VOD Review: The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

"One of the best movies of 2016."

(aka The Naked Whore)
Release Date: December 21st.
Country: UK.
Rating: R.
Written by: Ian B. Goldberg and Richard Niang.
Directed by: André Øvredal.
Starring: Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch, Olwen Catherine Kelly, Ophelia Lovibond, and Michael McElhatton.

Back in 2010, director André Øvredal gave us the brilliant Trollhunter (review HERE), and if you haven't checked that one out yet, you really need to. It's one of the best Found Footage flicks ever made, and it's just enjoyable as hell. It's streaming on Netflix, FYI.

Six years later, we finally get a follow-up film from the Norwegian director, and I daresay that The Autopsy of Jane Doe is every bit as good as Trollhunter was, albeit in a completely different sort of way.

At the scene of a bloody, multiple-homicide, the naked body of an attractive young woman is found half unearthed in the basement. Our guess? The guy who lived there killed a hooker or something, his wife found her buried in the floor, and then shit popped off. Maybe she went nuts and killed everyone, or maybe she threatened to go to the cops, and hubby killed everyone, because screw going to jail. Who knows.

EVEN ROOSE BOLTON IS PERPLEXED BY THIS CASE.

The Sheriff brings the body of the Jane Doe to the local morgue (which for some reason is underground) where a father and son team work together, performing autopsies, and just enjoying life in general. Jane Doe's body in in perfect shape; no physical trauma, no scars, no anything that would point to murder... which is odd because her ankles and wrists are broken; her eyes are cloudy, which is something that only occurs in bodies that have been dead for a while; and she doesn't have a tongue.

AND SHE HAS STUFF IN HER BODY AS WELL...

When they begin the autopsy on Jane Doe, weird things begin to happen: they hear noises in the vents; the body bleeds, even though it's not freshly dead; the radio beings to change channels by itself, playing odd broadcasts; they see shadowy figures in the hallway... and all kinds of other crazy shit happens, but to reveal anything else would only spoil the good stuff that comes next.

Needless to say, something ain't right with this corpse, and father and son are about to find out just what that something is.

SHE DOESN'T HAVE A FEVER. SHE'S DEAD!

The Autopsy of Jane Doe creeped very quietly into theaters right before Christmas, and somehow managed to be more satisfying than most other offerings at the local multiplex. Disturbing and nuanced, this is a movie that actually manages to pack some genuine chills into its runtime, and it baffles me how there wasn't more fanfare surrounding such a great flick.

The script is clever, and the story flows in a very natural way. Nothing is forced here, and I really liked how the characters quickly came to accept the craziness of what was happening as real, instead of spending 80-minutes in denial, until they're suddenly slapped in the face with one thing that makes them say "Oh shit, this is real!" I hate when movies do that.

Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch carry the movie, and do so admirably. Cox is one of the best actors alive, and he brings his usual brand of likable intensity to his role here. Emile Hirsch is a solid actor in his own right, and he holds his own with his older, and much more seasoned on-screen partner. And we have to give credit to the gorgeous Olwen Catherine Kelly, who had the unenviable task of spending the entire movie naked on a cold slab. Sounds like an easy gig -just lay there and don't move- but man that must have been tough, both physically and mentally.

BAD IDEA.

Why in the world is your morgue underground? That doesn't seem practical, nor safe at all, not to mention it makes the whole "I work in a morgue" thing way creepier.

AND WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!?

As great as this movie is, it sure could have used a stronger ending. Don't get me wrong, the ending was cool, but it could have used a bit more... excitement? It's hard to explain without spoiling things, and I don't wanna do that with this movie, but more of a climax would have been good.

THAT DAMNED BELL!

There's no shortage of realistic, graphic autopsy footage in this movie. Also, some axe violence, some broken bones, a gruesome murder scene, and a fire...

THAT'S RIGHT, KILL IT WITH FIRE!

Olwen Catherine Kelly, the movie's titular Jane Doe, spent the entire movie laying naked on a slab, being manhandled by Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch. Now that's dedication.

THAT'S ONE GOOD LOOKING CORPSE.

Being a mortician will eventually kill you. Also, André Øvredal is a force to be reckoned with, and he needs to keep making excellent genre movies. Because we say so.

ALSO, POOR OPHELIA SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE SCREENTIME IN THIS ONE.

An insular, creepy, disturbing, and overall clever movie, The Autopsy of Jane Doe is one hell of a Supernatural Thriller that boasts two excellent leading men, plenty of disturbing imagery, and a hot-as-sin leading lady who spends the entire movie naked. What more could you ask for?

Give it a rent, you won't regret it.

A

The Autopsy of Jane Doe is available now on VOD.

Even though she wasn't in the moviie much, Ophelia Lovibond is a lovely creature to behold. And the movie's sexy namesake, Olwen Catherine Kelly, is so lovely that we had to give her her own Horror Hottie post, right over HERE.