Pathology (film)
Encyclopedia
Pathology is a 2008 thriller horror film
directed by Marc Schölermann and written by Mark Neveldine
and Brian Taylor
, the writers of Crank
. The cast was announced on April 4, 2007 and filming started in May 2007. The film premiered April 11, 2008 in the United Kingdom and opened in limited release
in the United States
on April 18, 2008.
Med school student Teddy Grey (Milo Ventimiglia
) graduates top of his class from Harvard and joins one of the nation’s most prestigious Pathology programs. With talent and determination, Teddy is quickly noticed by the program’s privileged and elite band of pathology interns who invite him into their crowd. Intrigued by his new friends he begins to uncover secrets he never expected and finds that he has unknowingly become a pawn in their dangerous and secret after-hours game at the morgue of who can commit the perfect undetectable murder. As Teddy becomes seduced into their wild extracurricular activities, the danger becomes real and he must stay one step ahead of the game before he is the next victim.
Teddy joins them in their game, until eventually the group's leader, Jake Gallo, realizes that Teddy is sleeping with his girlfriend, Dr. Juliette Bath, while Gallo would murder people during their secret meetings. Not to mention, when Teddy catches several members of the group in lies, he realizes that what initially seemed like vigilante killings are, in actuality, just innocent people murdered for sport. When Teddy's fiancée arrives to stay with him in his apartment, Gallo, angered by his girlfriend's infidelity, kills his girlfriend for the next game. However, just as they are about to begin the autopsy
on Bath (while plotting Teddy's death), Gallo realizes that the gas has been left on in the room, resulting in a massive explosion as one of the group lights a meth pipe, killing everyone (but Teddy who was not in the room). Gallo realizes what is about to happen and survives. Teddy is seen walking away from the explosion. Eventually Gallo manages to kill Teddy's fiancée in what he believes to be the "perfect murder". Upon completing his autopsy report on his murdered fiancée, Teddy is knocked out by Gallo and then is forced to trade verbal barbs with him. Teddy uses some of Gallo's own rhetoric against him in reverse psychology
fashion, after which fellow pathologist Ben Stravinsky frees Teddy and together they kill Gallo in exactly the same way that he killed Teddy's fiancée (during which, they commence dissecting a still alive Gallo).
reported that 47% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 19 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 55 out of 100, based on 8 reviews.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Marc Schölermann and written by Mark Neveldine
Mark Neveldine
Mark Neveldine is an American film director, film producer, screenwriter and camera operator. He is best known for frequently collaborating with Brian Taylor as Neveldine/Taylor.-Life and career:...
and Brian Taylor
Brian Taylor (filmmaker)
Brian Taylor is an American film director, cinematographer, camera operator, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for frequently collaborating with Mark Neveldine as Neveldine/Taylor....
, the writers of Crank
Crank (film)
Crank is a 2006 American comedy movie, written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, and starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, and Dwight Yoakam...
. The cast was announced on April 4, 2007 and filming started in May 2007. The film premiered April 11, 2008 in the United Kingdom and opened in limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 18, 2008.
Plot
The intro shows a camera recording faces of corpses, with their mouths being moved by medical students. This gives a glimpse of the personality of the characters later introduced as well as their behavior towards the deceased.Med school student Teddy Grey (Milo Ventimiglia
Milo Ventimiglia
Milo Anthony Ventimiglia is an American television actor best known for his role of Peter Petrelli on the TV series Heroes...
) graduates top of his class from Harvard and joins one of the nation’s most prestigious Pathology programs. With talent and determination, Teddy is quickly noticed by the program’s privileged and elite band of pathology interns who invite him into their crowd. Intrigued by his new friends he begins to uncover secrets he never expected and finds that he has unknowingly become a pawn in their dangerous and secret after-hours game at the morgue of who can commit the perfect undetectable murder. As Teddy becomes seduced into their wild extracurricular activities, the danger becomes real and he must stay one step ahead of the game before he is the next victim.
