The Cannibal Man

This film is a sort of a probe into the week-long “vertigo” of a man in a distressing situation from which he cannot escape, but rather falls into more deeply. The Cannibal Man offers the oppressive, dusty climate of a Spanish suburban housing complex, strange homoerotic undertones, rather detailed gore of the murders, and well-portrayed psychological tension between the killer and the victim just before the murder. It is a ruthless film about a ruthless killer. The actors themselves – especially the main protagonist – are stiff and the psychological level is undermined by the gratuitous violence and the repulsive atmosphere of the smell of death. An exploitation flick straddling the line between cheap Eurotrash and psychological drama. It turns into the latter in the surprising last five minutes, which takes my rating one star higher. (07.04.2005)