Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Lizzie Lazarus, on Screambox

If there is one ironclad law of both horror and science fiction movies, it must be the certain understanding that terrible consequences befall any attempt to infringe on death’s domain. Yet, here are Bethany and Eli, schlepping the dead body of her sister through the woods, hoping to reincarnate her once they reach a “sacred spot” on the night of the Summer Solstice. Maybe, this time it will work out for them, but do not get your hopes up, because director-screenwriter Aviv Rubinstien’s Lizzie Lazarus is a horror film, which premieres today on Screambox.

Technically, Lizzie’s death was ruled an accident, but the circumstances indicate vehicular suicide. For her sister Bethany and now ex-boyfriend Eli, that means a lot of guilt, especially since he probably became her ex right before she fatally drove away. Consequently, he agrees to help Bethany with her longshot scheme to bring Lizzie back using the old folkie magic she discovered in her stoner studies.

However, carrying a corpse through the dark woods is more taxing than either expected. They do not even mention the smell, just the weight. There are also weird noises and several potential witnesses ominously skulking about. Plus, there is the whole business of dabbling in dark magic. Yet, for Eli, Bethany’s constant babble of paranoid conspiracy theories and New Age baloney must constitute the most nightmarish aspect of the evening.

Clearly, Rubinstien holds a wicked twist in reserve to eventually spring on viewers. Even if you guess where it is headed,
Lizzie Lazarus takes the audience on quite a macabre trip. This is probably the talkiest horror movie in years—maybe even ever, but all that gab pays off.

In fact, Rubinstien’s script intelligently addresses some pretty serious issues related to grief and mental health, without ever feeling exploitative. A lot of painful truths come out over the course of the night. Fortunately, Rubinstien also takes care of genre business, steadily building a sense of foreboding. The evil vibes are palpable for viewers, even if the characters cannot pick up on them.

Lianne O’Shea is absolutely exhausting portraying Bethany. She is almost too much, but the disturbed sister’s insecurity and passive aggression come through loud and clear. Omar Maskati nicely counter-balances her as the more reasonable Eli, who finds dozens of ways to look and sound uncomfortable.

Lizzie Lazarus
is a good example of how minimalist horror can really work. The staging is relatively simple, but the concept is quite sinister. (Note that the trippy, jokey prologue is a head-scratching mistake, but Rubinstien rights the ship thereafter.) Highly recommended for genre fans, Lizzie Lazarus starts streaming today (1/14) on Screambox.