StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Sameeha Pugh It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

redrobin62-321-207311 Oy! Marian Dora's went and done it again. That's two for two - movies that can shock the daylights out of people - this one and 'Melancholie der Engel'. Of course, if you're like me and you watch lots of actual beheading/dismemberment/suicide/animal attack videos on the internet, 'Cannibal' won't seem like much of a stretch.No need to repeat the synopsis here because it's already well known. Even though this movie was shot on video, that makes it apropos for this kind of snuff-like film. The 'original' was captured on video anyway so this retelling doesn't stray too far off the mark.Some parts of the movie were not visually clear; a lot of images seemed washed out and, like 'Melancholie der Engel', there really isn't that much dialog, either. However, I gave the movie a relatively high rating because of the boldness of the material, the direction, editing and bravery of the actors involved. This is probably what a video by Ed Gein or Jeffrey Dahmer would look like if they were filming their own exploits. You may not learn a lot about why they do what they do but their depravity will make your stomach turn.Be warned. For fans of August Underground, the New French Extremity and Lucifer Valentine only.

FunkyDan The first thing I noticed is how beautifully shot this film is. Seriously, it looks excellent(to quote Alex Delarge, "like it was done up in Hollywood"), and I'm surprised that an independent film of this nature could achieve that. It's also the only film distributed by Unearthed Films that doesn't clearly look like a set(such as the Guinea Pig movies, which were clearly shot on sets). I was also quite surprised how much it was able to accomplish without the use of dialog throughout the first half-hour, and the beautifully artistic, haunting, and minimalistic score throughout. I'm sorry, I'm just having trouble getting over how aesthetically pleasing this film is. The cinematography should've won some awards, and I bet if it was about an orphan trying to cope with life, it would've.Anyway, when the talking started, I was shocked to hear how feminine Armin's voice was, but that soon came to pass. Something I found quite interesting about the second act was how it depicted The Flesh as the one in control, as opposed to Armin. The eerie role reversal of power worked on many psychological levels, and actually gave off a more disturbing air than the infamous gore did, especially when Armin was gutting his carcass. To think that the slab of ribs that Armin toys with was once the dominate one in their brief relationship really gave me something to think about.Now, you're probably wondering how I felt about the gore. Well, I found the effects to be top notch, and was quite surprised to find that absolutely nothing was left to the imagination. However, the weirdest thing is: none of the bloodshed I saw really got under my skin. Not even the castration(which I blame on the fact that I've seen the rare mondo flick, The Last Savage, which has a penile castration that would give the Pain Olympics a run for its money). Also, I thought that the emphasis on gore made the third act drag quite a bit. Do we really need to spend 20 minutes on seeing a guy's carcass get cut up? This part felt less like a gripping gore film, and more like a how-to video on how to gut corpses. But like I said, some of it does actually add a layer of uneasiness when put in context with the film's prior events. Still, they should've spent a little less time on this.All in all, this is a hard film to rate, as it's less like a film, and more like an experience. Do I recommend it? Only to those with strong stomachs, and/or those curious about the Armin Meiwes case. It's a well-made film, and is rewarding in its own special way, but I can see 95% of viewers turning this off the moment The Flesh's penis starts to bleed.

Indyrod This 2005 movie directed by Marian Dora is one of the most disturbing and horrific movies I've ever seen. It's based on the real life event surrounding Armin Meiwes, the "Rotenburg Cannibal" who posted an online ad searching for someone to volunteer to be mutilated and eaten. This movie version stars two people, the The Cannibal and The Flesh. As TC searches for some individual to literally give his body, TF shows up and is more than willing. In fact, he is by far the aggressor, as he wants to end his life, and wants TC to eat every single ounce of him. Both gay, they meet and before long the movie turns into a kind of gay orgy between the two, and little is left for the imagination as UNEARTHED FILMS presents "Cannibal" totally uncut in all its gory beauty. There is very little dialogue in the movie, only a few lines said between the two, but the visual images are among the most bizarre and graphic you'll ever see. In a way, it's a beautiful movie, but then that's me of course. I found it extremely disturbing, as it should be, and as the movie moved into it's darkest regions, what is depicted is enough to make many hardcore gorehounds turn away. Very well made, extremely well acted, and the video is flawless. It's hard to say I enjoyed the movie, but I did enjoy experiencing the movie, and the thought that this actually did happen. "Cannibal" is only for a very select audience, that wants such events to go ALL THE WAY. This movie does JUST that.

