In Germany, as graduate student Katie Armstrong researches cannibal killer Oliver Hagen for her thesis, she becomes obsessed with her subject and ultimately plunges into a lifestyle similar to Hagen's and the thousands of people like him.
Acting
Kretschmann's Hannibal-esque restraint vs. Russell's unraveling.
Direction
Weisz treats exploitation like art school thesis — uncomfortably effective.
Director
Martin Weisz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Banned in multiple countries despite being far less graphic than actual news coverage of the Meiwes case. The real 2001 incident inspired two other films released the same year.
This kicked off the '00s 'torture porn' wave alongside Hostel, but critics largely ignored it because it had festival pretensions and a female protagonist. Same sickness, different wrapper.
DE
