Writer: Charlie Steeds (Screenplay)
Starring: Kate Marie Davies, Barrington De La Roche, David Lenik, Rowena Bentley, Toby Wynn-Davies, Peter Cosgrove
Plot: In the British countryside, the Harver family head out on an idyllic summer camping trip where they can bury past tensions and enjoy some family bonding. But when their camp is sabotaged by an unseen intruder in the night, they head to the nearby creepy old farm desperate for help, where vengeful farmer Hunt Hansen and his hideously deformed son aren’t farming animals… Caged and waiting for their limbs to be severed, cooked and eaten one at a time, the Harver family must overcome their differences and unite in order to escape alive!
Tagline – Fight to survive or get eaten alive!
Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Cannibal Creation Time
Story: Cannibal Farm starts as we learn the of the Hansen farm and what happened to the Boy with the Melted Face, this farm just so happens to be where the Harver family will be heading. The Harver family includes Wesley (Wyn-Davies) and his wife’s Katherine (Bentley) family, Jessica (Davies), her boyfriend Kurt (Street), with her brothers Toby (Lenik) and Sam (Curtis) as we follow the usual dysfunctional family.
Their camping trip soon turns into a nightmare when Hunt Hansen (Roche) and his son take the family hostages locking them in cages to do with them what they want, the family must unite putting their difference behind them to escape this deranged family.
Thoughts on Cannibal Farm
Characters – Jessica is the eldest child of family, grown up and moved out from her mother with her boyfriend Kurt, they are struggling to make ends meet and agrees to go on the trip for her mother and to ask for the support from her. She is our leading lady when it comes to fighting back, wanting to protect her younger brothers. Hunt Hansen is the farmer that lost his wife after an attack on their son, he now hunts down anyone that comes on his land to kill and sale the meat. Toby is the middle child, about to go to university and attached to the internet while also being a horror lover, he proves to be the one that offers the best chance of survival when dealing with a deranged family.
Performances – Kate Marie Davies as our leading lady is strong throughout, her character plays into the type of final girl that is strong and smart over lucky which is what we like in horror. Barrington De La Roche is good as the villainous figure, being creepy when need be, but also broken when needing to be. The rest of the cast are good through the film, even if one performance does feel way over the top.
Story – The story follows a family that must find a way to survive against cannibalistic family wanting their body parts. There is a lot going on here for it to be considered that simple though, which is a huge bonus for the film, because it would have been to by the book only having one dimension. Having everything going keeps us guessing through the film and even builds on where the film could go, this could go into the negatives, because how far this digs into the villains back story is usually the sequel story, but bringing into the first film doesn’t give us enough time to learn about the potential victims.
Horror – The horror in this film is going for blood and splatter which is fun for the film and gives the make up the department a chance to prove their talents.
Settings – The film take place on a farm in the British countryside, this checks the remote isolated location which will let this happen to the victims.
Special Effects – What seems like nearly all practical effects that all work and can be used to create the gore effects.
Scene of the Movie – Escape plan, Jessica’s version.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – There is slightly too much going on to give the family enough time to support.
Final Thoughts – This is a good horror, that mixes moments from some of the classic gore based horrors, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, even though we do have good world building it does seem like slightly too much for the introduction to a villainous group.
Overall: Horror fans enjoy this blood soaked horror.
Rating