2010’s – Thematic Terrors of the Teens

Some call them the years of the horror renaissance. Some call it the decade of elevated horror( Some people call me Boris, cause I speak of Frankenstein love – The Cheely Miller Band)  Some of the non-horror folks simply call these years the Twenty-Teens. And some of your low-brow horror-folks refer to these twenty-teens as the years where horror sucked. 

Let me reassure you, horror in this decade doesn’t suck. Maybe a vampire within one of the movies might extract blood from your jugular vein, but otherwise the movies of the twenty-teens don’t succumb to the force of a vacuum.  

So, what were studios churning out in this decade?  According to the opinions expressed in article above concerning a  horror renaissance:

“I think it was just way too much time of horror being played out, and dull. A lot of what came out before was pretty run of the mill, a lot of jump scares, very basic plots … Audiences wanted something interesting, and it pushed studios to fund those smaller, weirder scripts … It’s not all demon possessions and jump scares. Snore. Snore!”

 

And…

Once, mainstream horror was not dissimilar from a roller coaster, something to shock and excite and then be discarded; enjoyable, frightful in the moment and then forgotten. This new, “arthouse” form of horror walks a different path, following in the footsteps of films like “Eraserhead,” “Tetsuo: The Iron Man,” “Antichrist,” “Haus” and other wildly experimental works. 

 

So just what in the heck is this “arthouse” stuff? Also referred to as “art horror” and “elevated horror,” Wikipedia describes it this way:

Art-horror films tend to rely on atmosphere building, psychological character development, cinematic style and philosophical themes for effect – rather than straightforward scares.

 

Not every horror buff goes for these kinds of movies.  I’ve encountered Facebook postings where some AI or bot-generated meme might ask opinions on films such as, oh, I don’t know, say… Babadook from 2014 (Gee, I wonder if that film will be on this list?)  While many will testify to its greatness, others will equate it to trash, complain how boring it is, and spew other bile against it. These are the types that cringe at “art horror stuff”, preferring movies that feature Michael Meyers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger or Leatherface. I try to keep and open mind. I do love those four amicable, sweetie-pie, serial killers, but I also love intelligent movies that make me think.  I enjoy admiring cinematography that makes use of the camera in new and interesting ways. I love the creativity involved in expressing mood. 

To be clear, art horror is not new. Some of the first horror movies are considered arthouse (i.e. Nosferatu).  So why am I and others singling out this decade as an art horror era, or one filled with “thematic terrors?” (Like it says in the title, see see?)

Yeah yeah, one of the opinions above mentioned “Audiences wanted something interesting, and it pushed studios to fund those smaller, weirder scripts .”  This might be true, but it’s not that simple. There’s more to it than that.

First, I cannot say with certainty the twenty-teens produced more art horror than other decades. What’s different from previous decades is the accessibility. As mentioned before, Netflix streaming only started in 2007. With its success, an avalanche of streaming services became available, including Shudder in 2015, an all horror movie-viewing platform. Previously, viewers needed to attend a film-festival or  visit a small, independent theater in order to see these kinds of movies. International films were very tough to come by.  With streaming services, this changed considerably.

Then there was Blumhouse Productions. Founded by Jason Blum in 2000, Blumhouse’s mission was based on  “producing micro-budget films that give directors full creative control.”  Instead of  a typical formula-focused strategy stressing the familiar, the old “this is what sells” motto, Blumhouse provided creators with an incentive to make original films. Since 2014, the company has partnered with Universal Pictures; Universal distributes Blumhouse’s films, thereby increasing viewership. Toward the beginning of this project, I emphasized Universal’s contribution to horror cinema. We’ve come full circle!

Paranormal Activity , a Blumhouse film, was listed in the previous decade. Several more films from this production company appear on this decade’s list. 

Also in the twenty-teens, we saw the rise of new or relatively new directors of horror. Some of their films are considered elevated-horror, some not. James Wan, not a director known for producing art horror, appears on last decade’s list with his hit Saw. A couple more of his films make this list. However, meet Ari Aster. His name is synonymous with arthouse horror, so much so I’m going to call him “Arthouse Ari.”  He is brand spanking new, with his first film premiering in 2018. Two of his films are on this list. Then there’s Michael Flannagan, famous for several horror miniseries that premiered on Netflix (The Haunting of Hill House,  Midnight Mass). With his cerebral themes, he is often associated with art horror. A couple of his films make the cut. Finally, we can’t forget about Robert Eggers. Though I only include one of his films in this section, another will appear in the 2020s.

