The Mortuary Collection

Director - Ryan Spindell (The Babysitter Murders, Two Sentence Horror Stories)

Starring - Clancy Brown (Thor: Ragnarok, SpongeBob SquarePants), Hannah R. Lloyd (Grimm, Unicorn), and Tristan Byon (Two and a Half Men, Criminal Minds)

Release Date - 2019

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Every corpse has a story"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Last year was an all around shitty year but 2021 seems to be a bit of an improvement.  At least, from the standpoint of cinema.  Movies that were filmed in 2019 with an expected 2020 release would soon find their release dates approach and pass.  People were without jobs and couldn't afford wasting the extra money on physical media and with theaters closed the movie industry took a hit.  One of those movies that was filmed in 2019 and is scheduled for a new release is the horror anthology The Mortuary Collection which is a Shudder original release. I had been interested in this one for sometime and when I received the press release for the RLJE Films release of the film I reached out for a review copy.  I got it in a few days ago and couldn't wait to give it a spin.  Thanks RLJE for sending this one over.

     The film follows an old mortician (Brown) who is finishing up the services for a little boy that just passed when a young woman comes in inquiring about employment.  While in his office she questions him about the large amount of books where she learns that each story is filled with the stories of all the bodies that has passed through the mortuary doors.  They both are hiding something despicable from each other but the mortician is the one that gets the last laugh.

     I went into The Mortuary Collection expecting a fun and cheesy horror anthology and that was exactly what I was given.  Some of the stories told were a little outlandish but the overall film was very enjoyable.  I could see myself watching this one over and over again until I become sick of it.  It's just that much fun.  The acting in this one is very inconsistent but it's not bad.  The cast does the best with what they were given but some of the characters were written better than others.  Clancy Brown absolutely outperforms everyone in the film.  His character is one of the most important characters in the film working as a crypt keeper style character that tells the stories throughout the film.  His performance here is amazing and unforgettable.  The supporting does a solid job, but as I stated earlier, some of the characters in the segments are better written with more detail than others which does create some very inconsistent performances.  The stories for this one is just like the acting but it was still enjoyable.  Some of the stories are more grounded while others were a little too far out there.  This uneven mix does throw the film off a bit but doesn't make it a bad film because it's not.  The wrap around segment featuring the young woman and the mortician is absolutely fantastic.  I loved the idea that every book is filled with stories of how people died.  That leaves this one open to so many sequels.  The stories told throughout the film are fun.  Some feature tentacled monsters living behind mirrors, to a reluctant husband forced to take care of his ailing wife.  The film really is a roller coaster and a fun one at that.  Finally, the film has plenty of blood and some fun gags but those of you looking for large amounts of gore will be very disappointed.  The effects in this one are really fun.  We get some great practical effects along with some impressive make-up effects.  Overall, The Mortuary Collection is a must see for genre fans.  It's got some humor, great stories, and some impressive effects.  What else do you need?  I highly recommend this one.