[Review] ‘The Green Inferno’ is a Big Step Backwards for Eli Roth

By Kalyn Corrigan on September 26, 2015

Justine is like any other freshman woman entering college — curious, open to new experiences, and easily manipulated. The daughter of a lawyer for the United Nations, Justine has been raised to believe that any and all issues can be easily solved with a little determination, and of course, her father’s money. Unable to empathize with nations that exist outside of her suburban upbringing, Justine views third world countries and their inhabitants the same way that many Americans do — as victims.

Because of her inexperience, and her naive belief that intervention by young, inexperienced, and honestly quite unknowledgeable American activists is wanted and needed in remote Peruvian villages, Justine allows herself to be coerced into joining a small college group in their protest against deforestation. Together, this small bunch of students travel in a rickety plane to South America, where they plan to chain themselves to bulldozers in order to stop the destruction of the forest, and to save the poor villagers living inside of it. The Americans may see themselves as crusaders of justice coming in to rescue this helpless tribe, but to the quiet hunters that call the Amazon River home, they’re nothing but invasive cattle, ready for the slaughter.

Insightful and progressive one moment, and narrow-minded and offensive the next, The Green Inferno feels like two different films shoved into one feature. The first is a highly intelligent social and political commentary on important world issues, such as xenophobia, imperialism, deforestation, militarism, activism, and female circumcision. The second is an exploitative cannibal grindhouse flick that leans heavily on over-the-top gore and toilet humor. Although these two concepts can sometimes be successful on their own, and Roth’s films often contain multiple layers, these two perspectives are just too vastly different to exist within the same film.

The Green Inferno highlighted many crucial sociological debates, only to completely disrespect either side of each argument by executing these concepts with B-movie tactics. Written on the basis of social commentary, and backed by shocking and grotesque gore that demands the viewer’s attention, it’s a shame this story doesn’t have sharper writing. This is a film that that could have persuaded audiences to not just take notice of international issues, but to also confront their own beliefs, and act as a sense of self-discovery, assigning a certain level of personal significance to each cause. Instead, it settles for fart jokes.

The dialogue is laughable at best. From calling activism “gay” to randomly talking about 9/11 being an inside job, the speech always feels trivial and ridiculous. Since the characters are so underdeveloped (some seem to be completely without names), everyone’s lines feel interchangeable, melting each person into the same uninteresting, ambiguous pot. The audience is completely devoid of any emotional attachment to anyone on screen, so when characters start being taken out right and left, it comes off more on the side of comical than dramatic. Of course, the film would have risen to a much higher level with a different cast attached.

With so much of the impact resting on the shoulders of Justine, our girl who guides us from the safe, familiar arms of American soil to this sparingly documented faraway place, the film simply required a stronger performance than lead actress Lorenza Izzo provided. As she makes the brave and frightening delve into overseas territory, Justine also literally and figuratively transitions from a naive little girl into full-blown womanhood, signaling her rebirth. However, you’d never know this while watching Izzo. She showcases the same emotions and states of being at the beginning of the film as she does at the end, emerging from the crisis as the same immature, uneducated child that she was when she initially engaged. Of course, this is due to the writing as well as the acting, but it felt as if all of the actors collectively underperformed, signaling an even bigger problem in the director’s chair.

The way this film handles female circumcision may be the most bothersome aspect of all. Female Genital Mutilation, or F.G.M. for short, is the ritualistic removal of the female’s genitals, varying slightly from one ethnic group to the next, but all involve the cutting of a young girl’s privates to indicate her transition into womanhood. Mostly practiced in African countries, but existing in different forms all throughout the world, the age of the girls involved ranges anywhere from days after birth to well into their teenage years. Whether or not this practice is morally sound is and has been up for debate for several years, with many nations coming out against it, and many active countries defending their right to perform certain rituals as dictated by their culture.