Also, we will also explore some more found-footage films. Remember kids, once we’ve found one set of footage, more will always follow. 

Whew! I just couldn’t stop writing. Don’t worry, I’m done now. Let’s go to the movies!

Insidious – 2010

Let’s begin with Blumhouse. Let’s begin with James Wan. Let’s begin with a little boy who goes to sleep but can’t wake up.  No he’s not dead. I guess he’s in sort of a coma, but this isn’t a medical issue. It turns out, unbeknownst to the boy, he had the ability to astral project. He accidently did some projecting when sleeping, and ended up in a realm called The Further. Poor boy thought he was dreaming. Not so!  As he lay trapped in sleep, supernatural things start happening around his house. Mother and father are scared and confused. 

With this film, a franchise was born, spawning several sequels and prequels. I really loved this film and was surprised to learn it was treated only lukewarmly by critics. Oh well.

 

The Cabin in the Woods – 2012

Hey movie, what are you doing here in the twenty-teens?  You belong in the 90s!

Hello gang, welcome to The Cabin in the Woods. What we have here is another self-aware movie. Remember just a short while ago when I was writing about Wes Craven’s A New Nightmare and Scream?   While this film is not directed by Wes Craven, it resembles his work in many ways.

Dew Goodard directs this film. He’s the dude that created the Netflix Daredevil series for Marvel. (Great series, dude! Great fucking series!)  Anyway, Cabin in the Woods concerns itself with a group of young men and women who vacay at a cabin in the woods. There they experience every horror trope imaginable.  But, these tropes are being programmed by a group of scientists in an underground lab somewhere.

This is a horror comedy, a spoof film.  To learn more about it, read what I wrote here:  Cabin in The Woods

 

Sinister – 2012

I can’t do it this time.  I just can’t. (What can’t you do?). But I want to. I wish I could (Spill it! What the hell are you talking about?)  I wish I could just extract a description of this film from somewhere in this blog, post a link and move on.  Truth is, I never reviewed this film. I saw it. I do consider it a haunted house film. I should have reviewed it. But I failed. I’m bad.

I think I skipped a review because it’s a bit complicated to describe the nature of the haunting. It’s not just one house that is haunted. The haunting spreads.

This true crime writer guy (Ethan Hawke) moves into a house with his family (wife and kids, the whole package). He finds snuff videos of children being murdered. After viewing these, his house suddenly starts experiencing ghostly activity.

I realize now to indulge more would be a spoiler. So as to my comment about “the haunting spreads”, it will just have to hang there.  Sorry.

This is another film produced by Jason Blum. It is not considered arthouse.  Gee, three movies post 2010 and still no art horror? After all the mumbo jumbo in the intro and still nothing? 

Wait, my dear children, wait. Art is coming (It’s either Art Garfunkel or Art Carney).

 

The Conjuring – 2013

Hey Mr. James Wan, are you able to conjure up another horror movie so we can put it on this list?

He is and he did.  I remember renting this film soon after I began this blog and started The Haunted House Project.  The goal was to see as many haunted house films and read as many haunted house publications as possible. It was one of the first ones.  It was exciting to see a fresh haunted house flick. It had been years since I had seen one, at least a modern haunted house movie.

I liked it. Similar yet better than anything Amityville. And yet there is a connection. Ed and Lorraine Warren, two famous experts of the paranormal, are hired by the family that lives in the Conjuring house to help them rid the place of spirits. This boo-namic duo had also done some despookifying in the Amityville house. By the way, I mean actors and actresses portraying Ed and Lorraine and the Conjuring family. I hope you all understood that. But of course you did, you’re a bunch of smart readers.

Nope, no arthouse yet. Sorry Charlie. Moving on…

 

The Purge – 2013

This is a dystopian thriller set in the far future of 2022 (That was like soooo three years ago!) Society had become so crime-ridden, so violent that the “New Founding Fathers” (I don’t know either, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson’s great great  great grandchildren?) of the United States enacted “The Purge”, an annual event where most laws are suspended for a twelve-hour period. Yes kids, this means murder is legal for a half a day. The idea behind this is – by allowing an annual release of built-up grievances, society in the long run is better off.

