Directed by: Marc Schoelermann.

Starring: Milo Ventimiglia as Ted Grey, Michael Weston as Jake Gallo, Alyssa Milano as Gwen Williamson, and Lauren Lee Smith as Juliette Bath.

Is there a doctor in the house? Okay, so Pathology deals with the other kind of doctor–the medical examiner. Pathology takes place in the ever dreaded morgue of a popular hospital. With gore abound and almost flawless execution, Marc Schoelermann creates a film to die for.

Ted Grey is an anatomy prodigy with wit that goes virtually unmatched. He joins a group of medical school students in residency and is quickly cast as an outsider due to his immense knowledge of gross human anatomy. He then meets the egotistical head honcho of the group Jake Gallo. After going on a drunken tour de slums (with Jake) in which Ted meets an immoral body guard and an even more immoral prostitute grandmother, Ted is shocked to discover the body of body guard in the morgue the next day. Of course, in his drunken stupor Ted wound up blacking out and can’t remember anything, but he does suspect Jake had something to do with the ghastly murder. This is where the game begins. Jake asks Ted to meet him back at the hospital later that evening. After meeting in front of the elevators, Jake takes Ted down to a sequestered wing of the hospital. In the abandoned surgical room lies the corpse of the body guard with a few fellow members of the residency team. Jake explains to Ted the object of the game is to commit the perfect murder. From then on, Dr. Ted Grey is sucked into a deadly game of wits, skill, and sexual temptation. The consequences of his actions are dramatic and heartbreaking. Ted Grey pays the ultimate price…but so does Jake Gallo.

Pathology isn’t your typical brain dead gore horror flick. This film’s dialogue is uniquely intelligent, thoughtful, and downright cunning. Take this snippet of a quote from Professor Dr. Morris as an example:  “You will see the perversion, the corruption of the flesh by all means unnatural. And then we will work backwards, always back to that original pristine design, to determine the affecting cause of death.” The aforementioned quote is completely ironic given the plot of the film. Aside from its irony, the quote (there are many more like them) serves as a prime example for the intellectual dialogue one will discover while watching this film.

What I find to be extremely brilliant is how the film preys upon a common human weakness. When we hear of a registered sex offender molesting and murdering a child or a drug dealer selling dope while his/her kid watches helplessly from a nearby car, it is in our human nature to desire vigilante justice. We actually want to see these types of atrocities avenged! If the law were not holding us back, think of how many people would play judge and jury. Pathology may seem like a zany and nonsensical film, but it leaves the lingering questions for your subconscious to solve. This is what makes Pathology so psychologically terrifying!

Pathology possesses the twisted games and gore from the Saw series and the secluded secret group up to no good from films such as Fight Club. This film is nothing short of a stomach-churning psychological rollercoaster ride. Once you slip the DVD into your player and begin watching, I guarantee you will be entertained throughout. Come on, give Pathology a chance…it will leave you scared stiff.

***4.5 out of 5 stars***

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