This article contains mention of violence and assault.
Though they’re not exclusively horror movies, films about cannibalism have remained popular due to the taboo subject matter and graphic violence that entices audiences. More cannibal TV shows and movies are being made, and this may be because it’s still a shocking and grotesque act that fewer filmmakers are willing to engage with. Additionally, cannibalism was made famous by one of the most high-profile films within the genre, The Silence of the Lambs, and has been a more significant part of horror since then. However, incorporating cannibalism into comedy, fantasy, and even romance can set a movie apart.
In an era when gore and cruelty are seen all across visual media and the internet, it’s difficult for horror movies to shock audiences, but cannibalism can usually achieve this. Cannibalism can be used as a metaphor for intense social and cultural topics that are frequently overlooked. It’s an effective tool for filmmakers to use and has evolved in the past few decades. More recent films that use cannibalism are taking it further with direct social commentary, showing audiences sides of the cannibal archetype never before seen.
10 Fresh (2022)
Directed by Mimi Cave
Fresh 1
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Fresh is a Hulu original film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as a single woman named Noa who is searching for love on dating apps. But after meeting a man named Steve (Sebastian Stan), she agrees to take a romantic weekend trip with him. The only catch is that she discovers he is a cannibal that consumes and sells human flesh.
Director Mimi Cave Release Date March 4, 2022 Studio(s) Disney Writers Lauryn Kahn Cast Andrea Bang , Daisy Edgar-Jones , Dayo Okeniyi , Brett Dier , Charlotte Le Bon , Sebastian Stan , Jonica T. Gibbs Runtime 114 minutes Expand
Daisy Edgar-Jones starred in Fresh before Twisters became a box-office success several years later. Edgar-Jones has always had excellent character dynamics with her onscreen counterparts, from Glen Powell to Paul Mescal, and her twisted chemistry with co-star Sebastian Stan made Fresh an underrated cult horror movie. 2022 was a big year for cannibal narratives with Fresh being only one of the movies and TV shows that tackled the topic. However, the female revenge plot in Fresh made it stand out.
Fresh
delves into the complex world of dating in the 21st century and sees Noa put in a terrifying situation, only to fight back and not let Steve win.
Edgar-Jones’ character, Noa, encounters the charming Steve (Stan) one day in the grocery store and gives him a chance. However, Steve soon reveals himself to be someone else entirely, and she uncovers a ring of cannibals who harvest the flesh of young women who are kept alive to keep the meat “fresh.” Fresh delves into the complex world of dating in the 21st century and sees Noa put in a terrifying situation, only to fight back and not let Steve win.
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Fresh (2022) |
81% |
81% |
9 Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Directed by Ruggero Deodato
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Cannibal Holocaust is a controversial 1980 horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato. It follows anthropologist Harold Monroe (Robert Kerman) and his rescue team as they venture into the Amazon jungle to investigate the disappearance of documentary crew that went missing while researching a cannibalistic tribe.
Director Ruggero Deodato Release Date June 21, 1985 Studio(s) United Artists Writers Gianfranco Clerici Cast Robert Kerman , Francesca Ciardi , Perry Pirkanen , Luca Barbareschi Runtime 95 minutes Expand
The controversial and terrifying Cannibal Holocaust must be mentioned when discussing the memorable and quality films within the cannibal canon. One of the earliest films to use the found-footage technique, many audiences at the time thought the events depicted in the “documentary” film reel in Cannibal Holocaust were real. Though they were a fabrication, this doesn’t make the gruesome and gory movie any easier to watch. Today, the film is remembered for its impact and the searing cultural criticism it makes.
Due to the intensity of the filmmaking and the rumors swirling about the brutal realities of the making of the film, the director, Ruggero Deodato, of Cannibal Holocaust, was charged with murder (via Collider). From the initial inception of the project to the publicity surrounding it, Cannibal Holocaust is a blunt and brutal indictment of how far the media and filmmakers will go for graphic and attention-grabbing narratives, even perpetuating this violence themselves. Even the characters within the film must admit there are scenes too terrible to be shown onscreen.