Ethan Hawk, home security-system salesman, lives the good life in his upper middle class neighborhood with his wife and two children. No one would want to harm him or his family (HA!). Besides, his house has a state-of-the-art security system. No one can break in. Well, that’s not necessarily so. He’ll find this out.

This is an average movie that could have been so much better. It challenges us with mental exercises about this situation but cannot provide logistics when the thought process is complete. (If one is caught planning a murder a month in advance of the event, can they be charged with conspiracy to commit murder?  How do people who murder their bosses show up to work the next day? Are their jobs still secure?)  Also, the film only focuses on one family.  On the news, they watch what is happening abroad, all the chaos in the streets.  But we don’t get to see any of this. Why not? 

All in all, it’s “a bold but gutless film”. Not a metaphor having to do with the lack of gore (there is gore), but instead equating guts to “nuts and bolts”  – to details.  This film is trying to make a statement, and it does but there are too many holes.

This is a Blumhouse film.  (But is it arthouse?) Uh, no no, nope, naw, not yet.

Oh, and I saw this for the first time while working on this project.

 

The Babadook – 2014

Here we go. If we were feeling a bit down before, now we can be “elevated.” Here be a horror film that is considered arthouse – The Babadook.

Who is Mister Babadook?
He is grief, he is fear
He is bitterness, he is near.

Where does he come from?

He comes from pain.
He comes from a book
He’s sneaking to the surface
Come, have a look!

A family suffering. A grieving shrew.

A boy dealing with a loss he never knew.

All of this and a pop-up book; here he comes – Mister Babadook.”

 

Would you please yours truly wrote the above poem?  I call it my “perspective-in-a-nutshell”.   In other words, this is the short version of the crux of this story.  So now you have an understanding of the basic plot of the story, right?. You are saying, “um, no I don’t.”  Fine.  It’s about a storybook creature who haunts a boy and his mother. But there is so much more to this film. There is symbolism, there are hidden meanings. To say more would force me into spoilers territory.  But if you want to go there, ready what I wrote:

The Babadook     

This is an Australian film written and directed by Jennifer Kent. This is her feature directorial debut.

 

It Follows – 2014

Yeah but I don’t follow it.  I mean, I saw it, forgot about it, have no interest in seeing any sequels (if there are any) and simply don’t care to revisit it. I wasn’t as impressed with this film as everyone else was.

Don’t listen to me.  It scores a 95% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes .The film must have something to say.

I praise its originality. Young people are engaging in sexuality once again. But this time a curse is involved.  The affected pass it to their partners in the form of a supernatural entity that will follow its victims, eventually killing them.  The way I see it, these sex-crazed youngsters are getting killed off anyway, and according to the “rules of horror” as laid out in the movie Scream, fornicators always die, so might as well have a deadly presence at the scene to seal the deal.

Obviously, the threat in the film is an allegory for STDs. Or maybe even something else.  When social issues are embedded and hidden in the larger framework of a story, I’m all for it. But somewhere half way through the film, I started losing interest. I couldn’t “follow”.   I can’t remember exactly why. Oh well.

 

The Witch –  2015

Here we go. An arthouse horror film by Robert Eggers.  Another arthouse film of his is The Lighthouse. I saw The Lighthouse, didn’t think it was as good as The Witch, and I’m not sure it qualifies as horror, so I didn’t include it in this list.  But we’re not here to shed light on any houses, art or otherwise, so let’s get witchin!’

I really enjoyed this film, so much so I had a spot for it on my top 50 horror film list. I’m sure it would still make the cut ten years later.

Set in the 1620s in New England, this is a tale of the historical witch hunt hysteria. Believe it or not, one family in particular breaks away from their local church because they believe the church community is not taking the witch scare seriously enough.  They isolate themselves on their farm and hope for the best.  Hint: the best stays away but the worst shows up.

Some viewers complained they couldn’t understand the dialogue.  The characters speak in Pre-colonial English. Between the unique accents and antiquated dialect, comprehension can be challenging. For me, I just clicked on the modern English subtitles.  Problem solved.  Besides, I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Having the actors speak this way brought a sense of authenticity to the film.

 

Train to Busan – 2016

Trains have been rocking and rolling on the big screen for some time.  There’s been Murders on the Orient Express, Polar Express trains to the North Pole, and there have even been choices – Planes, Trains or Automobiles.  But now, ladies and gentlemen, we have zombies on a train.

