If you’re looking for your next horror fix, you might want to give the most banned movie in the world a go – and no, it’s not Cannibal Holocaust.
However, it is the same flavor – a snuff-like Italian cannibal exploitation flick that caused more than a few controversies when it dropped in the ‘80s.
Just one year after Ruggero Deodato’s controversial horror movie, Umberto Lenzi released Cannibal Ferox, a cash-in on the infamy of its predecessor that went on to generate a hefty backlash due to its graphic content.
Also known as Make Them Die Slowly, the 1981 film follows siblings Rudy and Gloria and their friend Pat as they venture into the Amazon rainforest to disprove the existence of cannibalism. Before we get into it, let it be known that some may find the following content distressing…
As you might expect, their expedition turns into a nightmare when they encounter a group of sadistic drug dealers who have enraged the native locals. The group find themselves captured by the cannibals, who seek revenge for the atrocities committed against them.
At the time of its release, advertising materials claimed it had been banned in 31 countries, making it recognized by the Guinness World Records as the most banned horror movie ever made.
Although the claim has been debated over the years, there’s no denying Cannibal Ferox contains extreme graphic violence.
In one scene, antagonist Mike (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) has his penis hacked off with a machete before it’s eaten by one of the villagers in front of him.
In others, they cut open a character’s torso and feast on his entrails, do the same with a man’s brain, and hook a woman up by her breasts.
While the human torture is unsurprisingly fake, much like Cannibal Holocaust, there is real animal cruelty, including a truly upsetting scene in which a turtle is dismembered.
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So, while there are moments of schlocky humor and B-movie mayhem, Cannibal Ferox is incredibly hard to watch.
Even fans of disturbing, nasty content have shared words of warning over the years. Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “It’s rare that a movie shocks me. This movie shocked me…
“If you want to know how gruesome this movie is, it was banned in 31 countries and they actually used real animals for killing and eating. You’ve been warned.”
Another simply wrote, “Seen it. Hard to watch,” while a third warned on X/Twitter, “If you are weak hearted then don’t watch it even by mistake.”
In a post about another disturbing movie – A Serbian Film – one viewer said, “The real killing of a turtle in Cannibal Ferox is more disturbing than any fake effect in ASF.”
If this type of content is up your dark and scary alley, let it be known that Cannibal Holocaust is definitely the stronger of the two thanks to its pioneering use of found footage techniques that adds to the realism.
The movie’s social commentary on media sensationalism also adds more depth to the narrative. But let’s not get it twisted – it’s still messed up in every sense.
If you’ve taken all of this in and still want to give it a go, Cannibal Ferox is available to stream on Screambox via Amazon Prime Video.
For more horror, everything you need to know about Terrifier 3, Smile 2, and 28 Years Later. You can also see what new movies are coming to streaming this month.
