Lazareth (2024)

Lazareth (2024) Or “Lazareth – End of Days” was really not bad at all, but not the film of the century either. It didn’t deserve to go completely unnoticed, but it’s not essential to any film collection.

It reminds me a lot of the concept of another film that must have inspired it… but if I give you the title, it’ll be a spoiler! And that’s what makes it unoriginal. Yes, it all depends on the first film of a genre you watch.

My primary goal in seeing this film was to complete the filmography (to date) of the fabulous Katie Douglas (Level 16, Clown in a Cornfield, The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story, Thicker Than Water). Lazareth is not her best film, but her performances are always incredibly precise. Some people are just born to be actors, and it would be a crime for them not to make a career out of it, even if only part-time!

But the whole female trio is excellent here! The other two are Ashley Judd and Sarah Pidgeon. I didn’t know the latter. At least, I don’t think so…

Ah, yes! She was in the latest “I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)”. But it’s far from the best in the series.

The male lead in this film is Asher Angel. Well, according to my research, I apparently already saw him in both Shazam! films (2019 & 2023). However, I haven’t seen the film he made between Shazam! 2 and this one, namely On Fire (2023), which is probably a dramatic film about a forest fire. I’ll probably watch it
one of these days.

Ashley Judd has always been an extraordinary actress, even though I hated Bug (2006), I’m not at all a fan of the Divergent / Insurgent / Allegiant trilogy, and I don’t remember her at all in Heat (1995)…

On the other hand, I really liked Kiss The Girls (1997), Double Jeopardy (1999), High Crimes (2002) and Twisted (2004). I can’t believe this actress had cosmetic surgery when she had such a perfect face. There must be something I’m missing.

There are some very good parts in this film, but also quite a few boring ones. The story is disturbing and relatively interesting. It’s a real drama, so… not an action film or a horror film. In fact, the virus that’s going around doesn’t turn people into zombies here, and it’s nice to have a change!

How far are we willing to lie to protect our loved ones? It’s a question that many films ask. But we are not all equal when it comes to this question and do not have the same values, priorities and sensibilities.

Sorry for the spoiler, but once again, the fourth wall is broken at the end of this feature film. Just like in Eden Lake (2008), Calibre (2018), Psycho (1960 and its 1998 remake). The fourth wall is also broken in films as diverse as Funny Games (1997), Funny Games U.S. (2008), Deadpool (2016), Fight Club (1999) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Here, it is very welcome and very well done.

There are no fully explicit sex scenes, but rather sensuality. The violence is not exaggerated, but it is there. It is just not graphic. Sometimes it is quite artistic: we just see gunshots in the night and sometimes we don’t even see who is shooting at whom at the time.

Lazareth is going to annoy more than a few people! Indeed, it will not satisfy fans of action, war, gore, torture or sex. It is for people who want a plot without being traumatised by it. Something quiet, not too complex, but not a romance or a comedy either.

Without giving too much away, it is the story of two young women who live in a house in the middle of the forest and a deadly virus is lurking. This makes it difficult to interact with people passing through the area. Should they feed them, keep them away, treat them if they are injured… or kill them to avoid taking any risks?

For once, you know enough to decide whether you want to watch this film… or not!