Ravenous (1999)

I found your Private Reich up there... or what was left of him. You didn't finish! Well, I can't blame you: he was tough....But then, a good soldier ought to be.

          Captain John Boyd has just been given a medal for valor in a battle during the Mexican-American War in 1847, that he did not earn. Hiding beneath dead bodies due to cowardice, he eventually climbed out and attacked the enemy. Boyd felt this was the act of a coward, the U.S. Army felt he was a hero. But after a night of vomiting due to a meaty dinner, Boyd has been sent west to an outpost in the Sierras. There he begins to settle in and try to forget his past. That is until one day when a soldier collapses at their doorstep. Once he is arrived he tells of cannibalism in his party and him being the only one to stay alive, so he thinks. Once the group realizes a woman might have survived, 4 of them go to rescue. Once there, the visitor tricks them all and leaves all but Boyd dead. Boyd escapes, but with a broken leg. Upon making it back to camp where a General has stopped by, Boyd realizes who actually is in charge -- the cannibal himself. One by one everyone starts to disappear and although all think Boyd is not only psychotic but responsible, Boyd prepares for the ultimate battle. The question is, will good taste prevail?

          Overall: A very under-rated film whose story was actually quite good. Beware, for the blood and gore of this film can rival any film ever made. The final 20 minutes show the main characters draped in blood from head to toe. This film is not for the squeamish but it does have some damn good stuff in it. Guy Pearce ("LA Confidential") is a good actor as is Robert Carlyle ("World is not Enough," "Trainspotting," "Full Monty"). Take a look at this film and keep an open mind.

          Comparison: Ken Burns' Civil War meets Parents

Links to other sites at The Sinning Room

Horror Films L-Z Review Page

Horror Films Review Page