Ted (Milo Ventimiglia) is the newest pathology resident at the county morgue. His group of peers there are arrogant jerks, from leader Jake (Michael Weston), interchangeable white guy number 1 Griffin (Johnny Whitworth), interchangeable white guy number 2 Chip (Dan Callahan), unremarkable Catherine (Meiling Melançon), and sex kitten Juliette (Lauren Lee Smith), who’s sort of Jake’s girlfriend but sleeps with Ted and regularly makes out with Catherine. Ted soon discovers that his classmates not only goof around with the dead bodies for laughs, but also have a game wherein one commits a murder and the rest have to figure out how it was done. Ted initially decides to play, but the group loses its charm when he realizes the game has gone too far, and he must take them out.
Pathology is fairly philosophical for a horror movie; the filmmakers seem to ponder “what it means to be human.” Are people worthless, as Ted’s friends think? Are we like animals, and is it “in our nature to kill?” Ted would agree with all of the above, to an extent. Though he makes sure his prey are unsavory types, he’s a less than sympathetic protagonist, particularly after he starts doing heavy drugs and cheats on his fiancée (Alyssa Milano). Actually, none of the characters are particularly likable; Ted’s fellow pathologists are egotistical misanthropes, and even his one kindly classmate, Ben (Keir O’Donnell) (an outcast who doesn’t play) is so simpering and meek that he’s pretty annoying too, though he does prove himself later. The character development is a little one-sided, with most of the cast being barely distinguishable throwaway characters.
My husband and I, avid Heroes fans, rented this (back in 2008) because Ventimiglia starred in it. Our fervor for the show has died down (on my 2022 edit of this post, it’s been canceled for 12 years), but upon my second viewing I still enjoyed it, to an extent. Check it out if you want something moody but gory.
GhoulieJoe 