The Jane Doe Identity

The main thing this initially slow-burning horror has going for it is the fact that it is almost constantly genuinely unpredictable, but it's also one of the most uneven (promising) films of recent years; the best bit is the fantastically enigmatic, truly interesting first-half of the second-act in which the eponymous autopsy is carried out (with tangible grisly detail yet unexpected forensic accuracy) and the body's numerous mystifying mysteries are revealed, and the worst is pretty much everything after once it all goes off the rails and dips into more traditional, less engaging generic genre fare - it's a good job that the direction is pretty phenomenal for most of the piece and that the central father/son relationship is both believable and effecting, otherwise the whole piece would sink. 6/10

The title and poster of the movie give a creepy and uneasy feeling to the prospective watcher, and the same creepy atmosphere is wonderfully evident from the start of this well-executed, well-acted offering from the Norwegian director who gave us the thoroughly underrated Trollhunter. This time, he opted for conventional filmmaking instead of the found-footage style he so deftly utilized in Trollhunter, giving us time to take in the brilliantly directed scenes which immediately thrusts the audience into the unsettling premise of a Jane Doe being autopsied by a father-and-son coroner duo.

The dialogue between the leads in the beginning build character almost instantaneously, and they feel real from the get-go. Compared to the recent trend of horror movies eschewing character development for cardboard cutout jump-scare fuel, this movie comes as a nice and refreshing, almost surprising, change of pace. The father and the son have contrasting personalities regarding their approach to autopsies. I expected this brilliancy in dialogue and character development to carry the whole movie - and it immediately increased my expectations of the movie; I fully expected this to be an underrated horror gem of 2016.

Alas, however, half-way through the movie the director's Conjuring-esque influences seemed to show through the cracks. Though not devolving straight into jump-scare territory, the movie dips its feet into schlock scares now and then, which has a very infuriating effect on the viewer who, until now, has been amazed by the movie's restraint. The character development also suffers, with some actions by the leads contradicting their motivations.

However, the concept and execution need to be commended. The actors Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch do well to sell the dread and claustrophobia experienced by the characters. Special mention to Olwen Kelly, who gives possibly the best performance of the movie, despite having no lines, no action (she plays the corpse). Definitely one of the highlights of the movie was the synergy between the camera-work and the actress's facial expressions which do more to put the viewer at unease than minute-long scenes of staring into the darkness, fully knowing the movie is going to go for that cheap jump-scare. That being said, I would say the script was the weakest aspect of the movie, the ending just leaves you wanting a little bit more, and slightly disappointed. Nevertheless, the movie does its job of selling you the premise and executing it well enough to leave you unsettled for a few days.

All in all, I would call this movie as a mixed bag, though I would give it a glowing recommendation as it is head and shoulders above the spate of incomprehensible scare-fests being offered by Hollywood these days. Great work, André Øvredal.

Be sure to check out Trollhunter by the same director. Although not a horror film, it merges the found-footage genre with goofy mythical creatures to amazingly hilarious yet epic results.

Without spoiling this movie, let me sum up my impression after I just finished watching "The Autopsy Of Jane Doe". I went out without seeing the trailer, so I thought it was a police/detective movie at first.

But it didn't take long for us to realize it was a horror movie.

Acting : excellent. Bryan Cox and Emile Hirsh play a very believable pair of father-son, working at the family morgue.

Story : very different from the usual horror movies. I appreciated it, as I grew tired of the same ghosts, zombie, vampire stories.

Directing : smart use of the shadows without being excessive.

I highly recommend it.

From director André Øvredal (Trollhunter) comes one of the best horror movies of 2016, The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Suspenseful, clever and creepy from start to finish this horror movie follows the story of father and son (played by Brain Cox and Emile Hirsch), both coroners, as they experience unexplained and paranormal events while examining the body of an unidentified woman (played by Olwen Kelly). Execution is superb, from directing, editing, camera-work, color grading, sound editing, dialogue. Movie also features some fine acting, most notably from Brian Cox (no surprise there) There is not a single moment where I felt bored, tension is always present and creepy atmosphere makes it very enjoyable. Also scares don't feel forced but rather real and well earned. Maybe couple of shortcomings or sins here and there prevent it to be a masterpiece, but it is still a very damn good movie. Simple story skillfully executed. Horror is not dead, it is still here and very alive, you just need to have passionate and talented people working behind the cameras.

After the police discover a corpse in a shallow grave, they take it to father-and-son coroners Austin and Tommy Tilden. During their invasive examination, the duo comes into realization that they are dealing with something supernatural.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe - Was a visual treat to enjoy. I think if you are a fan of well paced films you will enjoy this one. Although it's being treated as a horror film - Which is not a problem unless you generalize this as the overall genre for this movie - Its more of a Suspense Thriller/Drama/Horror. This is not something I feel needs to be clarified, but understood as the film envelops all three entities.

Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox are excellent as father-and-son coroners Austin and Tommy Tilden. One particular moment in the film allows the actors to reflect and truly shine in their respected roles.

André Øvredal (Trollhunter) directs this close quartered film with limited room for our actors to breathe once the tension unfolds - He makes great use of this tension by placing the camera in dark areas allowing us to truly feel the weight of the actors.

Screenwriters Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing craft a smart and well paced story with a few false scares, and flat third act leaving us yearning for more.

Overall, this is a movie that deserves and requires your time :)