The Autopsy of Jane Doe — The Autopsy of Jane Doe(Blu Ray)
Here we have the Blu-ray version of this 2016 USA produced film, that was directed Norwegian director André Øvredal- who will be known to most for his first film the high concept found footage/ mock-doc Troll Hunter. The Autopsy of Jane Doe tells of father & son coroners, Tommy(played by highly respected British actor Brian Cox), and Austin( played by Emile Hirsch). One evening the local small town sheriff brings the pair the body of a young unidentified woman( played with real commitment by Olwen Catherine Kelly). Her naked corpse was found half buried in the basement of a house, where an unexplained massacre had occurred.
The film is based mostly in the pair’s basement mortuary, which is set beneath the families’ funeral home. And mainly focuses in on just three people- Tommy, Austin & Jane Doe. So as you can imagine there is a lot of focus on acting skill, atmosphere, and unfolding mystery. And that really is one of the key facets of the film, the mystery of how Jane Doe passed, who she is, and how she landed up in the basement where she was found. And the films unfold & final resolve, is both clever, surprising and very chilling.
One might think the idea of a 90-minute film set purely in a mortuary, and focusing in on just one autopsy would be overbearingly ghoulish, possible overstretched, and maybe even a little dull. But The Autopsy of Jane Doe keeps your attention held firmly thought-out, with both the skillful acting, great & original script, building tension, and good pacing. Sure it’s ghoulish- but it never overplays this side of things, and each discovery by the pair both builds interest & suspense.
I came into this film fairly blind only seeing the trailer, and checking out a few spoiler free reviews- this is most certainly the best way to see The Autopsy of Jane Doe- as much of its power is the mystery & how it unfolds.
The picture on the blu ray disc certainly looks good, though as a film it’s fairly dark in its lighting. So you really have to watch in a properly darkened room- it’s not a film for a bright summers day! I’m presuming the promo disc we’ve been sent for review is the full & finished release- if so it’s a little sparse on extras, and features just a short interview between director André Øvredal, and respected horror film critic & writer Alan Jones. It really would have been nice if the film had a commentary - either from Øvredal, or the cast- as it would have been great to learn more about the films production & how it came about.
So if you’re a long-term horror fan you really need to check out The Autopsy of Jane Doe, as it expertly uses genre traits & heightens them perfectly to create a highly compelling film, which builds & builds with both tension & dread. Certainly one of the horror highlights from the last few years, and it’s great (for once) to see a film that lives up to its promise and exceeds it!