No matter how familiar you might be with Stephen King, everyone can admit that the author knows a thing or two about terror. With hundreds of published stories to his name, many of which have been giving readers nightmares for decades, King is one of the most prolific writers of his generation. Not only does King enjoy telling unsettling stories, but he also enjoys watching them as a fan, as well, with his endorsement often being the best praise you could get. One movie that he compared to the likes of Alien and David Cronenberg is The Autopsy of Jane Doe, which is now streaming for free on Tubi.
Back in 2017, not long after the movie’s release, King took to Twitter to share:
“THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE: Visceral horror to rival ALIEN and early Cronenberg. Watch it, but not alone.”
What Is ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ About?
From director André Øvredal, The Autopsy of Jane Doe makes good on the promise of its title: coroner Tommy (Brian Cox) and his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) are tasked with performing an autopsy on an unidentified victim. While this might sound terrifying to audiences, it’s just another day in the life of a coroner.
As the pair attempts to determine the cause of death of this Jane Doe, they start to discover bizarre evidence that contradicts the case. Given that this Jane Doe has no signs of rigor mortis and she still has blood in her veins, the coroners would normally assume the death was recent, but her cloudy eyes suggest she’s been dead for days. As the duo uncover more confounding clues, a creeping darkness and otherworldly presence begin to manifest, hinting at a much more ancient evil.
How Did ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ Perform?
IFC Midnight
Like many other indie horror movies of the mid-2010s, The Autopsy of Jane Doe failed to earn a major theatrical release. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and playing a handful of other festivals, the movie had a limited theatrical rollout, ultimately taking in $6 million at the box office. Even though it didn’t immediately win over the masses, the buzz generated from festival screenings and King’s praise helped boost the film’s reach.
The movie might not have been a major hit at the box office, but boasting an 86% positive score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, reviewers were impressed with what Øvredal had to offer. Also proving how much the filmmaker excited viewers, his next projects allowed him to put his own spin on beloved classics.
First, in 2019, Øvredal delivered an adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, his take on the short stories from writer Alvin Schwartz and artist Stephen Gammell. While his next film was the original story Mortal, Øvredal ventured back into the world of adaptations with The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been adapted dozens of times over the years, but Last Voyage took a different approach: it specifically focused on the ship that brought Dracula from Europe to North America, adapting “The Captain’s Log” chapter from Dracula.