The Autopsy of Jane Doe Will Get Under Your Skin

For a long time, decent horror films were few and far between - but as we've recently seen, they're starting to make a comeback. With films like The Babadook, The Witch, The Guest, Don't Breathe, and most recently, Get Out, the genre is delivering increasingly smart, gripping films that aren't just trying to hustle up the next franchise. So when good buzz starts building, I'm all over it. 

If you're likewise fond of gasps and dread, be sure to add The Autopsy of Jane Doe to your list. Directed by Trollhunter's André Øvredal, Autopsy is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that starts off as a forensic procedural, when police discover the corpse of a young woman half-buried in the basement beneath a brutal crime scene. Her body is taken to the local coroner, played by the great Brian Cox, who's been guiding his son (Emile Hirsch) into the family business.

Their job is to determine the cause of death. What's her story? What if there doesn't seem to be a cause of death? As the title here should tell you, this film is not for the squeamish. When father and son go to work, we're up close and personal with their trade's unique brand of visceral archaeology. As they begin to peel back layers of the onion, these seasoned, unflinching clinicians start to make discoveries that quickly give them pause.

And, we'll just stop right there, to stay out of spoiler territory. But it's going to be a long night, and a storm is on the way. Cox and Hirsch are just fantastic here, as is the enigmatic and lifeless presence depicted by Olwen Kelly.

Øvredal is beautifully suited for this kind of thing, flavoring the creeping intensity with the occasional dash of humor, and his collaboration with writers Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, cinematographer Roman Osin and editors Patrick Larsgaard and Peter Gvosdas, serves up a sensational, claustrophobic chamber piece that never drags during its brisk, suspensefully economic 86 minutes.

If you're a fan of John Carpenter and cold, twisting plots that wrench onto your fingers, seek out The Autopsy of Jane Doe at all costs. Sadly, it's had a very limited theatrical release, as this would be a fantastic picture to see with an audience. But right now your best bet is video-on-demand, including Amazon. Do not miss it.