Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Lazarus Project'

Written by Scott Edwards

Getting a second chance is something that we all want in life and sometimes we are lucky enough to get one. It is what we do with this chance that will make our lives easier, or worse, depending on what you do with it. There may not be a set way in doing something right, but if you know in your heart that it is the right way, I guess you should go with that feeling. Even with a second chance, not everybody is willing to change what they have done wrong, since sometimes it is the only thing that they know and even being able to live another day might not be as rewarding as most of us would think.

As his final day of being on parole comes to an end, Ben Garvey wants nothing else than to spend the rest of his life with his family. With his loving wife Lisa and daughter Katie by his side, there is nothing that can happen to take him away from them again. But when his little brother gets out of prison with an offer that seems too good to be true, Ben takes a moment to think about it, but with an actual job in place, he is forced to say no. Yet, Ben gets called into his boss’ office and finds out that he is being fired due to his criminal record and the loss of his paycheck is too much for him to just let go of.

Calling up Ricky to set up the score, Ben thinks that everything will go according to plan, but when a new member of the crew shows up in the car he is ready to call things off. Ricky comes clean about needing the money badly or he will be killed, and Ben cannot let any harm come to his little brother and decides to go along with the job once again. Getting inside is easy and while Ricky and his friend are watching over the floor, Ben is able to get into the safe and secure a payday that will take care of him and his family for years to come. But when Ben walks out and sees shots being fired and his brother and friend lying dead on the ground, he knows that his life is about to change. The court charges Ben with several counts of murder and he is given the death penalty for his involvement. Lying on the table, expecting to die, Ben is shocked that he has been given a second chance.

Trekking down the road on a rainy night, Ben is picked up by Father Ezra who runs the mental health facility where Ben has been given a job as the new grounds keeper. Getting set up, Ben wants nothing more than to see his family again, but there is a man keeping an eye on him in the form of Avery who will not let the convict leave. While working with his new friend Robbie, Ben hears that there are people watching his every move, but he dismisses it since he has a job and is not a patient of the facility. But when Ben sees an inmate kill himself, he knows that time is short and he tries to leave during the night. Waking up in restraints, Father Ezra tells the young man that his stay in the facility has been lengthy and that his family is dead. Ben is not willing to accept this as his reality, but is this an elaborate hoax to throw him off, or did he lose his family in a fire like the Father’s story says?

Not a bad little tale of redemption, but it is not for the person you would expect. I knew that there was going to be a plot twist to mess with our heads as soon as Ben started talking to another doctor at the facility in Julie Ingram as she is always trying to feel him out for more personal information. The addition of a dog in the story was key for me, as the dog was always digging for something that was never seen and would bark when someone was watching Ben in his new happy life as the groundskeeper. Not disappointed in this movie at all, as you have some great actors and a story that makes you second guess what is really going on and why Ben has been given a second chance.

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