Once upon a time, there were Snakes on a Plane. These slithering little bastards ain’t got nothing on these here zombies! Imagine the carnage of trying to get to a safer car with zombies chasing you. Hell it’s difficult to do this with normal train passengers (then again, there a lot of freaks on trains) 

This is a Korean film and a worthy addition to the zombie genre.

 

10 Cloverfield Lane – 2016

I watched this film specifically for this project. I guess this story runs parallel to an earlier film simply called Cloverfield. I missed that film. I had it on my list of films to see for this project but time was running out.

This is an alien invasion apocalypse movie.  Someone crashes into a young woman driving along a country road. When she wakes up, she is sealed in a bunker. Lo and Behold, it is John Goodman himself who brings her down there (well, he plays the part of the bunker keeper). Convinced the air outside is contaminated, he insists no one is to leave. There’s one other person in the bunker, some other guy.

The John Goodman character is not the nicest guy. In fact, he’s acting very suspiciously. Might it be that he has done some bad, bad things?

This is a pretty good movie.  Nothing overly original but it’s entertaining.

 

Get Out – 2017

These are the two words The Amityville House said to one of its inhabitants. Could this be one of the many Amityville Horror sequels?  

No way, Jose!  This is a much higher brow film than any Amityville movie. AI tells me this may not be an arthouse film, but it certainly belongs in the category of elevated horror “because it combines a popular genre with sophisticated artistic and social commentary.”  

This is another film from Blumhouse. It was nominated for Academy Awards. It’s the story of an interracial young couple, he’s black, she’s white. He is going home with her to another town to meet her rich but very liberal parents.  The parents are connected to a community that thinks much like them.  This is a mostly white community, but there are a few African Americans and they stand out, not necessarily because of the color of their skin, but by their behavior.  It’s almost as if they are in some sort of trance.  In other words, things are not alright in this community. Something horrific is going on. (And that’s why it’s a horror movie!)

I remember watching this film, along with Hidden Figures, which came out around the same time. Both films are commentaries on racism, set in different times. I thought Hidden Figures was too embellished while Get Out was poignant and creative. My neighbor was so inspired by Hidden Figures but thought Get Out was “trash” because of its horror elements.

 

Halloween 2018 – 2018

No, no, there is no typo in this section’s subtitle.  This is a sequel to the great Halloween movie of 1978. It asks you to reject all the other sequels that came out since then. That was fine with me; I didn’t like most of those anyway. So to distinguish this title from the original, I have it as Halloween 2018.  But to keep my date formula going, I have this as Halloween 2018, premiering in 2018. See how it all works now? 

This is my second favorite movie of the Halloween Franchise. Of course nothing will beat the original.  Set many years after the events of the first film, Michael Meyers has been in an institution this whole time. A few young reporters are allowed into the asylum yard where all the inmates are outside getting air. Michael is one of them.  Oh ho ho ho, is this a creepy scene!

Michael will escape ( I can’t remember how), and Jamie Lee Curtis is back and the two will go toe to toe.

This film is more suspenseful than the rest of the sequels  and brings back the voyeuristic camera. It’s a Blumhouse film.

This film was followed by two sequels; Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.  These had poor reviews so I didn’t watch them.

 

Heredity – 2018

I saw this in the theater the year it came out. Don’t let the haters sway you from this decent film. Directed by Ari Aster. Remember, he’s the guy I nicknamed “Arthouse Ari!”. Yes this is arthouse horror and yes it’s a good film. But oh gee, delving too much into it might bring spoilers into light, and we don’t want to do that!

Let’s just say there’s this family. A nice little family. All of a sudden, disaster strikes. A tragic moment comes out of nowhere, catching viewers by surprise. It would cheapen the scene to label it a jump scare. It’s so much better than that. It’s more like a WTF scare.

As the family tries to cope in the wake of the tragedy, they learn of their heredity – they are from a lineage of witches. There will be some crazy rituals before the movie’s end. People will become possessed. 

I don’t know if I should say anymore about this film. So, I won’t.

 

Dr Sleep – 2019

“Hey Doc, what do I do about all my snoring?”

Wrong doctor, dude!  This sleep doctor is actually an orderly, but he helps dying patients cross over to the other side. This is why they call Daniel Torrence “Dr. Sleep.”  If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because this is little Danny Torrence of The Shining all grown up.

