The Autopsy of Jane Doe

How the (draining) tables have turned! In this episode Chris introduces Adam and Lee to a film, 2016’s “The Autopsy of Jane Doe”. A film in which we learn that toe bells are the must have accessory for every fashionable corpse; that cloth, toxic vegetation and teeth are not an ideal diet; and that even the most rational of us can only take so much weird shit before finally saying “let’s get the fuck out of here.” Director André Øvredal’s English-language debut is strikingly different to his previous feature “Troll Hunter”; the extensive outdoor location work is replaced by basically one interior for the majority of the runtime; and the tone has shifted from keenly observed comedy to a taunt atmosphere of foreboding and dread. What the two films do share is an inherent quality, a keen but understated knowledge of folklore and a perfect cast. Of this small but amazing company, special praise has to go to Olwen Catherine Kelly as the title character; whose near supernatural level of stillness is an incredible display of self-discipline. Having been on both their watch lists for ten years; “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” is a salutary lesson to Lee and Adam not to sleep on a film with good word of mouth, with the only downside of this viewing being that they’re kicking themselves they hadn’t got here sooner. Watch (or re-watch) to avoid spoilers and join us.