The Top 10 Best Cannibalism Movies

5. The Hills Have Eyes

A lot of horror fans despise remakes. However, one of the best horror remakes of all time also happens to be one of the most twisted cannibalism movies I’ve ever seen. Splat pack member Alexandre Aja upstaged John Carpenter by tackling his tale of man-eating mutant hill people. When a family‘s camper breaks down in the middle of the desert, they soon find themselves under siege by a monstrous family of cannibals. It soon becomes clear that this isn’t the family’s first rodeo and if the stranded campers have any chance of survival they are going to have to be just as brutal as their tormentors. The Hills Have Eyes is not an easy film to watch. It’s a 106-minute trigger warning with gut-wrenching scenes that will leave you sick. Still, it’s one of my absolute favorite cannibalism movies because of how effective the imagery and storytelling are.   

4. Bone Tomahawk

I’m mixing it up a little on this list of cannibalism movies with a Western. Everyone knows about the old cliche of cowboys vs. Indians (indigenous people of the Americas) and while the “good old days” were filled with films like this, not many took a horror approach to them. When a tribe attacks a small frontier town and kidnaps a woman, a posse sets out to rescue her. Before they head out, they learn the tribe is cannibalistic, and that they may already be too late. That doesn’t stop the group from heading out into the wilderness as they set out into the wilderness for a bit of frontier justice. The tables are turned as they soon realize that they’re out of their element against these seasoned hunters. An impressive cast makes this an intense and brutal movie well worth checking out. 

3. Delicatessen 

A lot of post-apocalyptic movies often reference cannibalism in passing, but Delicatessen takes it to a whole other level. Similar to Sweeny Todd, it follows a butcher that murders people and sells the meat to the people living in the apartment complex he owns. Since food is short, no one asks too many questions about where the meat actually comes from. That is until a young man (who also happens to be in love with the butcher’s daughter) discovers the truth. It all leads to a clash between carnivores and vegetarians. It’s a surreal film about how, when push comes to shove, people are all too happy to eat each other for the sake of survival. There are a lot of dark post-apocalyptic movies, but Delicatessen shows a future I definitely don’t want to live in.     

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 

As luck would have it, one of the longest-running horror features one of the most notorious cannibals in movie history. Tobe Hooper brought the Sawyer clan to the big screen and horror hasn’t been the same since. Inspired by the heinous crimes of real-life serial killer and cannibal Ed Gein, the Sawyer family has taken to eating people who happen to stumble upon their property. Their enforcer is the mountainous, inbred, psychopath Leatherface who uses a very special kind of leather to make the masks he wears. Almost as iconic is his weapon of choice, a rusty chainsaw (it still makes my skin crawl when I hear one start up). There have been a number of Texas Chainsaw flicks over the years, but for this list of cannibalism movies, I’m going with the 1974 OG.  

1. The Silence of the Lambs

Doctors are supposed to take a vow to “do no harm.” Well, I guess Hannibal Lector missed that part. One of the most intimidating movie serial killers of all time is Hannibal the Cannibal. Hannibal is A brilliant surgeon and psychiatrist that took to eating those he found to be rude or distasteful. Perhaps his most well-known meal was the liver of census taker with “a side of fava beans and a nice chianti.” Murderous psychopath or not, Hannibal is a true gourmet and the most cultured killer on this list. True, Hannibal had much more “man-eating” in it, but The Silence of the Lambs is a far superior film. Besides, Hannibal’s cannibalism in the film is an intricate part of the plot, because it leads to him working with Clarice Starling and solidifies exactly what kind of monster he really is. That makes it the best cannibalism move of all time… so far.   

Honorable Mention: Soylent Green 

You didn’t think I’d forget to include this classic dystopian movie, right? This might be a bit of a spoiler, but the film came out in 1973. So, it’s probably been long enough. Anyways, for those that don’t know, Soylent Green is people. IT’S PEOPLE! At least the cannibalism in this movie comes in a neater package than the others on this list.

Hopefully, that list of cannibalism movies didn’t make you too hungry, and if it did, please, see a doctor. There are plenty more flesh-eating films, and if you think I missed a good one, feel free to leave a comment below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new and improved cannibalism movies hit theaters. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see how the rankings might change.