This is a sequel to The Shining based on Stephen King’s book. Here’s a point to note: King’s novel Dr. Sleep is a sequel to his book The Shining. However, Michael Flannagan’s film  Dr. Sleep is a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. Understand the difference? You are saying “no.” Sigh!  Let’s just say the book  The Shining had an entirely different ending than the corresponding film. However, the way the film ended, we are allowed to come play at The Overlook Hotel again. And we do! Hooray!!!!!!

Ewan McGregor plays the role of Daniel Torrance. He is still haunted by his abilities, his “shining”. But now he is helping a young girl who also shines. She is being sought after by psychic vampires. They want to kill her and feed off of her psychic energy. But not if Daniel can stop them.

I loved this film but it seems it didn’t get a whole lot of fanfare. Too bad. People don’t know what they are missing. I prefer this movie over the novel. Sorry Stephen!

 

Midsommar – 2019

I finally saw this film. People have been recommending this to me for years and years and years. (Hmm, it’s only been out for six years. Well, 2 years + 2 years + 2 years = years and years and years). I always meant to watch this during our midsummer. So long as I got to see it, that’s what counts. And see it I did in preparation for this project.. It’s so good.

Arthouse Ari is at the helm again and he treats us to a “midsommar” festival in Sweden. Being that it’s summer, there is 24 hours of sunlight. Perhaps this is the only horror movie to not have any dark night scenes? (Even Jaws has some night time moments of darkness).

Here’s the basic plot. A Swedish college-age student studying in America invites several friends to come to his home community and attend the several day long Midsommar Festival. They agree. 

The community is basically a commune. They wear white robes all the time. Technology is limited or absent. Nature is plentiful. Can this group fit in with this community? When it’s too late, these visitors realize this is a cult and they are well in over their heads.

There are scenes of people doing “shrooms”.  Uh oh, dug usage!!

There are similarities between this movie and The film Wicker Man and the book Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. Folk horror with strange communities usually have direct or implied sexualization rituals. They also feature human sacrifices.  While Midsommar might have those things (I’m not going to tell you!), it stands on its own. What a great, great film! 

P.S. – People who say this film sucks are poopy heads.

 

Oculus –  2013

Wait a minute, isn’t this the name of the company that made those virtual reality headsets? But they’re now Reality Labs, right?

Uh…I dunno. I’m here to talk about Oculus the movie by Michael Flannagan. It’s about a girl, a boy and a mirror.  Sounds like some kind children’s fantasy movie – The Girl, the Boy, and the Mirror, eh?  Well it’s not.  

Tim and Kaylie, age 10 and 12 respectively,  are the sole survivors after an incident involving their parents, who had been acting quite strangely. All on account of an antique mirror. Supposedly.  See, this mirror induces hallucinations, hypnotizes. In short, it fucks with you. Again, supposedly.

As adults, Tim is trying to put the past behind him. He has been institutionalized, and he has come to learn that what he thought was the truth was actually delusions caused by mental illness, not some dumb ol’ mirror. Kaylie still believes the mirror is the culprit.  She coaxes her brother into a plan that will prove once and for all that, at the very least, the mirror is haunted.

I saw this movie once. I was a little bit buzzing when I saw this. Who am I kidding, I was shitfaced, and the rest of the details are fuzzy. Do me a favor, watch this movie and fill me in.

 

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night  –  2014

I got a different kind of film for ya!  An Iranian vampire film. The first ever Iranian vampire film according to Ana Lily Amirpur, the filmmaker.  Dialogue is spoken in the Farsi language with English subtitles.  

The story takes place in “the Iranian ghost-town of Bad City” and leaves it at that. However it’s an American film and was produced in California.  Filmed in black and white, the town  is always quiet and somewhat barren. This is especially true at night. This gives the film a Western feel to it.. At the same time, there are industrial machines in the  desertlike background  Perhaps this kind of background is influenced by.the cyberpunk movement.

Don’t let the remoteness fool you though. There’s a nasty element out in the streets. Bad City has drug dealers, prostitutes, pimps, and nightclubs where the drug Ecstacy is sold.  And vampires. At least one. It’s a she.

She walks the streets in her chador and hijab. If you encounter her on the other side of the street, you might see her mimic your movement.  If you cross her path, she might not let you pass. If you move to your left she will move to her right.

