Appearance
Flatliners
"Taft Building" — Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago | wikimedia / zooey
Directed by Joel Schumacher, Flatliners (1990) is a stylish supernatural medical thriller that explores the boundary between life and death. The film stars an ensemble of rising 90s stars, including Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Oliver Platt. The story follows five ambitious medical students who begin a daring experiment: "flatlining" themselves to experience the afterlife before being resuscitated by their peers.
As they push the limits of science, they discover that their journey into the "great beyond" has unintended consequences, as the sins and traumas of their pasts follow them back to the living world. The film is noted for its lush, gothic cinematography by Jan de Bont and its atmospheric, neon-drenched portrayal of Chicago.
Locations
The production was primarily filmed in Chicago, Illinois, utilizing the city's grand university architecture and historic structures to create a moody, academic atmosphere.
Loyola University (The Medical School), Chicago
The exterior of the medical school where the students study and conduct their illicit experiments was filmed at Loyola University Chicago's Lake Shore Campus. The iconic Mundelein Center, an Art Deco skyscraper with gothic flourishes, served as the primary backdrop, providing the film with its distinctive architectural identity. Map Location
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
The dramatic "secret" lab where the students conduct their flatlining sessions was constructed within the Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park. The building’s vast, classical interior and underground feel perfectly suited the clandestine nature of the group’s experiments. Map Location
The University of Chicago, Hyde Park
Additional campus scenes were filmed at the University of Chicago. The English Gothic architecture of the quads and the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel were used to enhance the scholarly yet eerie tone of the film, suggesting a world where science and religion intersect. Map Location
The El (Chicago "L" Train)
Consistent with many Chicago-based thrillers, the Chicago "L" train plays a significant role in the film's transition sequences. The sight of the trains rattling through the city’s North Side and the Loop, often shrouded in steam and neon light, contributes to the film’s urban-noir aesthetic.
Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago
The haunting cemetery scenes, where the characters confront the manifestations of their past guilt, were filmed at Oak Woods Cemetery. This historic cemetery on the South Side of Chicago provided the necessary atmospheric backdrop for the film's more supernatural and reflective moments. Map Location
The Drake Hotel, Chicago
In a rare moment of respite from their experiments, the students are seen in more upscale urban environments. The historic Drake Hotel on the Magnificent Mile was utilized for interior scenes, representing the high-society world the students are destined for—provided they survive their own ambition. Map Location
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Director
Joel Schumacher
Cast
Kiefer Sutherland
Julia Roberts
Kevin Bacon
William Baldwin
Oliver Platt
Kimberly Scott
IMDB
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