Coventry Well, here you have it ... The most grueling, sickening, disturbing, controversial, unbelievable and shocking horror movie EVER made, and yet it's all real. "Cannibal" is the ideal motion picture to state that the hard facts of reality will always surpass fiction. If this film had simply sprung from the imaginative mind of any random horror scriptwriter, it probably would have been laughed at, because surely nothing as vile, grotesque and far-fetched like this is ever likely to happen in our sophisticated society, right? The factual case of Rohtenburg cannibal Armin Meiwes is unquestionably one of the most perplexing crime cases in the history of mankind and, even though you know it's all true, you're often still staring at the screen in total disbelief. Even though the case is only a couple of years old, it already inspired no less than FOUR long feature films. Marian Dora's version is the first one I watched, but I sincerely doubt that any of the other three will defeat "Cannibal" when it comes to truthfulness, shocking impact or the explicit depiction of mutilation & manslaughter. This film is indescribably hardcore, with a continuously gritty & devastating atmosphere as well as graphic imagery that will undoubtedly disgust even the toughest and most experienced horror fanatic. Strange and surreal as it may sound, "Cannibal" primarily is an unconventional love-story and a portrait of two men who're social outcasts due to their unacceptable sexual desires. They're not crazed psychopaths or heroine-addicted losers, but introvert gay men with sexual needs only the two of them comprehend. The film soberly opens with Meiwes persona (though nameless in the film, as well as his victim Bernd Brandes) carefully looking for male company but always returning home alone again. He then finally meets his 'soul mate' via the internet and they promptly begin a fairly passionate relationship. Then soon follows the actual reason why the two met each other, namely the killing and 'consumption' of The Flesh. The victim is castrated at his own request and they both eat the penis before he's killed and eviscerated in extended and horrifying details.If watching "Cannibal" initially feels awkward and uncomfortable, don't immediately think you purchased the wrong movie. It has to be said, the first 40 minutes of the film are ... um ... due to the lack of a more fitting term: extremely GAY! The two protagonists constantly walk around naked, fondle each other and Morian Dora eventually even includes rough footage of homosexual intercourse. Admittedly this is all quite uncomfortable to watch, but it does help a great deal to make the two characters more convincing and at least it provides them with a more likable background, rather then to simply portray them as maniacs. Also very impressive and unforgettable during these first 40 minutes are the uncannily grim photography and especially the chilling musical score. Dora compares the case of the Rohtenburg cannibal with the legendary fairy-tale of Hansel & Gretl, which results in a truly atmospheric into sequence and a handful of brilliant hidden gimmicks, like the sounds of opening doors resembling Hansel cage in the Brothers Grimm's story. Then, when the actual horror starts, "Cannibal" turns into the most stomach-churning movie I ever beheld, and that honestly isn't an exaggeration. The make-up effects are incredibly realistic and deeply disturbing. The already-notorious castration sequence is nearly unwatchable and the dissection of the victim's body near the end of the film goes on uninterrupted for eighteen whole minutes (make sure you purchase the uncut version!) and it's by far the most shocking thing ever captured on film. If you think movies like "Hostel", "Saw" or that ridiculous "Murder-Set-Pieces" were cruel, "Cannibal" will damage your stomach beyond repair. The acting performances of Carsten Frank and Victor Brandl are excellent, but the English dubbing is a total disaster. Luckily enough, there only are about 15 lines being spoken throughout the entire movie, and they're rather primitive and simply phrases like "I'm your Flesh" or "You're too weak to do it". All I can say is that this is a extraordinary and unforgettable experience to behold. Very few people will be able to sit the whole film through, but it's an absolute must-see for avid collectors of extreme cinema and warmly recommended to everyone who's sick and tired of goody-goody mainstream horror films.