As any good horror fan knows, there are so many incredible subgenres of horror. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts: you name it—and there’s a creepy trope just waiting to unsettle you.
But one subsection of horror that often doesn’t get quite as much attention as the others is the lonely cannibal. Maybe it’s the longstanding taboo against cannibalism that makes us collectively crinkle our noses at it, or maybe it’s just one of those tropes that hasn’t had quite enough opportunities to shine.
Either way, horror doesn’t shy away from the forbidden. So to satisfy your unique taste, here are six cannibal films and TV shows that are sure to ruin your appetite.
Consider inviting a friend to dinner and making it a party.
Parents
I want to say this loud and clear: if you haven’t seen Parents before, then you’re seriously missing out.
An oddball gem from 1989, it stars Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt as the eponymous father and mother, whose son Michael (played with wide-eyed wonder by Bryan Madorsky) begins to suspect his parents are up to no good. It’s a bit of a spoiler including it on this list, but the film tips its hat fairly early that this family isn’t exactly vegetarians.
With a surreal 1950s vibe and some truly spectacular cinematography and production design, this movie deserves a place on your watch list ASAP.
Ravenous
It took me a very long time to finally see this movie, and by the time I did, I couldn’t understand what kept me from seeking it out sooner.
Directed by the late, great Antonia Bird, Ravenous combines the horrors of cannibalism with the horrors of colonialism, and ultimately produces a fascinating and gruesome story in the process. The Donner Party vibes are strong with this one, but under Bird’s deft direction, it definitely rises above any trite cliches.
Plus, with an indelible mythology surrounding the cannibalism, this film will get under your skin and stay there.
The Silence of the Lambs
When it comes right down to it, this is the cannibal movie to beat all other cannibal movies.
Sometimes, it still shocks me that the Academy Awards put aside their disdain for horror and awarded this film with the prestigious top five Oscars for Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actress, and Actor. That being said, for anyone who’s ever seen it, you have no doubt why it won all those awards.
Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter are a horror pair for the ages. If you want to amp up the cannibalism (and really, who doesn’t?), then be sure to add Hannibal, both the sequel and the television series of the same name.
And quite frankly, if you want to be a completist, then most definitely check out Michael Mann’s underrated Manhunter. It gives The Silence of the Lambs a run for its money.
So many versions of Hannibal Lecter, so little time.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
An oldie but goodie, this was probably the first horror film that ever truly scared me.
Now, it wasn’t the first scary movie I’d ever seen; I’d already plowed through most of the Universal Horror, as well as the major franchise films by then. And while I adored those movies with all of my creepy little heart, I never felt particularly frightened by them.
Then I sat down one afternoon and watched The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I was expecting another slasher film that was simply a bloody good time.
What I got was something completely different. Between the gritty realism of the low-budget film stock to the sheer and sudden brutality (that freezer scene won’t ever leave me), I’ve absolutely never been the same.
This film follows no conventional story beats, and while it does adhere to the traditional Final Girl trope, Sally is hardly a triumphant survivor. Add in the Sawyer family’s cannibalistic tastes, and you’ve got a film that will keep you looking over your shoulder for years to come.
Bravo, Tobe Hooper; you were truly one of a kind.
Suddenly, Last Summer
This film has all the makings of a conventional classic: a top-notch cast including Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Mongomery Clift; Broadway source material from playwright Tennessee Williams; and an Oscar-winning director in Joseph L. Mankiewicz. But somehow, the end result is anything but conventional
Taylor’s Catherine has been institutionalized and is scheduled for a lobotomy, in large part because she can’t remember what happened on the day her cousin Sebastian died. What follows is a surreal and unsettling exploration of toxic family dynamics and a toxic mental health system.
Like Parents, including Suddenly, Last Summer on this particular list is a fairly major spoiler, but honestly, not nearly enough people have seen the movie.
So, if you get nothing else from this article, please go out and watch Suddenly, Last Summer. It’s one of the weirdest films to ever emerge from a major studio in the 1950s.
Yellowjackets
This is the television series that has helped to make cannibalism cool again. With its dual timelines and expansive cast, this isn’t your usual prestige television.
Another cannibal story reminiscent of the Donner party, a group of high school athletes find themselves stranded in the remote woods thanks to a horrific plane crash. Things don’t get easier from there.
At times, I still find the show to be unduly frustrating—the adults make more inexplicable choices than even their teenage counterparts—but if nothing else, it’s phenomenal to see a series that centers the lives of female characters, including middle-aged women.
The third season will make its debut next month (on Valentine’s Day no less), so mark your calendars if you’re ready for another helping of Yellowjackets’ signature brand of horror.
