From the minute I read the title Cannibal Mukbang among all the other entries on the schedule, I knew it would surely be one of Brooklyn Horror Film Festival’s most anticipated films. That experience wasn’t unique: it sold out online the day after I learned about it. On the day of its premiere, waiting at the top of the stairs of the Nitehawk Cinema, I watched a rush ticket line practically spill out the door as people tried to secure a spot. And from the first few frames to those final credits, there was applause and laughter from nearly every seat in the theatre as we watched a piece of delicious indie horror unfold.
Safe to say, Cannibal Mukbang lives up to the hype.
A YouTube Trend Gone Wonderfully Horror
An anxiety-ridden customer service rep with a shaky sense of self, Mark is lost and lonely. But when the hot mess is hit by a car driven by manic pixie dream girl Ash, the two slowly fall in love at first bite. Ash’s work schedule, however, is a bit different: by day, she films mukbangs, a South Korean genre of video content where people eat ungodly amounts of food for an adoring audience. By night, her cravings for human flesh take precedence as she hunts for her next meal and punishes her victims. As the lovers discover more about each other’s past, Mark and Ash are put on a collision course with destiny—and are served a final course that shocks them both.
So, what makes a film that’s equal parts romantic comedy and horror drama so good? Both are subject to the double-pronged issue of balancing multiple genres, but thanks to an undeniable, once-in-a-blue-moon kind of talent from its cast and crew Cannibal Mukbang pulls it off.
Delectable Casting with Stunning Effects
April Consalo’s Ash is a must-see, being able to portray a multifaceted character effortlessly. She brings a fusion of tactically feigned innocence, disconnected coldness, and genuine cunning that is hard to pin down; it gives life to a character rife for dissection, and it’s backed up by a range in delivery that reaches a fever pitch in the film’s final moments. Even if you disapprove of her hunger-driven choices, Consalo makes Ash so charismatic and convincing that she has a firm shot at winning a “Good For Her” Award from just about anybody who will watch this. What else can I say? She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’ll make charcuterie out of your face.
(Also, a quick shoutout to costume designer Jolene Richardson, whose curation of Ash’s outfits is, no pun intended, a visual chef’s kiss.)
Hand in hand, Nate Wise’s Mark is no joke, matching Consalo’s intensity as the film goes on. Wise teased in the Q&A after the film that he found his own confidence issues as something that helped him nail the part, but the highlight of his performance is undoubtedly portraying the slow change into a more confident person as his relationship with Ash blooms. As his pallor improves and his appearance becomes less messy with every meal, you really feel his metamorphosis, and that makes the film’s resolution all the more impactful.
Photo taken at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Director Aimee Kuge Stuns With Her Stylistic Choices
Aimee Kuge’s artistic vision throughout the entire picture’s cinematography feels unfettered, and that’s most evident in the stretch of the film that flashes back to Ash’s origins and shows us how a killer is made. The sequence evokes the exploitation style of the ’70s cannibal boom, signaled by the title and poster with incredible skill. It tells a quiet and chilling story that could be a whole movie on its own. You get 30mm film grain grotesquery that’s expertly done and contrasts nicely with the rest of the film’s clean-cut, bright, and colorful presentation.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that all throughout the film, you get a veritable buffet of guts, blood, and bones on display as Ash makes a butchery of her targets. The SFX used to show us the gore run a range of textures, captured on film in all their forms: thick, runny, muscular, and gooey alike. It is a cannibal mukbang after all, so rest assured there are pounds and pounds of USDA, Grade A, nasty fake people meat for everyone at the table. Practical effects fans will be eating good with this one.
Humor and Heart in a Gory Package
Even through the sweat, blood, and saliva of the film’s gorier segments, the film’s core is a romantic comedy with breaks of humor that accentuate the messed-up fun of Cannibal Mukbang. Kuge’s script is undeniably funny, and the jokes hit on perfect timing even when they’re more crude than witty. The comedic voice of the film ranges in inspiration from Jennifer’s Body to some of Edgar Wright’s work in the Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim, to even the tar-black dark humor of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and American Psycho.
Ultimately, the fact Cannibal Mukbang can emulate these cult classics without feeling like it’s aping them or going through the motions like some homages would is just one of the many measures of expertise on display here, and if it finds the right audiences upon a wider release, feels telling of the popularity it could have.
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This is usually the part where I would say, “Get out and go to the theatres to catch this film right now”, but this is part of our coverage of Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2023! This is definitely a movie you want on your radar, so keep your eyes peeled for it!