The Autopsy of Jane Doe: Morgue Check-in
In December 2016, André Øvredal unleashed The Autopsy of Jane Doe upon the world.
Starring the great Brian Cox as Tommy Tilden, with Emile Hirsch as his son Austin, the pair run a funeral home. Due to a pressing case of multiple murders, Sheriff Burke (Michael McElhatton) asks the pair to immediately conduct an autopsy on one “Jane Doe” to determine cause of death.
This premise is simple, and serves as an excellent storytelling foundation, and the idea is far removed from the usual tropes force-fed down horror fans’ throats. Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing created a compelling and suspenseful mystery taking place within the “Tilden Morgue and Crematorium” – and the audience becomes the third family member to indulge in the goings-on.
Consider this a spoiler-free look back…
Beyond the Slab
Goldberg and Naing’s script is solid as we watch father and son navigate how poor “Jane Doe” met her demise. Her death is clearly a mystery since her body’s pristine and seemingly shows no signs of trauma.
She is no ordinary Jane Doe. As with the other actors in this practically one-room stage play, Olwen Catherine Kelly delivers a frozen performance as one naked dead woman for 90-minutes – which she accomplished day in and day out during the production’s five week shooting schedule. Eat your hearts out Shields and Yarnell.
If the first part of a quality horror film is the story interspersed with quality acting, we also need solid cinematography and music. And The Autopsy of Jane Doe incorporates those elements as well.
Roman Osin was the man behind the lens. As director of photography, he captured the action. What worked best were the times when he approached certain elements, like holes in doors, as if we were skulking about trying to get a closer look for ourselves. With a mix of different shots and different lighting, he helped present an isolated venue that only added to the fear while fueling the suspense.
The music keeps tempo with the story – and that is far from a pun. Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans deliver a strong score that changes as the story does. The more the Tilden’s discover, the more primal the music becomes. This progression helps enhance the uncanny elements within the narrative.
What We Can’t Talk About
To mention anything deeper about the story, would destroy the viewer experience. It’s recommended that one avoid the trailer.
Some reviewers are apt to point out logical errors during the Tilden’s autopsy. Once could either attribute these mistakes to the writing team and their lack of research, or to our main characters who are simply making human errors.
But the story is solid as it builds, incorporating that all important element of the uncanny along with “the other”. That notion means that this “other” does not belong in our reality and must either be destroyed or assimilated. And like John Carpenter’s masterful The Thing, The Autopsy of Jane Doe presents us with a challenge: Who is this “other”?
This was Øvredal’s first English-language film after his successful Trollhunter release. However, in time, The Autopsy of Jane Doe may eclipse that found-footage cult favorite.
Hang on to your toe tag and enjoy the gurney ride.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
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Billy Crash
Also known as William D. Prystauk, he loves great, in-depth characters and storytelling in horror, and likes to see heads roll. However, if you kill a dog on screen he’ll cry like a baby. Crash, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist, co-hosts THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast on iTunes and Spotify (among other venues), and can also be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, IMDb, Amazon, Behance, YouTube, and Instagram. He’s currently in pre-production on a dramatic thriller feature while working on the fourth novel in his award-winning Kink Noir crime thriller series.
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(The Autopsy of Jane Doe movie still from 42.)