The Autopsy of Jane Doe is a 2016 British horror film directed by André Øvredal (Trollhunter) from a screenplay by Ian B. Goldberg (Dead of Summer; Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Richard Naing.
The film is being shown at the BFI London Film Festival on October 13, 2016 at the
Embankment Garden Cinema. In the US, it will be shown in selected theaters by IFC Midnight.
Main cast:
Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch, Ophelia Lovibond, Michael McElhatton, Parker Sawyers, Jane Perry, Olwen Catherine Kelly.
Plot:
In small-town Virginia, police are called to a gruesome crime scene where a family has been massacred in their own house. In the basement, an even more disturbing discovery is made: the partially buried corpse of a nude woman. The cops take this unidentified victim to a small, family-run morgue, where they ask proprietor Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) to perform an urgent forensic analysis in order to help determine what happened at the blood-stained house. Tommy’s son Austen (Emile Hirsch) cancels a date with his girlfriend (Ophelia Lovibond) in order to help his father perform an autopsy, and the two Tildens set about their grisly examination in the morgue basement.
Working late into the night as they methodically peel back layers of skin, muscle, and bone, Tommy and Austen are baffled by the lack of external signs of trauma on the victim and the alarming extent of her internal injuries. Increasingly perplexed and frustrated by these forensic anomalies, the pair begins to succumb to late-night jitters, getting spooked at apparitions that seem to be lurking in the shadows. As the dread mounts and the atmosphere gets thick with evil, it becomes apparent that the Tildens’ fate is intertwined with a darkness that neither of them can comprehend…
Reviews:
“Seemingly torn between more refined art house pretensions and knowingly pulpy schlock, The Autopsy of Jane Doe ultimately feels like an unsatisfactory compromise between the two. It is mostly impressive as a technical achievement, especially Matt Gant’s roomy yet claustrophobic set design, Roman Osin’s kinetic camerawork and Krystian Mallet’s superlative prosthetics.” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter
“Overall The Autopsy of Jane Doe is an unabashed success thanks to its tightly plotted script, its confident director who knows how to maximize tension and its willing performers who bring charm and depth to their performances.” Joe Lipsett, Bloody Disgusting
“In its last lap, tense action is replaced somewhat by speculative explication, and the resolution isn’t quite as big a payoff as might be hoped. But to that point, the thrill ride that is Autopsy of Jane Doe is so much fun that one can forgive the climax for failing to top the buildup. Assembly is first-rate in all departments…” Dennis Harvey, Variety
“The Autopsy of Jane Doe is at its best when it’s basically a haunted house tale, but this house happens to have dead bodies in the basement. The final act gets a little too goofy for its own good, but the movie had worked my nerves enough by that point to forgive it not quite sticking the landing.” Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
Filming Locations:
London, England
