Feed Me

I saw Feed Me at the British Horror Film Festival. I knew nothing about it going into it, and if I had known anything I wouldn't have bothered sitting through it.

This movie is terrible. All the characters are complete morons who make the dumbest decisions possible. The cannibal character throws up so many red flags I don't know how he hasn't already been caught or why anyone talks to him for more than 5 seconds before backing away politely. How is anyone fooled by his awful wig and accent is beyond me.

The acting is terrible, the script is terrible, the 'plot' is terrible.

I should have left before the end of this film, but I didn't for two reasons. 1 - Maybe it could have redeemed itself with some great ideas or a twist - but it didn't, and without seeing the whole thing, can you complain about it? 2 - If you walk out of a horror movie at a film festival everyone just assumes that you are offended by the gore. I happily watch extreme cinema, I'm fine with gore, so I'm not giving them the satisfaction of saying 'people walked out because they couldn't handle it' when in reality it's because its a pile of steaming garbage.

Why 3 stars and not 1? The practical effects were good. The gore when bodies are dismembered was done well. Lots of blood, some grisly flesh, that was pretty effective. But it doesn't make up for the rest of this crap.

I'd rather sacrifice a limb to a cannibal than have to watch this rubbish again.

Okay, now that that's done, on to this film. It is about a taboo subject. Indeed I'm even surprised how movies with graphic content like this even gets a release. It is no wonder that horrific crimes like the ones portrayed in all the movies I have mentioned above have become commonplace. Has society as a whole become de-humanized? It remains to be seen how the world can regain its humanity and strive for the end of crime and lasting world peace.

The movie is about a man who lost his wife through her bulimia. He became so frustrated with his wife's condition that he broke off all contact with her at a point. Later cops visited him and told him that his wife's body had been found and that she was dead. Grief-stricken he meets a weird guy at a drinking place who tells him that he will help him deal with his wife's sorrow by helping him depart from the world. The gives the man his card and tells him to call him again. Still suffering from guilt over his wife's death, the man finally decides to end his life by calling the man, meeting him again, signing a contract and handing him his mobile phone. What happens later is for you to see and find out.

This is also psychological drama on many levels. There are many viewpoints to consider. The direction is masterful and always in control. The acting and sound-effects are professional. However the movie has a fatal flaw in that like the movies I have mentioned above, this one is not worth a second viewing.

"Feed Me" is about a troubled and emotionally disturbed man who volunteers to be eaten alive by a total and utter lunatic. The film also opens with a written statement that it's based on a true story. Before you start thinking it's impossible for a deranged plot synopsis like to be truthful, let me assure you it's real! In 2002, in Germany, the strangest case of murder/cannibalism in human history came to the surface.

This isn't the first film to be inspired by the sinister case of Armin Meiwes (the cannibal) and Bernd Jürgen Brandes (the voluntary human meal). The other ones, "Rothenburg" (2006) and "Cannibal" (2005) were more factual, whereas "Feed Me" is largely fiction and a bizarre attempt to blend gruesome horror with absurd humor. This approach admittedly doesn't work very well, and particularly the slapstick often feels very misplaced.

The most positive thing I can write is that the writers/directors' duo Adam Leader and Richard Oakes tried to give a plausible and identifiable background to why the "victim" allows himself to be eaten. Jed Freeman is heartbroken and overwhelmed by guilt since his wife passed away from the consequences of an extreme eating disorder. That addition is really good, but the character of Lionel flack - the killer/cannibal - practically ruined everything for me. He's totally cuckoo, lives in house that is filthier than the average dumpster, and he decorates his place with paintings of his naked mother. The sudden and abrupt chances from comical into dead-serious tone are difficult to process, there are many dull moments, and far too many pointless pieces of footage. The gore is very explicit and disgusting, but never shocking.

"Feed Me" sadly isn't a film I would rapidly recommend, and yet I do wish to mention that the makers, Adam Leader and Richard Oakes, are cool people with a lot of knowledge and passion for the genre. They were present at the festival in Belgium where the film premiered, and amiably mingled with all the people in the bar. Actress Samantha Loxley was there as well. She's a stunningly beautiful woman, and it was a pity to hear that most of here scenes didn't make the final cut.

The other reviews are right. It was bad.

This *could* have been good. The premise was interesting and different but the execution was unsuitable. The atmosphere and tone were completely wrong for this kind of film. It was way too campy and over the top. It should have taken a darker, gritty, serious theme. Think SAW or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake from 2003.

And what was with that acting? I don't know why they chose our American Southern stereotype for one of the main characters. It's set in England. It was so out of place.

He wasn't convincing at all. The bad wig. The caricature accent. It came across like something you'd see on YouTube for comedic purposes.

That was one of the top sins that ruined this movie. The cannibal should have been slick. Mysterious. Conniving. Like a used car salesman but for the depressed.

Instead he was a cowboy. The lead character wasn't great either. The performance was overdone and felt exaggerated.

It was a mess all around. Don't bother.

Reminiscent of one of the only stories to ever give me nightmares, Feed Me really did it for me! This movie is incredible. The acting is phenomenal, the pace is perfect, the dark humor: relentless and the story was 'cannibalistic-chef's kiss'! The characters were relatable and, by the end, I CARED ABOUT THE VILLAIN! An absolutely outstanding film... one I won't soon forget!

Shout out to Neal Ward too, man... Lionel will forever live in the dark recesses of my mind and will endearingly haunt me for eternity! Truly, remarkable work! Lionel is my new favorite horror villain, hands down.

Should you watch it? Absolutely... watch it thrice!