It goes without saying this is an arthouse film. It is greatly praised on Rotten Tomatoes, with a  96% approval rating. All this and I was a little disappointed. First of all, I thought it was going to be an animated film.  The  feature image is a cartoon, so I thought maybe -.  Well, anyway, another thing, this is a slow burn. I’m all for a good slow burn, but damn, it seemed like the fuse was never going to reach the end in some parts.  Often when describing an atmospheric film, I state how I enjoy a patient camera that lets the scenery sink in.  The opposite is also true. I grow impatient when the camera is focused on one thing for too long and nothing is happening. This happens a lot in this film.

This is a relatively unknown film and despite some misgivings I am placing here in the Hidden Gems sections (or – under the Radar) since it’s a highly praised film.

Oh yeah, I saw this film for the first time in preparation for this list.

 

The Houses October Built  –  2014

I reviewed this already as a haunted house movie. And, it really isn’t a haunted house movie. It’s a movie about “haunts”.  These are what others call amusement haunted houses.  They are found at carnivals and amusement parks.  They pop up everywhere around Halloween time. Some are in permanent structures; very active in September and October,  less active other months, although they may host a Christmas or Valentine’s Day haunted attraction.  Off season they can be escape rooms, or offer a night of “shooting zombies,” etc.

This is a found footage movie. A group of youngsters have hit the road, seeking the ultimate haunt. Their trip takes them across several states. There is a rumor of this “off the grid” extreme haunt. It’s a word of mouth thing. To find its location, it’s about finding the right people and following the clues they leave. 

Remember the old biblical and maybe even Muslim adage:  Take one step toward God/Allah, and He will take two steps toward you.  This is sort of what happens to these folks. The haunt will seek them out. The final meeting will not be pleasant.

I enjoyed this film. I worked at a haunt and a few coworkers said they didn’t like it.  Oh well for them.  There is a sequel and all that does is retread old ground.

 

Hell House LLC – 2015

It’s De’ja vu time. We’re we just reviewing a horror movie about haunted house amusement attractions, or simply referred to as “haunts”?  Well guess, what? We’re going to do it all over again.

Wait! Come back! This isn’t a repeat review of The Houses October Built.  This is another film – Hell House LLC. The first was about the haunted; the paying customers seeking thrills.. This movie is about the haunters – the ones who operate the attraction.  Now here’s a twist – the haunters will become the haunted. oooooo oooooOOOOOO!

There’s this group of experienced haunters. They rent out an abandoned hotel to host their attraction. It just so happens that a long time ago, some occult dude was hosting evil, Satanic rituals on the property. Oh not to worry, he’s long since dead. On second thought…no, worry your freaking ass off.  You’re in a horror movie for Christ’s sake! This cannot be good.

This is a found-footage movie. As the film begins, we see the shaking camera trying to focus on all the customers inside the haunt on opening night. They are backtracking through the haunted house, running for their lives. Something has happened at the very end of the attraction. Turn back, turn back!

This film is a Shudder exclusive. It has sequels. I saw the second movie, liked it, but I guess the critics didn’t think too much of it.  I still want to see the third film

This film may not be well known since, as I said, it’s exclusive to Shudder. That’s why I have it here in this section.

 

The Autopsy of Jane Doe –  2016

Wow!  Oh wow! Awww wow!  I’m running out of sound effect words that express excitement and praise.  Can you tell I like this movie?

 I have written an article stating how things on screen rarely scare me. I’m terrified of many things off the screen, but usually when I look into a world behind fiberglass  or glass with liquid crystals, what appears there, stays there – in fantasy.  In fantasy there is no fear. This film, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, blurred those lines. Yes, yes, I know it’s fantasy. But a little bit of that fear exhibited on the screen leaked out. I felt it. It didn’t overcome me, but it was there, sitting next to me like a living room phantom. 

Father and son medical examiners work late doing an autopsy on a woman with no known identity. The son gave up a date for this. Bad mistake. I’d say 85% of the movie takes place in the morgue. As they do what they need to do with the body of Jane Doe, there are many bodies surrounding them. In boxes. Bells tied to their toes, just in case a live one (ooo! We got a live on here!) was interred by mistake.  

The more these two men dissect the body, the stranger things get. Are there markings on the inside of her skin? There are. More than markings. Her inside skin is a canvas and what appears on it…well, watch the movie.  

Not enough people know of this film. I discovered it on Netflix. To my knowledge, it’s no longer there. Find it wherever it is. But don’t let it find you!