Postmortem wastes paranormal potential, wasting indigenous stories of Mictlan and Quezalcoatl, for a perfunctory demonic flick.
Postmortem, playing at Screamfest, goes too far into ramped-up sound effects to build scares, and shows too many questionable actions. Still, as the dislike builds, rather than hoping that paranormal horror misses her, you pray for the reverse. The movie does show the controlling and eclipsing nature of grief, that can border on obsession. Postmortem wastes paranormal potential, wasting indigenous stories of Mictlan and Quezalcoatl, for a perfunctory demonic flick.
Andrés Beltrán (Brace for Danger, Quicksand) writes and directs the film. It stars a handful of cast members, led by grief-stricken mother and forensic medical investigator Helena, played by Odette Annable (Under Fire, Due West). Unable to come to terms with the loss of her husband, Richard, played by Andres Londono (A Day for Driving, The Awakening), she winds up participating in a ritual meant to resurrect the dead. As is the case with horror films, the situation spirals out of control, endangering others, including her daughter, Julia, played by Allegra Leguizamo (The Debut, Zootopia 2). Postmortem tries its best but becomes increasingly frustrating as the film continues. Some of the ghostly scenes are frightening but wasted in a film that cannot chart a logical course.
Postmortem Relies Unnecessarily on Jump Scares
There is a way to incorporate a jump scare sparingly to heighten a scene. Then, there are the ones that are a mere increase in sound that detracts from the tension because you’re distracted by the sound. Postmortem falls into this category, using too many loud sounds to bring scares when some scenes would work fine—even better—without the sound that makes you want to turn down the volume. When jump scares make up too many of the “frights” in your film, is it even horror?
Questions Around Profession and Character
Too much occurs that does not seem possible given her medical examiner profession. They already ruled the cause of death as suicide. Yet, she continues delving into what the cult did. So much so that she’s able to visit the crime scene, and even wheel the sole survivor in the hospital to her morgue section next door. Somehow, no one sees this happen.
Rather than follow anything logical, the film opts for convenience, which makes it hard to invest in the story. It also does not answer why, when the survivor brings up Mictlan, Helena appears shocked. They never explain what she knows. Her assistant, Pablo, played by Tony Revolori (Primetime, Spider-Man: No Way Home), exists to exposition dump for the most part despite the potential to craft something deeper. Another aspect in Postmortem is the absentee, neglectful mother as the main character who is a character you scream at. It’s fun sometimes, but too much detracts from it.
While grief after suffering the loss of someone you love is understandable, neglecting, even putting your child in danger to satisfy your desire, is not. Her child lost their father, yet her focus is on herself, and she is there for the kid only in the most perfunctory sense. Her love for her deceased husband bypasses love and leans into obsession. Especially when she repeatedly turns on the light switch. But it’s not only that scene that hints at her unhinged quality, but it’s the simple fact that her daughter texted her that she’s sick and Helena’s response was “feel better.” That message is one you send to friends or family out of town, not to your kid. Postmortem makes you root for Helena to fail but Helena’s neglect and dangerous choices seem at odds with the rare moments she tries to connect with her kid.
Presents a Flat Story
Postmortem loses its promise and forgoes a far more interesting story about the myths and legends of Quezalcoatl for the by-rote, frustrating story of an obsessed mother. A story around that would be far more entertaining than what we wind up with. It tries to be more meaningful but lacks the fleshed-out characters and depth of plot to make it so. Jump scares with a bland plot, and an inconsistent lead make Portmortem, not DOA, but a disappointment on life support nonetheless.
