This gory would-be medical thriller opens with the text of the Hippocratic Oath, stipulating that the first requirement is to “do no harm”—and then proceeds to insult our intelligence for 90 minutes. Obviously indebted to Flatliners, Marc Schoelermann's Pathology centers on Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia)—newcomer to an advanced forensics program at a Washington D.C. hospital—who joins a bizarre game with five other med students: namely, taking turns killing supposedly unsavory people (pimps, child molesters) in highly imaginative ways, and then challenging the others to determine the cause of death. No motivation is offered for this morbid pastime other than the overweening arrogance and maliciousness of the students, and it should come as no surprise to viewers that the players eventually turn on one another (or that the film ends with a final ridiculous twist). The only real mystery here is why Ventimiglia, who's made a splash in the TV series Heroes, would have considered Pathology a suitable segue into a movie career. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Marc Schölermann and writers/producers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the 15-minute “making-of” featurette “Creating the Perfect Murder,” “The Cause of Death” conversation with pathologist Craig Harvey (8 min.), an extended autopsy scene (3 min.), the music video “Unintended Consequences” by Legion of Doom featuring Triune, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a somewhat ludicrous thriller.] (F. Swietek)
Pathology
MGM, 93 min., R, DVD: $27.99, Sept. 23 Volume 23, Issue 5
Pathology
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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