THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT - - Just Another Mid Adaptation

Review by Steve Barton II

Even though it is only the second month of 2026, there is no shortage of video game adaptations. We’ve had some huge box office successes like Markiplier’s Iron Lung and the opposite end of the spectrum with Return to Silent Hill. When it comes to The Mortuary Assistant, it falls in an awkward spot in between. The Mortuary Assistant follows Rebecca Owens (Willa Holland, CW’s Arrow) who recently finished her training in mortuary science and is running a funeral home alone overnight, until she is visited by a few unexpected “guests”.

The Mortuary Assistant originated as a video game released in August of 2022 to mixed reviews, but it found its audience through people on YouTube and other social media sites streaming themselves getting scared. While the film adaptation does have many recognizable characters and moments for the fans, casual moviegoers may feel ostracized or lost. The most recognizable icon from the game is revealed with almost no build or tension and it severely undercuts the upcoming scares. While the reveal did happen too early, I’d still shit my pants if I saw that thing at the end of a hallway.

The biggest compliment to give The Mortuary Assistant is the cinematography and how dynamic the camera is. In some of the more mundane scenes where Rebecca is completing the embalming, the camera is constantly changing angles and keeping you watching every corner. The use of dolly shots, split diopter shots and many others certainly helps keep the pace moving and aids the audience in feeling more involved in the story itself. Also, major props to the effects team on creating some incredible practical effects too! In the beginning when Rebecca was finishing her internship, the body and the way she was able to manipulate it looked better than many large budget medical shows.

The acting in The Mortuary Assistant is a major weakness, especially Paul Sparks who is practically sleeping and mumbling through every scene he’s in. Can’t say if it was an intentional choice due to it being an adaptation but it felt like he was reading his lines for the first time and couldn’t be bothered to show a shred of emotion. Willa Holland is a bit better as Rebecca, but she was plagued with bad dialogue that is often overly expositional and it ruins the emotional connection to her character. While it wants to be a serious allegory about addiction and how it’s a constant battle, it lacks the emotional depth to hit the mark. 

The Mortuary Assistant has some fun moments and some incredible visuals and effects, the impact it wants to make felt hollow. If they would’ve kept the demon in the dark longer, peaking out or only showing eyes would’ve built the tension for new audiences and fans. Cutting out all scenes outside the funeral home (except the narcotics anonymous meeting) and tightening up the bloated script could’ve brought this up a whole level. In the end, The Mortuary Assistant will ultimately satisfy the longtime fans but the average movie goer won’t remember this in a few weeks. 

The Mortuary Assistant is in theaters starting February 13th! 

Rating: 2/5