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Cannibal Holocaust (1980) |
67% |
61% |
8 Bones And All (2022)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
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Bones and All is a horror/romantic drama from director Luca Guadagnino starring Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet as two new cannibalistic lovers living on the fringes of society. When Maren (Russell) falls back into her compulsion to eat flesh at a slumber party, she is sent out on the run to avoid being arrested. She soon meets Lee (Chalamet), another “eater,” just like her. The two begin an intense romance as they finally find someone who understands them – but unfortunately for them, they aren’t the only eaters nearby.
Director Luca Guadagnino Release Date November 23, 2022 Studio(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Writers David Kajganich Cast Chloe Sevigny , Timothée Chalamet , Taylor McKenzie , Michael Stuhlbarg , David Gordon Green , Mark Rylance Runtime 130 minutes Expand
Cannibalism is used as a metaphor in Bones and All, which features another collaboration between Timothée Chalamet and Luca Guadagnino after their work on Call Me By Your Name. Also starring Taylor Russell, Bones and All was adapted from the novel by Camille DeAngelis and follows the story of Maren (Russell), a young woman who seeks to understand her urges to eat human flesh. She seeks out her mother after being abandoned by her father and encounters Lee (Chalamet), another cannibal who encourages her to embrace their lifestyle.
Though Lee and Maren engage in plenty of acts of cannibalism, these moments of violence aren’t the driving force behind the plot. Both characters feel ostracized and isolated from their families and homes and are drawn to each other because of this. Their love story and the doomed nature of their romance is what Bones and All is truly about. Their road trip across the U.S. and pit stops in the Midwest are reminiscent of classic road and thriller movies like Bonnie and Clyde and Badlands.
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Bones and All (2022) |
82% |
62% |
Related Every Luca Guadagnino Movie, Ranked Worst To Best (Including Challengers)
While not every movie in Luca Guadagnino’s filmography is great, they’re unique works bound to be remembered as captivating narratives.
7 Soylent Green (1973)
Directed by Richard Fleischer
Soylent Green PGSci-FiCrimeMystery
Soylent Green is a dystopian science fiction film set in an overpopulated 2022, where the world faces extreme resource scarcity and environmental decay. Charlton Heston stars as Detective Thorn, who investigates the murder of a wealthy businessman. As he delves deeper, Thorn uncovers a disturbing secret about the synthetic food supply produced by the Soylent Corporation. Directed by Richard Fleischer, the film explores the consequences of overpopulation and corporate greed.
Director Richard Fleischer Release Date May 9, 1973 Writers Stanley R. Greenberg , Harry Harrison Cast Charlton Heston , Edward G. Robinson , Leigh Taylor-Young , Chuck Connors , Joseph Cotten , Brock Peters , Paula Kelly , Stephen Young Runtime 97 Minutes
Charlton Heston stars in Soylent Green, a dystopian sci-fi film with a tragic cannibalistic twist thrown in that would make any viewer cringe. He plays Robert Thorn, a detective in New York City in 2022, in an imagined future where the human population has reached tens of billions and climate change has rendered the Earth practically inhospitable. Though Soylent Green portents a more intensely tragic future than the realities of the 2020s, it’s still sharply relevant when it comes to discussions of climate change and the scarcity of resources.
After Thorn’s investigation of an assassination leads him to the food company, Soylent Corporation, the movie takes a turn from dystopia to a nightmare.
After Thorn’s investigation of an assassination leads him to the food company Soylent Corporation, the movie takes a turn from dystopia to a nightmare. The reveal that the Soylent Green food product is really made of human flesh was later referenced and paralleled in Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer. Though cannibalism plays into the tragedy of Soylent Green, the real thrust of the film unpacks the havoc that greed wrecks on the Earth and human beings.
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Soylent Green (1973) |
71% |
70% |
6 Eating Raoul (1982)
Directed by Paul Bartel
The dark comedy Eating Raoul doesn’t descend into cannibalism until later in the narrative, and even then, the gruesome act is successfully played for laughs in the underrated 1980s satire. It follows the story of Paul and Mary, a straight-laced couple who need money and realize that killing the richer swingers who live in their building will allow them to pocket the cash and save up for their restaurant. However, things are complicated by the thief Raoul, who wants in on their scheme.
