The Cannibal Club (4/5)

The Cannibal Club is a Brazilian horror comedy that just works! It’s funny, it’s brutal and it is bloody. Also, it does feature quite a lot of nudity and sex. Both because it’s an integrated part of the story and because it’s from free-spirited Brazil.

The Cannibal Club (org. title O Clube dos Canibais) is a horror comedy that hits all the right spots. My only issue is the fact that it feels a bit too slow at times. And yet, I wouldn’t have missed any of the slower moments since they’re important to the story.

And what a story! The title of The Cannibal Club does a good job of describing the plot in very few words.

What I didn’t really expect was the laid back humor. And also, while I did expect nudity in a Brazilian movie (much like it’s common in European films), I didn’t expect quite as much sex. But I suppose I should have. And it does work as part of the movie. Both to set the tone and move the story forward.

You’ll see what I mean within the first 10 minutes of The Cannibal Club.

The Brazilian Elite

More than being about the actual club of people, who enjoy eating other people, The Cannibal Club is about one specific married couple. They are cannibals and, of course, from the Brazilian elite, so they want for nothing.

Well, maybe just peace of mind. After all, when you’re part of an underground club and tend to eat your employees, you never know who might be coming after you.

Also, it’s not so much about loving the taste of human flesh as it is the power over human life. They kill their own employees as part of a sexual fetish almost. It’s all about money and power. And a lot of sex and blood. I know, this sound very dimensional and uninspired, but it definitely is not.

In fact, the real story of The Cannibal Club is a comment of the social structure. Not unlike Get Out, except with this Brazilian horror comedy, they’re taking the metaphors a lot further!

Perfect cast for a horror-comedy

It’s no secret that I love horror-comedy as a genre. I enjoy the grotesque being served tongue-in-cheek rather than just straight up torture. For horror-comedy to work, you need a cast that has impeccable comedic timing. Both for the understated satire and the more slapstick elements.

The Cannibal Club is not slapstick, but it is heavy on the most delicious satire. And the cast is simply brilliant in delivering these moments!

I must admit that I don’t really know any of these actors, but I will remember their faces after watching them in this movie. We have Tavinho Teixeira as Otavio and Ana Luiza Rios as Gilda. These two make everything about The Cannibal Club work and I just love it.

There are no bad performances as far as I’m concerned. Of course, I don’t speak Portuguese, so some native to Brazil or Portugal may feel differently. I know I certainly do about some Danish productions that non-Danish speaking audiences seem to love while I think the acting is forced.

More Brazilian horror, please!

If The Cannibal Club is any indication of Brazilian horror comedy, then I sure hope we’ll get to see a lot more of it.

A few years ago I watched Good Manners (org. title As Boas Maneiras) which is another Brazilian horror movie. Except, it uses fantasy and drama instead of humor to drive the plot – and we gave it a top rating!

Check this out: Read our review of the amazing Brazilian werewolf horror fantasy Good Manners here >

The Cannibal Club was written and directed by Guto Parente, who is a 35-year-old writer and director. He has been writing and directing for more than 10 years already, so I expect to see a lot more from him.

If you like cannibal themed horror such as Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno, then you should definitely check out The Cannibal Club. It should not disappoint!

The Cannibal Club is out in theaters March 1, 2019 and On Demand from March 5, 2019.

Details

Director: Guto Parente
Writer: Guto Parente
Cast: Tavinho Teixeira, Ana Luiza Rios, Pedro Domingues, Zé Maria