Teddy joins them in their game, until eventually the group's leader, Jake Gallo, realizes that Teddy is sleeping with his girlfriend, Dr. Juliette Bath, while Gallo would murder people during their secret meetings. Not to mention, when Teddy catches several members of the group in lies, he realizes that what initially seemed like vigilante killings are, in actuality, just innocent people murdered for sport. When Teddy's fiancée arrives to stay with him in his apartment, Gallo, angered by his girlfriend's infidelity, kills his girlfriend for the next game. However, just as they are about to begin the autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
on Bath (while plotting Teddy's death), Gallo realizes that the gas has been left on in the room, resulting in a massive explosion as one of the group lights a meth pipe, killing everyone (but Teddy who was not in the room). Gallo realizes what is about to happen and survives. Teddy is seen walking away from the explosion. Eventually Gallo manages to kill Teddy's fiancée in what he believes to be the "perfect murder". Upon completing his autopsy report on his murdered fiancée, Teddy is knocked out by Gallo and then is forced to trade verbal barbs with him. Teddy uses some of Gallo's own rhetoric against him in reverse psychology
Reverse psychology
Reverse psychology is a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested...
fashion, after which fellow pathologist Ben Stravinsky frees Teddy and together they kill Gallo in exactly the same way that he killed Teddy's fiancée (during which, they commence dissecting a still alive Gallo).
Cast
- Milo VentimigliaMilo VentimigliaMilo Anthony Ventimiglia is an American television actor best known for his role of Peter Petrelli on the TV series Heroes...
as Dr. Ted Grey - Michael WestonMichael WestonMichael Weston is an American television and film actor. His best-known roles are the private detective Lucas Douglas on House, the homicidal meth addict Jake in the critically acclaimed HBO drama Six Feet Under and Pvt...
as Dr. Jake Gallo - Alyssa MilanoAlyssa MilanoAlyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
as Gwen Williamson - Lauren Lee SmithLauren Lee Smith-Early life:Lauren attended Henry James Cambie Secondary School. Smith was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The stepdaughter of a documentary filmmaker, Lauren travelled around the world with her family. When she was 14, her family moved to Los Angeles, California...
as Dr. Juliette Bath - Johnny WhitworthJohnny WhitworthJohnny Whitworth is an American actor.His early years were spent in his birth place of Charleston, South Carolina, with his mother. When he grew older, he moved to Dallas, Texas with his father . At age 15/16 in 1991, he won the 1st Young and Modern Man Contest...
as Dr. Griffin Cavanaugh - John de LancieJohn de LancieJohn de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
as Dr. Quentin Morris - Mei Melançon as Dr. Catherine Ivy
- Keir O'DonnellKeir O'DonnellKeir O'Donnell is an Australian actor best known for his roles in the comedy films Wedding Crashers and Paul Blart: Mall Cop...
as Dr. Ben Stravinsky - Dan Callahan as Chip Bentwood
- Larry DrakeLarry DrakeLarry Drake is an American actor.Drake was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Lorraine, a homemaker, and Raymond Drake, a drafting engineer for an oil company. Drake is renowned for his portrayal of developmentally disabled Benny Stulwicz on the television show L.A...
as Fat Bastard - Buddy LewisBuddy Lewis (comedian)Roland "Buddy" Lewis is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and voice-over artist.-Background:Lewis was born in Gary, Indiana, and known from birth as "Buddy"....
as Harper Johnson - Alan BlumenfeldAlan BlumenfeldAlan Blumenfeld is a veteran American character actor best known for his role in NBC's TV series Heroes as Maury Parkman, the telepath father of Matt Parkman played by Greg Grunberg...
as Mr. Williamson - Deborah Pollack as Mrs. Williamson
- Anne Girard as Donna (Ben's Date)
- Jarvis W. George as ICU Doctor (as Jarvis George)
- Don Smith as Man on Bus
- Sam Witwer as Party Boy
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. As of April 23, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 47% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 19 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 55 out of 100, based on 8 reviews.
External links
- Trailer at bloody-disgusting.com
- Pathology at movies.about.com