Mary Shelley and a medical journal had a one-night stand. A group of med students intentionally flatline themselves to explore the afterlife, because apparently student loans were not terrifying enough. The film walks a fine line between psychological thriller and existential panic, offering a surprisingly philosophical dive into guilt, grief, and ghostly regrets. You will question your mortality and probably your degree plan.

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For a film about dying, Flatliners is very easy on the eyes. The visuals oscillate between sterile brilliance and dreamlike surrealism, like if an Apple Store and a haunted house had joint custody. The lighting alone deserves its own IMDb page. Flashbacks are bathed in neon dread, and the afterlife scenes are shot with such glossy unease, you might think Instagram filters are involved.

The Vampire Diaries has been examined with such academic fervor that its followers have somehow unearthed a connection to Taylor Swift. One suspects cartography may be involved. Perhaps it is time to pivot, gently, from fan theories to a feature film in which Nina Dobrev confronts death not with love triangles, but with electrodes. Flatliners may be forgotten, but it offers just enough gloom, guilt, and gloss to justify its own little resurrection.

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Are you going to watch Nina Dobrev's Flatliners right away? Let us know in the comments down below!