A movie of steadily increasing intensity that builds to an exhilarating final act, "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" sees a father-son coroner team contend with a series of paranormal and violent phenomena after being delivered the body of a newly deceased, unidentified woman (Olwen Catherine Kelly). That the father and son are played by Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, respectively, certainly helps, but more than anything Andre Ovredal's film is a great example of what can be achieved with a basic horror premise when it's in the hands of a director with all the right talents and instincts. Neither squeamish of his plot's potential for gore nor sophomoric enough to play it for easy laughs, Ovredal manages to combine seriousness and spectacle as the minutes tick by, turns a motionless corpse into an actually threatening antagonistic force, and makes the most of predictably excellent performances from Cox and Hirsch in the lead roles. Scenes in which the two are chased through the shadows are breathtakingly executed. Bloody twists are introduced with equal naturalism and impact. Somewhat typical historical reference points are integrated in a way that feels fresh and ingenious. And then, of course, there are the excellent practical effects. "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" is just a brilliant movie; easily one of the best horror movies of the 2010s.
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