This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 116! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey friends! Get ready because we’re going to take a trip to the dark side… Hungarian style. Today’s subject: “Post Mortem,” a film directed by the Péter Bergendy. Let me tell you, it was an experience I wasn’t fully prepared for. This is a movie that’ll have you clutching your plushie tighter than a toddler with a bedtime monster under the bed.
First things first, let’s set the scene: Hungary, 1917. World War I has left its scars, the Spanish Flu is lurking like a spectral cough, and Tomas, our protagonist, is a post-mortem photographer. Think Edward Scissorhands meets Ansel Adams, but way less scissor-y and way more corpse-y.
The main dude, Tomás, is played by this actor who has the perfect “I’ve seen too much” face. Honestly, his expressions throughout the movie had me oscillating between feeling sympathetic and just wanting to tell him to run for the hills. He’s got this brooding, melancholic vibe that practically screams “tortured artist” (minus the paint-splattered beret, thankfully). But hey, that’s what makes him perfect for the job, right? Capturing the final moments of folks who, let’s just say, won’t be winning any “most likely to haunt” awards anytime soon.
But things get… interesting… when Tomas starts photographing the dead with their eyes open. Yep, you read that right. Open. Freaking. Eyes. And here’s where the creep factor skyrockets like a possessed elevator on fast forward.
Enter Anna, a young girl with a mysterious connection to the afterlife (think Wednesday Addams with less sass and more spectral whispers). Together, they delve into the unsettling world of the undead, uncovering secrets that are darker than a Transylvanian coal mine at midnight.
Viktor Klem as Tomas brings the brooding intensity in spades, and Fruzsina Hais as Anna is equal parts eerie and captivating. It’s like they stepped straight out of a Tim Burton fever dream, and I mean that in the best way possible. Anna delivers a performance that’s both innocent and unsettling. You know, the kind that makes you want to hug her and simultaneously check under your bed before you go to sleep. The dynamic between her and Tomás adds this layer of, “Are we sure this is a good idea?” to the whole story.
The atmosphere of “Post Mortem” is like if someone took the creepiest parts of history, mixed it with a ghost story, and then said, “Yeah, let’s add some more shadows.” Every scene feels like you’re walking into a room with a history of whispers, and let’s not even get started on the sound effects. There were moments I was munching on my popcorn, and then a sound would just make me go, “Okay, that’s enough munching for now.”
But here’s where it gets wild: the film’s take on the afterlife and how it intertwines with the living world is fascinating. It’s like Bergendy sat down and thought, “How can I make the afterlife intriguing yet absolutely terrifying?”
And oh boy, does this movie deliver on the chills. It’s not jump-scares every five seconds (thank goodness!), but a slow, building tension that creeps under your skin like a spider and settles comfortably in your nightmares. This movie really sets a new bar for creepiness. There were times I caught myself saying, “Nope, nope, nope,” as I clutched my pillow like it could protect me from ghostly entities.
But here’s the thing: “Post Mortem” isn’t just scary. It’s also strangely beautiful, with a melancholic undertone that explores themes of grief, loss, and the thin line between life and death. It’s a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, making you ponder the mysteries of the beyond and the darkness that lurks within us all. It made me appreciate the comfort of my not-haunted living room and the simple joy of turning on every single light in my condo post-movie.
So, should you watch it? If you’re looking for a horror film that’s more than just cheap thrills, then absolutely! But maybe check your locks twice first….and just maybe keep a comedy queued up for after; you’ll thank me later. 😉
Catch ya on the flip side,
Roger
P.S. Did you know the practice of post-mortem photography was actually pretty common in the 19th century? It was a way for families to have a keepsake of their deceased loved ones. Kinda morbid, but also fascinating, right?