Over the years,
Eating Raoul
has become a cult hit, and the dry nature of the humor translates well to the contemporary period.
One of the funniest parts of Eating Raoul is the fact that Mary and Paul’s actions differ so strongly from their moral sensibilities. The couple believes themselves to be superior to the people they kill, making the juxtaposition between the reality of their situation and their mental gymnastics rife with opportunities for comedy. Over the years, Eating Raoul has become a cult hit, and the dry nature of the humor translates well to the contemporary period.
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Eating Raoul (1982) |
86% |
71% |
5 Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Directed by S. Craig Zahler
Bone Tomahawk 5
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Bone Tomahawk is a Western film that follows Sheriff Franklin Hunt, who gathers together a group of fighters to save three kidnapped victims from a clan of cannibals. After the town’s doctor is kidnapped along with two others, forcing the sheriff to partner with the town’s Native American professor and find the tribe before it’s too late.
Director S. Craig Zahler Release Date October 23, 2015 Writers S. Craig Zahler Cast Patrick Wilson , Kurt Russell , Sean Young , Lili Simmons , Matthew Fox , Zahn McClarnon Runtime 132 minutes
Bone Tomahawk is an incredibly dark Western movie to watch and a highlight of the 2010s Western revival period. Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, and Richard Jenkins, the story takes many of the classic Western tropes and subverts them into a gritty and unforgiving narrative about the invasion of white settlers into the American West. A notable aspect of Bone Tomahawk is the casual cruelty with which the white characters treat the Indigenous characters in the film.
Violence and dramatic fight sequences unfold many times over in Bone Tomahawk, and there are distinctly upsetting moments throughout the film that make it difficult to watch. The cannibalistic sect that the main characters fight against in the narrative is a stand-in for the fear of the unknown. Though it takes place in the West, Bone Tomahawk has more in common with traditional horror and grindhouse movies of the late 20th century.
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Bone Tomahawk (2015) |
91% |
74% |
4 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre RHorrorThriller
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 horror film directed by Marcus Nispel. A group of young adults traveling through rural Texas encounters a family of cannibalistic psychopaths, instigating a series of violent and gruesome events. Jessica Biel stars as Erin, the lead character struggling to survive. This film serves as a remake of Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic, introducing the terror of Leatherface to a new generation.
Director Marcus Nispel Release Date October 17, 2003 Studio(s) Next Entertainment , Platinum Dunes , Radar Pictures Writers Scott Kosar Cast Jessica Biel , Jonathan Tucker , Erica Leerhsen , Mike Vogel , Eric Balfour , R. Lee Erney Runtime 98 Minutes Expand
One of the most influential and well-known additions to the slasher genre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, revolutionized the horror genre. The movie features an iconic final girl, Sally, played by Marilyn Burns, who makes it out of the nightmare of the plot after going through everything the movie can throw at her. What made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre so distinctive was its lack of plot or conflict outside the antagonists chasing the central characters.
Humans are treated and characterized as animals in a slaughterhouse, bringing new meaning to the intersection between cannibalism narratives and discussions of animal rights.
Without movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there wouldn’t be traditional horror genre tropes to subvert, as the film originated many of them for broader audiences. The villain, Leatherface, and his horrible family are shocking and traumatizing to the characters, but their legacy as horror antagonists has outlived them, especially within the cannibal genre. Humans are treated and characterized as animals in a slaughterhouse, bringing new meaning to the intersection between cannibalism narratives and discussions of animal rights.
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) |
89% |
82% |
Related 10 Horror Movie Final Girls Who Defied The Typical Genre Tropes
Horror movie tropes can sometimes become outdated and obsolete, but when movies break tradition and alter the formula, it can pay off in a big way.
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3 The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Directed by Wes Craven
The Hills Have Eyes RHorrorThriller Where to Watch
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The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 horror film directed by Wes Craven. The plot centers on a suburban family whose car breaks down in a remote desert area, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by a brutal clan of cannibalistic mutants. The film is noted for its intense scenes of survival and confrontation as the family fights to stay alive against a relentless and savage enemy.
