The Mortuary Assistant review – game-inspired horror simulates morgue work with conviction

2026-03-23 - 13:09

While embalming techniques are as lovingly crafted as in the original video game, there’s not enough light to balance out the darkness when things take a demonic turn This horror movie, based on Brian Clarke’s popular indie video game of the same name, leads with its biggest strength: practical effects. A body is being prepped for cremation by Rebecca (Willa Holland) and Raymond (Paul Sparks), and the various embalming techniques are recreated convincingly – even lovingly. This parallels the game, in which a player can learn more about embalming techniques than is possible from most forms of on-screen entertainment. It’s this element of simulation – a major part of the game’s appeal – where the film works best, albeit without the original’s interactivity. The Mortuary Assistant succeeds in putting you in the shoes of someone wiring a cadaver’s jaw, injecting chemicals into arteries and removing fluids from various body cavities. Needless to say, the audience for this aspect is perhaps a little more specific than a run of the mill horror movie. Continue reading...