The Jane Doe Identity

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.

This movie is like a well wrapped present. You might have an idea what it is, but you can't really be sure before you unwrap and open it.

The music and overall ambience quickly tells us it is going to be dark, scary and bloody. As the movie progresses we are introduced to the aftermath of what seems like a slaughter within an ordinary home.

It quickly takes a turn as the body of an unknown woman (Hint: Jane Doe) is discovered in the basement. Partly burried, but in mint condition.

... wuush we change location an meet the main characters, a father and son, both coroners. Lucky as they are, they get a new patient(?) - well a body. This is of course the Jane Doe and as they begin to cut her open, the well wrapped presents presents itself as a true and horrifying horror film.

The father and son-relashionship makes us care for the characters as they try to discover the dark and creepy truth that lies beneath Jane Does skin.

I really liked. I even made this review ... It is worth your time. Watch it with your lads or perhaps on a second or third date .. a winner ;-)

Enjoy - I did.

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.

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

And a simply wonderful throwback to the 1970s when horror was, well, horror -- and not based on gimmicks like "found footage" but rather genuine scene-setting, story building, audience engagement, and full-tilt creepiness.

Probably destined to become a classic.

Brian Cox is this generation's Donald Pleasence, that is to say, a character actor who could not give a bad performance if he tried yet is destined to never actually stand out in any single production because that is his style.

Director André Øvredal is one of those rare finds -- an auteur with (so far) a small body of work who is producing better and better films. This suggests that over time he will probably give us bigger and better treats to come.

And while Ophelia Lovibond does not get a lot of screen time, the exposure she does have will only add to her fan base. An American accent so natural you would think she was trained by Hugh Laurie and a performance so sweet you might not even recognize her (unless you looked twice) as the very same actress that underpinned an entire season of Elementary.

Recommended? This is a must-see!

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))