In this horror roundup, the recently released film, “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” will be the subject of review. Directed by Andre Ovredal and starring Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, this horror movie takes place inside a morgue.
The tale
The story revolves around a mysterious body found at a brutal crime scene that happens to be in pristine condition. The sheriff, played by Michael McElhatton, takes the body to the morgue for an autopsy to be conducted by a father and son team played by Cox and Hirsch. As the pair perform the autopsy and try to figure out the cause of death, disturbing events begin to play out in the mortuary.
The verdict
The premise of the movie is unique, and the acting exceptional for a horror movie. Cox brings gravitas to his role as the logical but grief- stricken father trying to stay strong for his son, and Hirsch does an admirable job playing the inquisitive son conflicted over staying on at the family business or leaving town with his girlfriend -- played by Ophelia Lovibond. This movie doesn’t have much to offer in terms of scares to make you jump, but the story is sufficiently creepy and setting the movie in a morgue adds an extra layer of dread on top of the gruesome spectacle of Jane Doe’s autopsy. I always enjoy horror movies when the protagonists try to apply scientific or medical reasoning to supernatural or paranormal events, and the script (written by Ian B.
Goldberg and Richard Naing) does a great job of building the story methodically through the medical examiners' gruesome discoveries during the autopsy. I do feel that the film could have made better use of Lovibond’s character, and as a fan of gory flicks, maybe some improved death scenes, but all in all this horror movie accomplished what it set out to do.
To die or not to die
This movie is definitely to die for, just for the fact that it’s a horror movie that doesn’t lean on the found footage premise which is a rarity these days. The premise of the film is novel enough to warrant giving it a chance, and as stated earlier, the performances by Cox and Hirsch make this movie rise above the usual horror fare and formula of teens lost in the woods battling masked axemen, and raging hormones. “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” is playing in theaters now, and absolutely worth watching.
