Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch star in this psychological horror that reviewers say rivals Stephen King’s most unsettling works.

Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch performing an autopsy in the film
The Autopsy of Jane Doe was recently added to Netflix (Image: Imposter Pictures)

A psychological horror guaranteed to have viewers gripping the edge of their seats has landed on Netflix, making it essential viewing for fans craving a truly chilling experience.

Starring the legendary Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, The Autopsy of Jane Doe ranks amongst the most compelling films on the streaming platform, brimming with countless shocking twists to keep audiences hooked and pulses racing.

The menacing thriller wastes no time establishing a deeply unsettling tone, following father-and-son coroners Austin and Tommy Tilden, who during the dead of night are tasked with performing a post-mortem examination on an unidentified woman known only as Jane Doe.

Yet, as with any self-respecting thriller, things rapidly spiral into darkness as their routine procedure appears to unleash a world of horrors, while they desperately attempt to uncover the truth behind the mysterious woman’s identity and cause of death.

As the story progresses, they discover bizarre objects and inexplicable markings as the mystery deepens further, reports the Daily Record.

Brian Cox
Brian Cox stars in the film (Image: (Image: Getty))

The plot builds relentlessly towards its final 20 minutes which, once watched, will leave you desperately needing a walk and some fresh air — though perhaps not on your own.

Originally released in 2016, the film represented Norwegian director Andre Øvredal’s English language debut, following the success of his 2010 cult fantasy-horror favourite Trollhunter.

Despite a modest box office performance, pulling in just around £4.7 million, the film has since gained a reputation as something of an undiscovered gem, with critics heaping praise upon it and securing a ‘certified fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 86%.

The film is streaming now on Netflix

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (Image: LIONSGATE)

One critic remarked: “In this horror story much closer in spirit to Stephen King’s novels than to cheap horror films, Ørvedal makes us feel and live with his revenge nightmare.”

While another noted: “It redefines gooseflesh. Hell your scalp will crawl right off of you and into the seat beside you and then demand some of your popcorn, if you let it.”

For devotees of Stephen King’s notoriously unsettling works such as IT or The Shining, the author himself gave the film his seal of approval, posting on Twitter shortly after its release: “Visceral horror to rival ALIEN and early Cronenberg. Watch it, but not alone.”

While certain critics applauded the bold and spine-tingling take on the genre, others were less persuaded of the film’s worth. The Guardian’s Mike McCahill described the film as: “Functional Video On Demand filler, but chilly with it.”

Awarding it two out of five, he went on: “The second half is merely morbid runaround, punctuating its soundtrack crashes with self-justifying footnotes on historical misogyny.”