A young man meets a young woman who seems to be his dream come true. Her special kind of social media presence depends on food and she’s really fun about it, but there might be a catch.
Written and directed by Aimee Kuge, this romance-slash-horror film is well-written and well-directed which kind of sounds too generic here. The film here has its own mood, its own vibe, and its own brand of charming cannibal. The story here is all about love, revenge, and a good, satisfying meal. The way Kuge develops the characters works well and brings them to life in believable ways. She directs the film to be its very own thing and does so with a talented hand. She shows here that she can create, write, and direct a film that is both charming and a bit on the disturbing side of things. Her work here is solid and this being her directorial debut shows that she truly knows what she’s doing, what she wants and how to get there.
The cast here is fairly limited, but it works to the story’s advantage, keeping the story more contained and allowing for most of it to take place in just a few locations. The cast here is led by Nate Wise and April Consalo who are both fantastic here, giving nuanced, personal, organic performances that build upon the writing and the direction. Their work together is particularly good, showing great chemistry and how to use that chemistry to its best advantage. Their work sells their characters and thus the story. The supporting cast also works quite well with one performance making the character despicable beyond what was likely in the script. That performance shows a type of person that most will not have issues with if something were to happen to the character. Overall, the case here is fantastic and very much willing to play in the kitchen built by Kuge.
The special effects here work just as well, with the proper amount of gore, it’s not a lot for gorehounds, but the rest of the world might find it to be a lot. For this viewer, it’s just the right amount. Given the title one would expect plenty blood and gore. Here, the effects team delivers these with wild abandon, giving other film’s a run for their money. The special effects here are not only plentiful, they are of high quality with plenty practical effects to boot.
The cinematography by Harrison Kraft creates a look for the film that brings these above elements together just right. The film looks good, the lighting is fun at times, and the darkness is used to great effect. The cinematography here is clearly careful and thoughtful, bringing the film the screen beautifully while letting the more gruesome sequences shine.
Cannibal Mukbang is a solid directorial debut, one that is well-crafted, entertaining, and just a bit extra gooey for those who love plenty of blood in their horror films. It’s one of those films that is easy to watch even with its gruesome content and sometimes difficult subject matter. Cannibal Mukbang is a great way to close out Women in Horror Month.
