The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

| A | Fantastic Fest 2009 |

Okay, folks, this movie was truly horrifying and disturbing. It did not back away from its freaky concept but pushed it to its full extremes–on film. (The director says he has more in mind for a sequel–I don’t know what could be left.) I had to set my popcorn aside while watching it, but feel strangely stronger for having survived it…

(Originally not rated.)

Trailer

IMDB

I later caught the sequels as they came out. Both were disappointing.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) was filmed in black and white, going for an arthouse style of horror. I give the writer/director points for being creatively flexible. This movie was creepier and more violent than the first, for better or worse. But the ending completely ruined it, because:

Show Spoiler

It appeared the movie was just the main character daydreaming about what he’d like to do. Which means everything we just watched never happened, so no one’s lives (including his) were affected. Making the whole movie a waste of time.

The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) was a parody of the series, so another genre switch. And it pushed the centipede concepts even further. But it was too over the top and not funny, just gonzo, so I didn’t appreciate it.