I’m watching a horror movie every day in October 2026 — and today’s pick is a psychological film packed with mystery (Oct. 5)

Emile Hirsch in "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" film (2016) — (Image credit: 42 / IM Global / Impostor Pictures / Alamy)

I’ve always loved horror, but October is when I really get to indulge in it. I love the colder weather, the darker evenings and, obviously, the fact that Halloween is just around the corner. There’s something about this time of year that makes watching horror movies feel even better. Give me a dark room, a blanket and a genuinely creepy movie and I’m pretty much sorted.

31 days of horror

Hi, welcome to 31 days of horror, where I’m challenging myself to watch one horror movie every single day for 31 days in October. Some are old favorites I haven’t seen in years, while others are films I’ve never seen before.

So this year, I’m taking my love of horror a little further. I’m challenging myself to watch one horror movie every day for 31 days, taking me from Oct. 1 all the way through Halloween. Some of these are old favorites I haven’t watched in years and desperately need a refresher on, while others are films I’ve somehow never seen before.

For day five, I’m watching “The Autopsy of Jane Doe,” a 2016 supernatural horror movie about a father and son who work as coroners and are tasked with examining the mysterious body of an unidentified young woman. I’ve recorded my reaction and thoughts after watching it, so you can follow along with my 31-day horror challenge below (along with a transcript of my video). Will I make it through the month? There’s only one way to find out.

What is ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ about?

The Autopsy of Jane Doe - Official Trailer I HD I IFC Midnight - YouTube

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“The Autopsy of Jane Doe” follows Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox), a small-town coroner, and his son Austin (Emile Hirsch), who receive the mysterious body of an unidentified young woman after a brutal multiple homicide. With no obvious cause of death, the pair begin a routine autopsy, only to discover a series of disturbing and increasingly inexplicable injuries hidden beneath her seemingly pristine exterior.

As they examine Jane Doe further, they uncover strange clues that suggest her death may be connected to something far more sinister than they initially imagined. When a storm traps them inside the morgue, increasingly unsettling events begin to unfold around them, forcing father and son to question whether they are dealing with something supernatural.

My thoughts after watching ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’

(L-R) Brian Cox as Tommy Tilden and Emile Hirsch as Austin Tilden in "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" — (Image credit: TCD/Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo / IFC Midnight )

What I enjoyed most about “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” is the mystery at its core. As Tommy and Austin slowly examine Jane Doe, they uncover more clues about who she was and what might have happened to her, and the movie does a good job of drip-feeding those answers rather than giving everything away at once. It almost feels like every new part of her body they examine reveals another piece of the puzzle, which kept me invested in finding out what happened to her.

There’s certainly no shortage of horror here either. Given that the two main characters are coroners who spend their nights performing autopsies, the movie gets pretty grim and gruesome, so it probably isn’t one for the squeamish. That setting also works incredibly well for horror. A morgue is naturally creepy enough, but the movie makes good use of the confined environment to keep you on edge, with supernatural elements and some effective jump scares adding to the tension.

Emile Hirsch as Austin Tilden in "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" — (Image credit: Collection Christophel / Alamy Stock Photo / IFC Midnight / 42 / IM Global / Impostor Pictures)

I also liked the dynamic between Tommy and Austin. There’s some interesting history and past trauma between them, but the movie builds much of their relationship naturally through their interactions and the fact that we’re spending so much time with them at work. It gives the story a little more emotional weight without distracting too much from the mystery. For me, though, the central mystery was always more compelling than the scares themselves. I found myself more interested in uncovering the truth about Jane Doe than waiting for the next supernatural moment.

My only real issue is that the story occasionally feels like it’s rushing to keep up with the horror elements, particularly as everything starts escalating. Still, as a standalone mystery horror movie with some unpredictable twists, “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” makes for a pretty compelling watch. It’s creepy, gruesome and atmospheric, but it’s the mystery surrounding Jane Doe that kept me hooked.

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.