Written by: Kevin Berge
I would make a timely joke about flies being attracted to dead things, but that would date this. Instead, I'll just say... gross. (Image Courtesy of: empireonline.com)
Quick Take: The Autopsy of Jane Doe sets a tone and delivers with its unsettling atmosphere. Every moment is uneasy and tense, driven by an isolated focus rather than a clarity of threat. It is frightening and hard to forget.
***This review will contain spoilers for all of The Autopsy of Jane Doe, analyzing the entire plot. If you have not seen the movie and plan to do so, do not read past this point.***
There's a sense of claustrophobia to most great horror. No matter how far the characters go, they are ultimate trapped, unable to escape the pull of whatever threat is after them.
The Autopsy of Jane Done is almost suffocating with its claustrophobia. Austin Tilden (Emile Hirsch) and Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) are a father-son pair of coroners, tasked by Sheriff Sheldon Burke (Michael McElhatton) to find out the cause of death of an unusual Jane Doe (Olwen Kelly) by the morning.
Mostly set in this underground coroner's office, the film uses its setting well. The limited light sources, the lack of exits, and the consistent reminder of death make this film scary even before it introduces a single scare.
This is not a modern psychological horror. It is not just about atmosphere. There are certainly jump scares. The threat is ultimately established without ambiguity. However, the movie does use modern horror etchings to frame the story while still remaining outwardly terrifying.
The story begins by establishing oddities. Jane Doe's body does not make sense. Her wounds are too severe. Her body should be falling apart. However, the film never does what you would expect. Jane Doe is not a zombie. She never rises in clear line of sight to Austin or Tommy.
Instead, she is a specter. She makes things disappear. She inhabits corpses that then disappear. She turns out the lights and sets the fire in the cremation furnace blazing. She can be burned and heals after she has been cut into. She is not going to kill the two herself. She wants to convince them to kill themselves.
Late in the run time, they find out that she was one of the many victims of the Salem witch trials, transformed into something dark and angry by the horrifying attempts to kill her for being a witch. Her anger is all-consuming, and she will not stop until both men are dead.
There's a sense of claustrophobia to most great horror. No matter how far the characters go, they are ultimate trapped, unable to escape the pull of whatever threat is after them.
The Autopsy of Jane Done is almost suffocating with its claustrophobia. Austin Tilden (Emile Hirsch) and Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) are a father-son pair of coroners, tasked by Sheriff Sheldon Burke (Michael McElhatton) to find out the cause of death of an unusual Jane Doe (Olwen Kelly) by the morning.
Mostly set in this underground coroner's office, the film uses its setting well. The limited light sources, the lack of exits, and the consistent reminder of death make this film scary even before it introduces a single scare.
This is not a modern psychological horror. It is not just about atmosphere. There are certainly jump scares. The threat is ultimately established without ambiguity. However, the movie does use modern horror etchings to frame the story while still remaining outwardly terrifying.
The story begins by establishing oddities. Jane Doe's body does not make sense. Her wounds are too severe. Her body should be falling apart. However, the film never does what you would expect. Jane Doe is not a zombie. She never rises in clear line of sight to Austin or Tommy.
Instead, she is a specter. She makes things disappear. She inhabits corpses that then disappear. She turns out the lights and sets the fire in the cremation furnace blazing. She can be burned and heals after she has been cut into. She is not going to kill the two herself. She wants to convince them to kill themselves.
Late in the run time, they find out that she was one of the many victims of the Salem witch trials, transformed into something dark and angry by the horrifying attempts to kill her for being a witch. Her anger is all-consuming, and she will not stop until both men are dead.
If you have ever had a dream of working in a morgue... why? I mean, I don't want to ruin anyone's dreams, but you're just asking to get murdered by zombies. (Image Courtesy of: buffalonews.com)
By the time the film reaches its climax, there's an otherworldly foreboding element. They cannot win. They cannot stop her. They cannot escape. Every time they seemingly find a way out, it only proves the point. They were doomed the moment they decided to stay the night to examine this body.
Just as it looks like the two will finally escape through the elevator, the doors refuse to close. As the doors remain open, something creeps toward them, and Tommy strikes it down with an axe. In the only direct kill of the film, Tommy finds out he killed Emma (Ophelia Lovibond), Austin's girlfriend.
Increasingly growing more desperate, Tommy thinks that the cycle can end if Austin kills him. After his father dies, Austin hallucinates that the sheriff has come to rescue him. That brief hope is dashed just before Tommy's corpse scares Austin, causing him to fall to his death.
This film is gut-wrenching and terrifying because it knows how to play with the audience. It is not cheap. It promises and delivers on its scares then lets the viewer wait for the next terrifying plan Jane Doe has to convince the two men to kill themselves.
Horror like this is rare. It is creepy and frightening. The construction of the entire movie builds forward, and there's never a cheap moment. The acting by Brian Cox (Troy) and Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) adds weight to it all as they genuinely feel like family in the way they attempt to protect each other.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is the type of film that eternally terrifies. I love horror that works this well in every area. It was an unforgettable surprise, watching this movie creep forward until I realized just how far it was willing to go. While rarely surprising in its story beats, it is shocking in its execution.
For those looking for something to truly terrify, creeping into their nightmares that same night, The Autopsy of Jane Doe is the perfect horror movie experience.
Just as it looks like the two will finally escape through the elevator, the doors refuse to close. As the doors remain open, something creeps toward them, and Tommy strikes it down with an axe. In the only direct kill of the film, Tommy finds out he killed Emma (Ophelia Lovibond), Austin's girlfriend.
Increasingly growing more desperate, Tommy thinks that the cycle can end if Austin kills him. After his father dies, Austin hallucinates that the sheriff has come to rescue him. That brief hope is dashed just before Tommy's corpse scares Austin, causing him to fall to his death.
This film is gut-wrenching and terrifying because it knows how to play with the audience. It is not cheap. It promises and delivers on its scares then lets the viewer wait for the next terrifying plan Jane Doe has to convince the two men to kill themselves.
Horror like this is rare. It is creepy and frightening. The construction of the entire movie builds forward, and there's never a cheap moment. The acting by Brian Cox (Troy) and Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) adds weight to it all as they genuinely feel like family in the way they attempt to protect each other.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is the type of film that eternally terrifies. I love horror that works this well in every area. It was an unforgettable surprise, watching this movie creep forward until I realized just how far it was willing to go. While rarely surprising in its story beats, it is shocking in its execution.
For those looking for something to truly terrify, creeping into their nightmares that same night, The Autopsy of Jane Doe is the perfect horror movie experience.
