The Mortuary Assistant is the latest in the ongoing video game adaptation craze. Directed by Jeremiah Kipp, the film is based on the game of the same name created by Brian Clarke, who also co-wrote this adaptation with Tracy Beebe and serves as the executive producer.
Kevin Duggin serves as the cinematographer, while music composerJeffery Alan Jones provides the soundtrack. Willa Holland (Arrow) and Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire) star as characters Rebecca Owens and Raymond Delver, respectively. The film follows Owens’s first solo overnight shift as an assistant at the mortuary where she works. However, all is not as it seems in the mortuary. As the night progresses, Owens confronts her past as well as something far more sinister and supernatural.
Game to Film
Personally, I have not played the game this movie is based on, so I can’t speak to how faithful an adaptation it is. However, in watching this film, it becomes clear that it is based on a game. Several plot elements and the way that Owens has to learn more about what is happening to her feel like gameplay elements. Whether it’s finding the clues to the name of the demon or exploring the creepy basement, it all feels ripped straight from a game.
That said, these activities might make for exciting gameplay despite not translating to an engaging film. One could spend hours exploring the mortuary in-game, uncovering clues and getting immersed in the atmosphere. Yet, in the game, it’s often quick scenes of Owens discovering something and then moving on. The translation of gameplay elements to narrative film is not fully thought out. Obviously, when making a game-to-film adaptation, you want to retain core elements. However, the things that this film chooses don’t feel as if they are in service of the film but in service of fans.
Overcoming The Past
Like so many horror films, The Mortuary Assistant is about dealing with trauma. This is well-worn ground in the horror space, but many films have found unique spins on it, like Parker Finn’s Smile or Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow. Sadly, The Mortuary Assistant does not find any new ground in this same space. The way it chooses to explore these themes is not bad, with its use of flashbacks and visions. But it’s hard not to feel like it’s a lesser version of something else. The film maintains this middle-of-the-road approach until the very end, when it decides to beat you over the head with how it’s about overcoming trauma and letting go of the past. Admittedly, this is quite annoying and takes the whole experience down a notch or two.
As for the actual horror of it, I think the first thirty minutes or so cultivates a good, unsettling tone. The look of some of the scenes in the mortuary reminds me of James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s Saw, with its low lighting and blues and grey. However, this look and tone don’t last as the film goes on. It transitions from a haunted house film to some hybrid of haunted house/exorcism film. On paper, it sounds like a great horror film, but as mentioned above, the execution does not do it justice. Simply put, the film does not spend enough time on the characters to make anything about their backstories believable. Plus, there are some baffling leaps in logic that are hard to look past.
Performances and Production
Regarding the film’s look, I think it starts strong and falls off. However, I do think Duggin’s cinematography remains consistent and well-done throughout, independent of production designer Chelsea Turner’s set piece. There are some really great shots throughout the film, along with a consistent visual language that I appreciated. Furthermore, when a film is set in a dark place, e.g., a mortuary at night, it’s always good when dark scenes remain clearly visible, which this film does. On the other hand, I found Jones’s score very distracting and too loud in many places. It also feels quite generic, which does not help. It’s never outright bad, but it certainly does not enhance the experience.
Lastly, we must discuss the performances within this film. There are two major ones, with Holland making one of her few rare appearances following the conclusion of The CW’s Arrow, and Delver, who has been a working actor for many years. I found the latter to be quite stilted, partially intentional with how secretive and secluded the character is. However, this is just not an enjoyable performance to watch. It’s painful and boring. Delver does have moments where his character lights up, and there’s a hint of energy to the character and performance. Yet, these are few and far between. Holland is also not great in this film. Again, part of this is because the character is quiet and isolated. She does get better as the film goes on, and she’s more of a scream queen; overall, it feels half-hearted.
The Verdict on The Mortuary Assistant
The Mortuary Assistant fails to successfully translate what would likely be engaging gameplay into engaging filmmaking. At times, it creates a sense of dread and horror, but even then, it feels like a poorer version of more successful films. It is not totally incompetent, but it never rises above mediocrity.
The Mortuary Assistant is now playing in theaters and will be available to stream via Shudder on March 27th!
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