You know that feeling when you're scrolling through Netflix or Shudder and you stumble upon a movie that looks absolutely terrifying but has a title that sounds like five other things? That’s basically the situation with Péter Bergendy’s 2020 film. It’s called Post Mortem. But honestly, don't confuse it with the dozens of other crime shows or medical thrillers with the same name. This is a specific, eerie, and visually stunning Hungarian horror flick set right after World War I. If you’ve seen it, you know the atmosphere is the real star, but the cast of Post Mortem 2020 is what actually grounds the supernatural chaos in something that feels human.
The movie follows Tomás, a post-mortem photographer—which, yeah, was a real and very creepy job back then—who travels to a village haunted by "freaks" or ghosts. It was actually Hungary's official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. While it didn't take home the Oscar, the performances, especially from the lead and the young girl he teams up with, are exactly why horror fans are still talking about it years later.
Viktor Klem: The Man Behind the Camera
Viktor Klem plays Tomás. He’s the anchor. Without him, the movie might just feel like a collection of jump scares and floating bodies. Klem brings this sort of weary, shell-shocked energy to the role that makes sense for a soldier who literally died on the battlefield and came back to life. He’s not a traditional "action hero." He’s a guy who looks like he hasn't slept in three years, which, considering the Spanish Flu was ripping through the world at the time of the story, is pretty historically accurate.
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Klem is a huge deal in Hungary. He’s been in everything from big-budget action movies like The Whiskey Bandit (Viszkis) to serious stage plays. In Post Mortem, he has to do a lot of "reacting to things that aren't there" because so much of the horror is CGI-driven. It’s hard to look genuinely terrified of a ghost that’s being added in post-production by a guy on a laptop six months later, but Klem sells it. He has these wide, intense eyes that capture the obsession of a man trying to document the afterlife.
What's interesting about his performance is the restraint. He doesn't overact. Even when the ghosts are throwing him across the room—which happens a lot—he keeps this grounded, practical vibe. He’s a photographer first, a ghost hunter second.
Fruzsina Hais: The Discovery of the Film
If Klem is the anchor, Fruzsina Hais is the soul. She plays Anna, the local orphan girl who becomes Tomás's guide and partner. Usually, "horror movie kids" are either incredibly annoying or just there to be rescued. Anna is different. She’s brave. She’s observant. Honestly, she’s probably smarter than most of the adults in the village combined.
Fruzsina Hais wasn't some veteran actress when she filmed this, but you wouldn't know it. Her chemistry with Klem is what makes the movie work. It’s not a romantic thing, obviously; it’s more like two lonely people who have both seen death up close and realize they’re the only ones who can see what’s actually happening.
She actually has a background in synchronized swimming, which might sound irrelevant, but it actually speaks to her physical discipline. In a movie where the actors are often suspended on wires or performing in freezing, muddy conditions, that kind of physical control matters. She brings a stillness to Anna that makes the scary parts hit harder. When she looks at something off-camera and her face just drops? That’s when you know you’re in trouble.
The Supporting Players of the Village
The rest of the cast of Post Mortem 2020 is filled with character actors who look like they stepped right out of a 1918 photograph. It’s brilliant casting. You have Judith Schell, who is a powerhouse in the Hungarian film industry. She plays Marcsa. Schell has this incredible ability to look both stern and vulnerable at the same time. She represents the skepticism and the hidden trauma of the villagers who are just trying to survive the winter and the plague.
Then there’s the late Gábor Reviczky. If you know Hungarian cinema, you know Reviczky. He’s a legend. He brings a certain weight to the screen every time he appears. In Post Mortem, the villagers aren't just background noise; they are part of the atmospheric dread. They are terrified, superstitious, and occasionally dangerous.
The casting directors clearly looked for faces with character. You won't find Hollywood-perfect veneers here. You see lines, weathered skin, and genuine expressions of grief. This adds to the "folk horror" vibe that Bergendy was clearly aiming for.
- Zsolt Anger: Another heavy hitter in the cast. You might recognize him from the HBO Europe series Aranyélet (Easy Living), which is fantastic if you haven't seen it. He has a smaller but impactful presence.
- Andrea Ladányi: She plays the "Auntie." Ladányi is actually a famous dancer and choreographer. This is a massive "aha!" moment once you realize it. The way she moves—or rather, the way her character is possessed and twisted—is deeply unsettling. It’s not just digital effects; it’s a physical performance that relies on her incredible body control.
Why the Casting Choices Matter for the Genre
Most people watch horror for the monsters. But the reason Post Mortem works better than your average direct-to-video ghost story is that the actors treat the material like a period drama. They aren't "in a horror movie." They are in a village where people are dying of the flu and the ground is too frozen to bury them.
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The ghosts in this film are aggressive. They aren't just whispering in the shadows; they are slamming doors and dragging people into the ceiling. If the actors didn't sell the gravity of that, it would look silly. Instead, because Klem and Hais play it so straight, it feels visceral.
The film relies heavily on the concept of "post-mortem photography," which was a real Victorian and Edwardian practice. Families would dress up their dead loved ones and pose with them for one last photo. It’s macabre. It’s weird. But for the people of 1918, it was a way to grieve. The cast captures that specific blend of mourning and horror perfectly. They make you understand why someone would want a photo of a corpse, even if it feels wrong to a modern audience.
Misconceptions About the Production
Some folks think this was a small, indie "found footage" type of deal because of the photography theme. Nope. This was a massive production for Hungarian standards. The set design and the ensemble cast were part of a very deliberate attempt to create a high-end European horror brand.
Another thing people get wrong: they think the "ghosts" are just anonymous stunt people. Actually, the movements were heavily choreographed. As mentioned with Andrea Ladányi, the "freaks" were often portrayed by people with dance or physical theater backgrounds to ensure their movements felt "wrong" to the human eye.
What to Watch Next if You Liked the Cast
If you walked away from Post Mortem impressed by the acting, you should definitely check out the cast's other work.
- Viktor Klem in The Whiskey Bandit. It’s a totally different vibe—high energy, heist-style—but it shows his range.
- Judith Schell in Just Sex and Nothing Else (Csak szex és más semmi). She’s a brilliant comedic actress as well, which might be hard to believe after seeing her in a bleak horror movie.
- Zsolt Anger in Easy Living. Seriously, if you want to see the best of modern Hungarian acting, that show is the gold standard.
Actionable Steps for Horror Fans
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this film or the world of Hungarian cinema, here’s how to get the most out of it:
Watch with the original audio. Seriously. Dubbing ruins the nuance of the performances. The Hungarian language has a specific rhythm that fits the bleak, cold atmosphere of the film. Use subtitles, but keep the original voices of Klem and Hais.
Look into the historical context. The movie hits differently when you realize how devastating the Spanish Flu and WWI were for Eastern Europe. The "ghosts" are a metaphor for a generation of men who never came home.
Follow the director. Péter Bergendy has a background in psychology, which explains why he focuses so much on how the characters process fear rather than just the fear itself. Keep an eye on his future projects if you like horror that has a bit more "meat" on its bones.
Check the technical credits. Beyond the cast, look at the cinematography by András Nagy. The way he lights the actors' faces—making them look like 19th-century oil paintings—is a huge part of why the performances feel so "period-accurate."
The cast of Post Mortem 2020 managed to take a genre that is often dismissed as "cheap thrills" and turn it into a haunting exploration of grief and history. It's a reminder that even in a story about the dead, the living actors are the ones who have to do the heavy lifting.