The Autopsy of Jane Doe

A father and son team run a small-town morgue, doing long nights and routine autopsies to keep the business afloat. When a pristine, unidentified body arrives after a mysterious death, curiosity wins over caution. As they work through the layers of the corpse, strange injuries and baffling evidence appear, each discovery making the scene harder to explain. Tension builds inside the cramped examination room, and isolated decisions lead to more questions than answers. The pair try logical explanations at first, but the case pushes them into a fight to protect themselves while they try to record what they find, piece by piece, without letting fear take over.

Released in 2016, the film was directed by André Øvredal and scripted by Ian B. Goldberg and Richard Naing. It stars Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, and it’s an original horror screenplay rather than an adaptation.

The movie had a modest theatrical run and found stronger traction on streaming and home video, where word of mouth among genre fans helped it reach a wider audience than its initial box office suggested.

Among horror viewers, the picture gained a reputation for its claustrophobic setting and increasing dread. Scenes inside the autopsy room, and the idea of uncovering horrors beneath a calm exterior, have been echoed in discussions and recommendations among genre communities. It’s often brought up as a smart example of how to squeeze fear out of a tight location.

Critical reactions were generally positive, reflected in an average user score around 6.8 out of 10 from several thousand votes. Reviewers praised the performances of Cox and Hirsch and the steadily intensifying atmosphere, while some noted the film leans on familiar horror beats. Thematically it centers on procedure, secrecy, and how professional detachment can erode when reality becomes inexplicable, keeping viewers engaged without relying on nonstop shocks.