The Corpse of Anna Fritz [2015]

October 8, 2020

With a title as morbid and intriguing as The Corpse of Anna Fritz, this little Spanish horror aims to select its audience immediately. Something that’s rarely seen in today’s world of “reach” where every movie tries to be likeable to every possible demographic. The honesty of the approach is a sign that this will be a special movie. This is basically a thriller but because of the graphic and quite disturbing scenes I simply had to label it as horror. I think you already know that we don’t shy away from these types of movies here at Subversive Rabbit, but what’s done is done.

The Corpse of Anna Fritz starts nice and simple, immediately dragging you into the story. You can get a real sense of the characters, maybe you even know someone like them. You know how it feels being on work and waiting to go out after your shift is over. Everything feels familiar. Everything apart from the setting. Well, if you work in a morgue, I guess you’ll feel right at home. They are so inherently creepy that you can’t help but feel uneasy watching them even when nothing is happening. I guess that’s a reflex from all those horror movies where you see a corpse in a morgue and the sheet slowly starts moving.

Anna Fritz is a young and beautiful actress with a bright future ahead of her. A future that has been erased when she was found dead in a bathroom during a private party. Her body is transported to an undisclosed hospital where Pau, a young man working as an orderly there, wheels her into the morgue. Suddenly, two of Paus’ friends stop by the hospital to ask him if he wants to go to a party. From there, things take a sinister turn.

Hitting two of my favorite tags, closed environment movies and real time flow movies, The Corpse of Anna Fritz is an incredibly intense and engaging movie. Powered by a well-written script with very realistic dialogues and strong performances, it’s going to leave a lasting impression on you. It also serves as an excellent character study, giving you a glimpse into the male psyche. And don’t start telling me that these are isolated cases or just sick individuals. This is the reality of the world we live in and it always has been. The veneer of civility and morality spewed by the powers that be has only lulled us into this slumber where we are left to the mercy of chance.

You don’t have to look at wars, serial killers, rapists and psychos for proof. Just have plenty of examples in the world of business, education and literally every other area of human interaction. But I digress. There are so many other elements we can talk about in this movie. From celebrity culture to relationships and sexual intercourse, they are all so juicy and ripe for discussion. This makes The Corpse of Anna Fritz a perfect movie to watch with your partner and talk about these issues. Everything feels real and authentic and this is the scary part. Human nature is scary and to examine and look at it in an honest way is scary but also brave and necessary. Especially if we want to progress as a species.

If you’re looking for another creepy and unsettling movie with a similar story, I suggest you check out Deadgirl, with even darker tones. The Autopsy of Jane Doe and The Possession of Hannah Grace are relatively more commercial movies but still engaging and worth watching. And finally, if you want to stay in Europe I recommend the German movie Anatomie and the Spanish mystery Morto Não Fala. Enjoy.