The Autopsy of Jane Doe Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A father and son coroner duo investigate a mysterious cadaver discovered at a crime scene.

Review: This film reminded me a lot of "Interstellar" in that they're both utterly amazing until the ending rolls around to pretty much destroy everything! I have discussed occasionally how shitty movies will put me to sleep, but "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" was that rare experience where it forced me stay awake in a page-turner-esque manner; this might not sound like high praise but it is. The atmosphere is nailed so perfectly that you can't help but be intrigued by the story line. You MUST know where this is all heading! Unfortunately, after a phenomenal buildup, the revelation we get is moronic and predictable. In fact, in an effort to explain the plot, things become confusing since not all the threads we were given tie up coherently. I don't know...on one hand the film is impressive in almost every regard, and exceptionally original to boot, however, it's just so damn hard to ignore the sour taste the ending leaves in your mouth. Argh! WHY?!

One of the strongest aspects to the story is the father and son combination. They aren't merely family members but also coworkers--this creates an unusual, yet interesting, character dynamic. Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch feel believable as family with their subtle exchanges and banter; you can definitely picture these two on an average day outside of the film's setting. Enhancing the situation is the very fact that these two are coroners working out of an old-timey morgue. The usage of the bells on the cadavers' feet, the narrow corridors, and, of course, the storm brewing outside, create such a level of ambiance and sensation of dread...it's quite remarkable really. Then we come to our Jane Doe herself. I definitely have to give the director credit for the constant closeups of the face as you are in a perpetual state of anticipation of her movement. There is toying with your audience and then there is fucking toying with your audience! The moment they started examining her body I was completely immersed in the mystery and had to keep going until I uncovered her secret alongside the characters. Each bizarre thing they discovered had my imagination on fire...I just kept hoping they weren't going in the direction I suspected out the gate. Few other horror movies could create this incredible atmosphere, and I will certainly give credit where credit is due. If there is any aspect all audiences can agree on it's that you want to figure out what is Jane Doe's story. Finally, the film looks great on a technical front with some nice, creepy music lending a hand.

Ugh...and now I have to explain what went wrong. So what is this great mystery...what is Jane Doe really? She's a witch. That's it. That's the big reveal. And it's not even as straightforward and sensible as that--oh no--her spiel is that she was a normal girl turned into a witch accidentally during the Salem witch trials (facepalm). Making matters worse is that we cannot even declare this explanation as accurate due to numerous plot inconsistencies and the whole "it's all in your head" twist. Oh for the love of fuck! Okay, so if she was a regular girl "accidentally" turned into a witch then how the fuck was she surviving so much damage as a human? Likewise, why would puritans use magic themselves in the first place? On top of that, I highly doubt her torment would have included things like rape and some kind of tattooing. But let's say the characters are wrong in their assumption...well, we still have inconsistencies like Jane Doe regenerating her eye color only to go back to the original later. Or the notion that her body can be damaged by cuts yet the fire does nothing? Why would she have scarring if her regenerative powers are magical? If she was kept at bay by the magical bindings (presumably), then how did she control the first family at the initial murder scene? Why does she love that dumb song on the radio given the likelihood that she's been exposed to much music over the centuries is highly implausible? If everything was in the characters' heads, then she must have some degree of omnipresence to pick the perfect timing to screw with them. Alternatively, if she can possess them or enter their minds, then why wait as long as she did for this to happen? Fuck it! I could go on all day with this shit. Of course there are hints that something is not right given the line about another clear night only for it to suddenly become a hurricane, but simply resorting to "it's all in their heads" is a total cop out. The worst part is that the efforts to explain things for the audience just creates more problems that become annoying and stupid.

Okay, so what could have been done differently? If they wanted to keep this witch idea, they could have thought up something better than her being a failed magic ritual. Just say she's a fucking witch that people keep trying to kill, but she won't just die unless Sam and Dean are on the case. I was actually hoping we'd discover that the skin was simply put on to something else similarly to "Hellraiser." The realization that she had symbols under her skin doesn't even make sense given this whole witch trial shenanigans. And the thing I was hoping for most was that they would discover what put her down permanently to begin with--not this dumb comatose concept. It would have been infinitely cooler if the autopsy unraveled all the efforts someone else went to to keep her dead only to inadvertently free her by mistake. When they finally cut open her head, that should have been the final thing that was keeping her at bay. With her free at the end, that would have played on the "curiosity killed the cat" theme they had going on what with the girlfriend wanting to see the cadavers and literally fucking killing the cat. Oh well, whatever. Should have just made her a werewolf and have Rudy show up to shoot her.

I hate to make it sound like the movie was not good, because it's downright awesome--one of the best in a while! It's just that when your expectations are built up, and the momentum of the story is sucking you in, you just want it to fully blow your mind. Believe me, regardless of the ending, "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" is more than worth your time. If you want an original story, an excellent mystery, and some serious atmosphere, then this film has you covered. If you also aren't the type to think all that deeply about a film or the plot details, then you may come to love this. For me, I'd say the first hour is absolutely thrilling, engaging you ferociously every second with the possibilities that lie before you. Sadly, the last half hour falls off the track and leaves you severely disappointed the longer you dwell on the reveal. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this for horror fans and easily see this as a nice rental or date movie for casual viewers.

Notable Moment: Even though it's in the trailer, the buildup to the first bell ringing scene is effectively creepy.

Final Rating: 7/10