“Sometimes the cause of death is a mystery better left unknown.”

In December 2016, IFC Midnight, the production/distribution company that brought us horror gems such as The Human Centipede, Contracted, The Den, and The Babadook, released a supernatural thriller by the name of The Autopsy of Jane Doe.  Written by Ian B. Goldberg and Richard Naing and directed by André Øvredal (Trollhunter), the film is the winner of multiple festival awards including Best Picture (Horror Features) at the 2016 Austin Fantastic Fest.  With excellent performances by the cast and the steady increase of tension throughout, it’s a film that’s sure to get under the skin of any viewer.

THE PLOT

The film begins with a police investigation of a grisly scene of multiple fatalities in a small town home.  As they search the house, the authorities discover a partially buried body of a young woman with no identification, and no signs of injury.  They then decide to take the body to the local morgue in the hopes that a cause of death can be determined, which will give them a better understanding of what happened.

Back at the morgue, coroner Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) along with his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) are just finishing up an autopsy of a burned corpse.  Deciding to call it a night, Austin is visited by his girlfriend Emma (Ophelia Lovibond) and they plan their night together.  Just as they’re about to leave, the Sheriff (Michael McElhatton) arrives with the unidentified body.  Feeling obligated to assist his father, Austin decides to forego his date and stay behind to help out.

Since the body has no identification, for the record, the two coroners decide to call her Jane Doe (Olwen Catherine Kelly).  Following standard autopsy procedure, it becomes apparent that her death is a mystery due to no immediate signs of fatal injury.  As they investigate further and begin the internal autopsy of the corpse, the evidence starts to unravel into something neither of them can explain.  To make matters worse, it now seems that the simple autopsy has awakened something that no one saw coming, and Jane Doe’s death is just the beginning!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I heard about this film months ago through social media, and being a fond lover of paranormal horror, it definitely grabbed my attention.  It was getting a lot of positive buzz, and really made me anxious to watch it. It’s safe to say that I really liked this one!  What makes it work so well is the creepy atmosphere in the morgue, the slow build of tension, and a sense of dread that really draw you in.

Another great aspect of this film is that it doesn’t rely on a bunch of cheesy and unnecessary jump scares.  The scares rely on the imagination of the viewer, and that makes for a very effective horror film!  I would DEFINITELY recommend this to any supernatural/paranormal horror fan!