A horror fan is always looking for the next film that is going to capture their attention. Three years ago Lionsgate Films developed the cool concept of showcasing eight independent horror films. Some have been pretty good, some have been really bad but I have to admit most of them have had some entertainment value. This is my first outing into the third round of After Dark and at this point I pretty much known I’m either going to get an effective little horror gem like “Borderland” or I’m going to get a cheesy, laughable B-Movie like “The Nightmare Man”. I was basically ready for anything.

Well….maybe not.

Autopsy is a no holds barred gross out and one of the more gory films I’ve seen from this festival over the last three years. There is some purely disgusting moments in this flick. I have to say I have seen things in this film I have never seen before. Directed by a sick puppy named Adam Gierach, who is attached to a remake of my favorite cult classic Night of The Demons, the movie shows a lot of style and a willingness to be uncompromising. I think this guy has a lot of directing talent. Unfortunately the writing doesn’t match that level.

So let me dissect Autopsy a little more for you.

The story of this movie is definitely its biggest problem. Mainly because there is very little story there. You can sum it up in three or four lines. Basically five kids are parting in New Orleans and then later get in accident on a fairly secluded road somewhere in the depths of Louisiana. They discover they have hit some kind of patient and are relieved when an ambulance approaches the scene. They are taken to a hospital to get checked out. Yet, the hospital is definitely not your average medical facility. It takes awhile for everything to get going but soon all of them begin to discover this hospital is definitely not typical.

There is a significant lack of characterization in this film which brings the movie down a notch as well. There are four young adults in the film and you never really get to know any of them. There is a young couple named Claire and Dominique who are clearly in the beginning of a relationship as they are very mushy with each other. Then we have Jude who we get the vague impression is Claire’s ex-boyfriend. We get the overall sense he’s not happy about the budding love birds but we have no idea what happened to their relationship or why he’s on a trip with them. Do exes normally going on road trips with their ex-girlfriend and their new paramore? Finally we have Bobby and Emily who have obviously been a couple for awhile. They’re relationship is only vaguely touched on so the emotional impact of later scenes is a complete missed opportunity.

Characters are constantly doing amazingly stupid stuff. For example, there is one point where Emily finally has the chance to get out as a cop shows up. The orderly tells the cop her name is Sarah and she’s a mental patient and she’s fumbling looking for an ID. I was literally screaming at the TV. “Wristband!!!! Show him your f--cking wristband!” Also the character Jude is no genius either. There is obviously something seriously wrong if the guy who was driving your ambulance (who is also security?) gives you free reign of the pharmacy. Especially when the guy has a mirror image of himself tattooed on his neck. My husband is always talking to me about situational awareness. These kids have none!

For me, there are two things that make the film worthwhile. One is there are some truly amazing and horrendous visuals. I don’t want to go into too much detail because it would be a spoiler but let’s just say the doctor definitely wants us to “suspend” our belief. I thought many of the scenes were very effective and I jumped several times throughout the film. There are tricks he does with the lighting and different points of view that are clearly inspired by masters like Argento. Other people have said this in their reviews but its so obvious I feel I would be undermining my credibility not to mention it. The other is the performance by the striking Jessica Lowndes. I was impressed with her work in “Dance of The Dead:” from the Masters of Horror series and I feel she does far better than she has any right to here. As I mentioned above the script is skeletal in terms of normal essentials like characterization or plot development. Yet I really had a lot of empathy and connection to her character because Lowndes really put a lot of emotion into it. She was able to display true horror, rage and disgust far more capably than many of the heroines in these types of films. There’s a scene where she completely loses her mind on one of the psychotic orderlies and I felt she did this convincingly.


SPOILER
I think it’s refreshing you have a girl who actually does the right thing. If your in a situation where your facing immediate danger and have a chance to get away and take out a killer you finish the job. Boy, does she ever! While the story misses a lot of important points I like that our leading lady isn’t afraid to take care of business.
END OF SPOILER



Overall, if you are a horror movie fan I do think this one was worth the time. The lack of plot and characterization are definite minuses but there are plenty of creepy moments and memorable visuals that redeem those faults….some. Its definitely not going to be a classic but it’s a fun ride for a one time viewing.  This is a movie that could benefit from a remake.  Expand some of the back story of the characters and make them a bit smarter but keep the effects and outlandish medical assertions and you would have a very good horror film.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age