The Corpse of Anna Fritz

The-Corpse-of-Anna-Fritz---posterDirector: Hèctor Hernández Vicens

Writer: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Isaac P. Creus

Cast: Albert Carbo, Alba Ribas, Bernat Samuell, Cristian Valencia

Cert: 18

Running time: 76mins

Year: 2015




The lowdown: When a recently deceased movie star is deposited in a city morgue, it kickstarts a night of wild horror for a morgue attendant and his two friends. Gleefully bad taste and packing shocks and surprises, this is a cheeky little thriller of which you feel Hitchcock would approve.

The-Corpse-of-Anna-Fritz---morgueThe-Corpse-of-Anna-Fritz---body

The full verdict: Our obsession with celebrity culture is taken deep into the realm of absurd black comedy with The Corpse of Anna Fritz.

Lean, mean and smart, it wastes no time in getting down and dirty with an escalating succession of morally reprehensible actions and subsequent crises.

As her body is trollied to the morgue, radio broadcasts fill in background details on the young film star (Ribas), adored by millions and dead before her time of a drugs overdose.

Morgue attendant Pau (Carbo) sends mates Ivan and Javi (Valencia and Samuell) a picture of the dead actress, inviting them over for a closer gawp.

To Javi’s horror, the cruel-eyed Ivan and weak-willed Pau soon begin discussing the possibilities provided by having their hands on a beautiful celebrity who will offer no resistance.

The less known about The Corpse of Anna Fritz, the better the surprises (hence no trailer below). Refusing to cop out writer/director Vicens believably ratchets up the unease before the inevitable eruption of violence.

He can stage a stalk and slash sequence through the bowels of the hospital, but the film’s strength lies in the sweaty, desperate confrontations in the harshly lit and claustrophobic morgue, perfectly played by the young cast.

Not entirely original (we’ve been here before with Reservoir Dogs, Nightwatch and Kissed) and as the events reach a climax the denouement is clear, but this nasty little horror is a pulse racer.

Rob Daniel
Twitter: rob_a_Daniel

 

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