The Autopsy of Jane Doe

IFC Films | Release Date: December 21, 2016

7.0	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 168 Ratings

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NikolayGMay 6, 2017

This first half of this movie is mostly a father and son talking as they go about conducting an autopsy on a 20-something young woman. So what you get are two actors and an attractive woman lying naked on a table - with no attempts made atThis first half of this movie is mostly a father and son talking as they go about conducting an autopsy on a 20-something young woman. So what you get are two actors and an attractive woman lying naked on a table - with no attempts made at all to hide it; so the movie is full of the most unusual nudity you can think of- in the most unsexy circumstances possible. In most stories the characters engage in a lot of physical activity and move from one setting to another. It's a risk for a movie to limit itself to one setting and use only a couple of characters as this one does. There are more actors but their time in the movie is very limited. It's almost exclusively these two guys. If you think you can't deal with such a movie, don't watch this. But when I saw the trailer I was hooked. The young woman was found in a home where all the residents had been murdered. But she wasn't a resident. And she was found naked half buried in dirt in the basement; she was not killed while going about her business doing something normal in the house like the residents of the house were. As they do the autopsy they start to find weird stuff in her body, and the situation gets weirder from there. I would have given it more stars if not for a few big errors. Something very terrible happens, after which the father starts talking about the mistakes he made regarding his wife and how the son suffered due to that. This is fine to give the story some emotional depth, but it's the wrong moment. It doesn't work. What has just happened was too terrible. The father wouldn't have chosen that moment to say these things. They should have found a way to work it in before the terrible event. In fact, the way the two characters carry on after this event - within 10 minutes they're having conversation as if this event didn't happen - is totally unrealistic. Of course, the events of the movie are crazy due to the genre - but the way people react should be realistic. The ending is kind of cool but there's no reason it couldn't have happened earlier, much earlier, right at the start, in fact. And what the son does near the end - is also unbelievable. Also, one more problem, is that something that seemed to be happening, which seemed to be the ultimate point, did not happen; the ending would have been much better if it had. So I give the movie points for originality, but a couple of major missteps that could have been avoided if they'd just worked on the script some more, take it down to a 6.

But be warned, really scary.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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dunnyoneJan 11, 2017

A real head-scratcher as to what I shall award this. Whilst I enjoyed the gore, the middle of the film sucks (becomes a silly generic horror with retarded jump scares), but the beginning and ending are top-notch. So I'd say, a solid 6. Yes. A 6/10.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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SpangleJan 24, 2017

Norwegian director Andre Ovredal of Trollhunter fame is back and ready with another chilling horror flick. Unfortunately, The Autopsy of Jane Doe gets half way to the end and then decides to just put it on autopilot with an asinine twist thatNorwegian director Andre Ovredal of Trollhunter fame is back and ready with another chilling horror flick. Unfortunately, The Autopsy of Jane Doe gets half way to the end and then decides to just put it on autopilot with an asinine twist that ruins the film. Up to that point though, I was terrified. Ovredal set the perfect atmosphere, shot everything gorgeously with creepy lighting, and turned an autopsy into one of the most riveting cinematic horror experiences I have had. But then, like something out of late-2000s M. Night Shyamalan, he decides to add in a twist that makes you want to lay on the floor and cry out, "WHY?" Honestly, Shyamalan may have turned down the twist and said, "No thanks, that sounds stupid." This is a shame because the first half is tremendous.

Adorned with gorgeous production design and creepy lighting, what better place for a horror chiller than a morgue? Andre Ovredal knows this and makes his old morgue setting feel fresh and new. It is a setting that is begging to be explored. How do you make it even better? Mystery. Not only is this place creepy, but Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) and his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) are tasked with performing an autopsy on a Jane Doe. Found buried under a family's basement, the entire family was found dead and this woman was not related to any of them. Since she was buried under the basement, the sheriff feels the clock ticking to figure out who she is and how she died to satisfy the press. So, he dumps her body off with the most trusted coroners in the county to get an answer before morning. But, what they find baffles them and leaves them running for the exits.

Touching on elements possibly regarding the occult, these two coroners put their minds together to try and figure out how this girl died, but it keeps leading them to one to one conclusion: she very well may be alive? But how? She has been gutted and cut open. Her wrists and ankles are broken. Well, you will have to watch to figure out, but do not get your hopes up. It is a film that has all of the atmosphere in the world when it starts up, strong writing, good acting, and a killer location. The odd part with the ending is that is not even derivative. The final act is like something I have not seen before in a horror film. Despite its faults, it is most certainly original. Unfortunately, everything original is not necessarily good. The Autopsy of Jane Doe is very much an example of this. Its final act does contain derivative elements, but its reasoning is incredibly original and dumb. The cliches and derivative portions of the final act are bad, but not nearly as bad as the reason they are all happening. This reason truly breaks the atmosphere and leaves the audience wondering how it could have all gone wrong so quickly. It is an original idea left on the cutting room floor of dozens of prior movies.

That said, the aesthetic of this morgue is unparalled. The opening is tense, creepy, and truly sets the tone for a great horror film. I was all set to highly recommend this one, but not it is just a mild recommend to see something go off the rails. Had the ending not been so tremendous, this one would have a majorly disappointing follow up to Trollhunter from a talented and very promising director. As it stands, it was a good effort that shows why he is so highly thought of, but he needs better material.… Expand