If there's a horror film I've heard the most about since TIFF came to an end, it's the Midnight Madness award winner, The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Directed by André Øvredal, whose prior film Troll Hunter put him on the map for a lot of people, it stars Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch as father and son coroners examining the body of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.
If the film were solely about how this woman died, then that would be one thing. However, as they begin the examination, weird things of a supernatural nature begin to occur. Here's the full synopsis:
Experienced coroner Tommy Tilden and his grown-up son Austin run a family-owned morgue and crematorium in Virginia. When the local Sheriff brings in an emergency case — an unknown female corpse nicknamed ‘Jane Doe’, found in the basement of a home where a multiple homicide took place — it seems like just another open-and-shut case. But as the autopsy proceeds, these seasoned professionals are left reeling as each layer of their inspection brings frightening new revelations. Perfectly preserved on the outside, Jane Doe’s insides have been scarred, charred and dismembered — seemingly the victim of a horrific yet mysterious ritualistic torture. As Tommy and Austin begin to piece together these gruesome discoveries, an unnatural force takes hold of the crematorium. While a violent storm rages above ground, it seems the real horrors lie on the inside…
Based on this teaser I'm at a loss as to why audiences loved it so much, but maybe the best is being saved for the full experience. Also starring Parker Sawyers, Ophelia Lovibond, Michael McElhatton, and Olwen Kelly, The Autopsy of Jane Doe opens December 21st.
