Cannibal is based on the true-crime story of Armin Meiwes, the "Rotenburg Cannibal" who posted an online ad searching for someone to volunteer to be mutilated and eaten. Unlikely as it may seem, someone actually replied. The film shows a fictional portrayal of the meeting between the cannibal and his victim/participant, their homosexual relationship, and the eventual mutilation and murder of said victim.
Direction
Dora's detached, almost documentary gaze makes horror feel medical.
Acting
Frank's unnerving calm; Brandl's disturbingly willing vulnerability.
Practical Effects
Effects so raw you'll check if they're actually practical.
Director
Marian Dora
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Meiwes was convicted of manslaughter in 2004, then murder on retrial in 2006—the same year this released. He reportedly became a vegetarian in prison.
The case spawned 'cannibal forums' still discussed in internet history; this film exists because Meiwes's actual tape was confiscated and never publicly shown, making this the closest visual record.
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