Director Wes Craven Release Date July 22, 1977 Writers Wes Craven Cast Dee Wallace , Susan Lanier , Virginia Vincent , Russ Grieve , Michael Berryman Runtime 90 minutes
Before Wes Craven directed classic horror movies like Scream, he took on The Hills Have Eyes, which explores questions of what the veneer of civilization is and what it takes to fall away. The movie follows a typical family on vacation in the Nevada desert who are attacked and imprisoned by a family of cannibals. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out a few years before The Hills Have Eyes, and there are many similarities between the two. However, The Hills Have Eyes takes a more distinct political stance.
Craven’s later stylistic choices can be seen in The Hills Have Eyes, and his interest in unpacking the false idyllic nature of the American family is present in The Hills Have Eyes. Though it’s more intensely violent and traumatic than some of his later work, The Hills Have Eyes subtly undermines the slasher formula throughout its runtime. This exploration of what characters live and die in the horror genre would come to be a trademark of Craven’s work.
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The Hills Have Eyes (1977) |
67% |
54% |
2 Raw (2016)
Directed by Julia Ducournau
Raw RDramaHorror Where to Watch
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Raw is a French-Belgian horror drama film directed by Julia Ducournau. The film follows Justine, a vegetarian veterinary student, who undergoes a drastic transformation after a hazing ritual introduces her to raw meat. As she grapples with newfound cravings, her identity and morality are challenged. Raw stars Garance Marillier and Ella Rumpf in leading roles, offering a unique exploration of coming-of-age themes interwoven with darkly compelling horror elements.
Director Julia Ducournau Release Date March 15, 2017 Studio(s) Petit Film , Rouge International , Frakas Productions Writers Julia Ducournau Cast Garance Marillier , Ella Rumpf , Rabah Nait Oufella , Laurent Lucas , Joana Preiss Runtime 99 Minutes Expand
The sexuality and maturation of the protagonist of Raw, Justine (Garance Marillier), are kick-started when she’s forced to eat raw meat during a college hazing ritual. However, after this moment, she doesn’t just start craving animal meat and finds herself unable to control her desire for human flesh. Movies like Raw that unfold from the perspective of the cannibal are always interesting because the act of consuming people isn’t framed as pure horror.
The act of trying to ignore her cravings and behave like everyone around her is unsustainable, but when her peers discover her strange behavior, she’s ostracized.
Justine’s intense need to cannibalize others stems from repression of her true desires, which also plays out in her sexual relationship with Adrien (Rabah Naït Oufella) and Justine’s combative dynamic with her sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf). The act of trying to ignore her cravings and behave like everyone around her is unsustainable, but when her peers discover her strange behavior, she’s ostracized. This makes Raw clearly in conversation with the period of early adulthood when an individual’s wants and the pull to fit in are at war.
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Raw (2016) |
93% |
76% |
1 The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
The Silence of the Lambs 1
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The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, as she seeks the help of imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, to solve a series of gruesome murders. Directed by Jonathan Demme, this 1991 psychological thriller delves into the dark world of criminal profiling and the complex relationship between a young investigator and a brilliant, but dangerous, psychopath.
Director jonathan demme Release Date February 14, 1991 Writers Thomas Harris , Ted Tally Cast Jodie Foster , Anthony Hopkins , Scott Glenn , Ted Levine , Anthony Heald , Brooke Smith , Diane Baker , Kasi Lemmons Runtime 118 Minutes
Based on the iconic novels by Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs features some of the best performances from Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as Claire Starling and the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Clarice is an FBI agent tasked with interrogating the imprisoned Lecter for help to catch a new killer. It’s this relationship and rapport that’s built between Clarice and Lecter that keeps the audience engaged until the film’s thrilling conclusion. While Clarice’s efforts to track down the murderer are compelling, her dynamic with the cannibalistic Lecter is unforgettable.
There are plenty of just criticisms to be made about The Silence of the Lambs, particularly in its depictions of the LGBTQ+ community, but the central relationship between Lecter and Clarice is what makes it so enduring. Within the thriller and horror genres, The Silence of the Lambs has been highly influential and can be credited with popularizing the cannibal narrative in the contemporary period. As a character, Lecter will go down in history as one of the most well-known cannibals and complex individuals in fiction.
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Title |
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The Silence of the Lambs (1991) |
95% |
95% |