A little bit of body horror goes a long way. What begins as a small, unfortunate habit steadily progresses to more severe, cringe-worthy indulgence. In between instances of worsening blood and gore the movie is initially far more conventional - the portrait of a woman down on her luck, and struggling personally and professionally. As if that slant weren't enough of itself, the picture is pristine in its image quality, and seems at times to have a sheen to it - boosted further by the protagonist's impeccable makeup, and the very ordinary personalities of each character. These snapshots of Novella's life are unremarkable, but enjoyable - and almost give the picture a fairytale quality that contrasts sharply with the spiraling darkness the feature increasingly represents. It's not perfectly engaging, but 'Eat' is certainly good fun.
Filmmaker Jimmy Weber wears many hats here - writer, director, editor, composer - and he dons each pretty darn well. From a technical standpoint the movie looks great, including vivid blood and gore - kudos to the effects and makeup artists. Though not outstanding in the truest sense of the word, I really enjoy Weber's score. I don't think there's a specific weakness to cite. It's just that the mashup of story beats - the common and the grisly; the beauty and the beast, if you will - doesn't entirely jive in this screenplay. This isn't to say I think there's a particular deficiency; only that, however satisfying, 'Eat' doesn't come across as essential. That doesn't mean it isn't entertaining, because it certainly keeps our attention well.
Like the movie overall, the characters don't especially leap out in any way, but the cast embodies them well. Scene writing is solid, and the narrative further stirs a small measure of psychological horror into the mixture. While Novella's habit grows more demanding, the feature remains less about her state of mind, or what she does to herself, than about the life coming undone; the horror elements are just flavor on top. It's an interesting approach to a genre picture, and challenging to pull off with just the right ratio of the constituent parts. I think Weber definitely succeeds, if incompletely; 'Eat' just isn't as engrossing as it should be - the whole isn't quite the sum of its parts.
To be honest, though, I may be nitpicking. Ultimately the film does what it sets out to do, and it's a matter of a viewer's individual experience as to how invested one feels. For my part, I think Weber has made a fine film, with a strong approach to the narrative, that just doesn't wholly captivate. Still, 'Eat' is a highly enjoyable blend of genres, executed well, and if the premise in any way entices as a story to your liking, then this is worth watching if you have the chance.
