The Cannibal Club has a lot going for it. It looks drop dead gorgeous, the opening scene by the pool is to die for and will make you wish you booked that holiday you totally deserve. It’s also superbly acted and has a knack for biting satire. Quite literally of course, since it’s also a film about people eating people. More specifically, rich people eating their hardworking, underpaid gardener. Minimum wage has never been worse. I wish I was joking.
Help On A Plate
Cannibalism has always been a bit of a taboo, even in film. There were several small, b-movies in the 80s (Cannibal Ferox, Eaten Alive!) and of course, the godmother of all cannibal films Cannibal Holocaust – a film so nasty and authentic they actually prosecuted the director for making a snuff film. Eli Roth tried to bring the genre back with The Green Inferno but it proved to be a film without much of a bite. Julia Ducornau made a much better attempt with her debut feature Raw, which used cannibalism as a metaphor for sexual awakening and coming-of-age and remains one of the best horror films of the decade.
Brazilian writer-director Guto Parente makes a valiant effort to breathe some life into the genre by turning his film into a social satire. In his film, wealthy couple Gilda (Ana Luiza Rios) and Otavio (Tavinho Teixeira) lounge by the pool by day where Gilda can eye up the most recent pool boy, gardener, whatever. Later at night, Otavio will wake his poor employee and give him a gun, instructing them to keep an eye on the property while he is away and the help is always up for the job. They’re also more than up for some sweet, rough lovemaking with the missus of the house. While the pool boy and Gilda get it on, Otavio secretly masturbates in the shadows and then drives an axe through the poor boy’s head while Gilda climaxes and bathes in the hot blood.
This is only the first 15 minutes of the film by the way. The couple are part of a secret society – you guessed it! – The Cannibal Club. The plot really gets going when Gilda accidentally sees something she isn’t supposed to see involving the club’s leader. More cannibalism, very dark humour and a surprising amount of sex ensues.
Dinner Is Served
The Cannibal Club is far from being subtle. Instead it chooses to wear its teeth on its sleeve. The metaphor of the rich eating the poor really can’t be lost on anyone and the film does wonders with this. It’s a fun little film and while it’s on the lean side at 1hr 21 minutes, it could have been a lot meaner.
The film starts with a bang, as described above, it promises to shock and certainly isn’t scared of little blood splatter. It’s deliciously political and timely, and it’s fun to see so much humour injected into the film. Cannibal films are usually campy and badly made or dead serious art house films. The Cannibal Club earns its stripes by going a different route. Full of bodies glistening from sweat and unusually graphic sex, it’s an unusual treat for horror fans.
The film’s fall is, surprisingly, its lack of cannibalism. After committing hard to the hardcore sex, drugs and cannibalism aesthetic, it abandons it too quickly to become a dry dramedy of sorts. There’s too much talk where there should be people munching on someone’s calf. I was promised cannibalism, so give me cannibalism!
Parente does manage to bring forth interesting ideas about security, gender and of course, class. Otavio’s hired guards seem to be either bumbling idiots or lazy bystanders, but they’re not the main meal. The couple has installed security systems and cameras, but can they truly protect them in a society dictated by hierarchy? Once you climb higher up the ladder, you just fall further.
Parente never quite dives deep enough into anything, making The Cannibal Club a frustrating watch. An all-male dining club is shown in what is the film’s most interesting scene after the beginning. The men all watch a man and a woman have wild sex while in chains and then be chopped up, cooked and served fresh table side. Women are not welcome. It’s a juicy topic but the treatment is shallow.
The explosive ending is perfectly dark and oddly satisfying. The last act is perfectly crafted, but almost feels completely separate from the rest of the film as the point of view changes to that of the new servant. A scene with him at the unemployment office is brutal in its simplicity and probably not too far from the truth, minus the cannibal employers of course.
The Cannibal Club, overcooked or perfectly tender?
The Cannibal Club is a fascinating piece of filmmaking from Parente. It’s intriguing and benefits from its short running time. It could have done with some deeper exploration of its themes; it never really moves past its fun, but ultimately one-dimensional rich eat the poor set up. After a great, fun and shocking beginning, the film lags in the middle and then goes out with a big bang. It’s essential viewing for viewers interested in social satire and aren’t afraid of a little blood and cannibalism.
What’s your favourite cannibal film? Let us know in the comments below!
The Cannibal Club was given a limited release in US theaters March 1, 2018. For all international release dates, see here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOUgFLwT8JY
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