However, without any prior knowledge on the subject, one watching The Green Inferno would assume that there is only one side to the argument, as it only supports the perception that this activity is immoral. Since the film attacks the topic from a sociological perspective, it should offer up both sides of the debate. For instance, one counterpoint that many in favor of F.G.M. bring up is the comparison to male circumcision; an event that is considered normal by society’s standards in many first world countries. There’s also the argument that many of the countries that use unsafe blades to carry out the act simply don’t have access to proper medical centers that would help safely conduct these events. However, the discussion on female circumcision executed by The Green Inferno fails to provide any real depth, and reveals a lack of research, making the story feel as detached and shallow as its characters.

Aside from its many startling problems, The Green Inferno does manage to contain some favorable factors. There are some truly breathtaking shots of Peru and the thick, faded hazel Amazonian River that runs through it. There’s also some wickedly haunting imagery of the natives; covered from head to toe in blood red dye, and riddled with piercings, the tribe members contrast sharply and brilliantly with the bright red grass, as they trample ravenously over its blades. Speaking secretly with one another, these unique beings remain just as mysterious to the audience as they do to the characters onscreen without the aid of subtitles that normally let the viewers in on the action. By forgoing the written translation, the viewer, too, is left in the dark, clueless as to what these vibrant crimson people have planned.

Despite its few strong points, overall, The Green Inferno feels like a big step backwards for Eli Roth. For a movie that’s trying to illustrate how Americans’ narrow-minded fear towards other nations comes from a lack of understanding, rather than any logical concerns, this film sure carries a limited point of view. Even if meant as nothing more than an exploitative, controversial cannibal flick, it even fails on that account, as the brief tension it managed to wrangle when the Americans are brought onshore to the village dies out as quickly as it’s brought in, making the rest of the film feel slow and lagging, despite its brief runtime. With his newest feature, Roth seeks to shame lazy activists who preach more than they research, but all he winds up doing is making himself look like the fool.

Official Score

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http://www.simplefilmreviews.com/ Borgman

I’ll agree it was disappointing. I didn’t expect much, but I still expected something more than what I go. 5/10 for me (based solely on the fact I knew it was gonna be a torture-porn). But honestly might be his worst movie yet
- James Packman
  
  Grow the fuck up with that ridiculous term torture porn. You’re a cock sucker. That is all.
  - http://www.simplefilmreviews.com/ Borgman
    
    Tell me how you really feel….?
  - Jeff Eastwood
    
    If you’re attempting to use “cock sucker” as some kind of anti-gay slur, that’s pretty lame lol. Most gay men enjoy giving head like most straight guys enjoy eating out.
    - DamionThorn
      
      Indeed…. 😉 In what universe is being a “cock-sucker” any sort of insult?
  - James
    
    Torture porn has a always been a terrible term.
Nathan Springstead

I figured as much. Roth hit the gates walking and has limped on ever since.
Jon Lachonis

So it sucks like the rest of his films? No surprise there.
- Antisocial_ism
  
  Yeah, I never understood why Cabin Fever was considered to be so good.
  It was pure tedium for me.
ChasingTheGhost

I was letdown by the film, but I still had fun.
anna garrett

It’s a 10/10. I am a big fan of cannibal exploitation films, and if you’re so worried about the sociological context you’re going to the wrong movie. I went for the cannibals, and I left satisfied.
- wehoaks
  
  Well the sociological context is all Roth has been trumpeting with this film and its part of the plot soooooooo….
  - anna garrett
    
    Seriously? Did you see the film? It’s mocking slacktivists and SJWs. The main characters get slaughtered and eaten by the people they wanted to “save.”
    
    I want to know if you’ve actually seen the film or if you’re just reading a quick synopsis of the film to write up some Tumblr garbage post about how Eli Roth made a mockery of your favorite hot-button topics.
    - wehoaks
      
      Jesus fucking Christ relax your little crack you ass. I’ve read several interviews where Roth mentions the sociological aspect at play in the film (one large interview I read with him was solely about that). So she brought it up because he brings it up. Did I say I agree with her review? Did I say I disagree? I said neither. That’s all I was getting at you fucking baboon.
      - anna garrett
        
        Right. So, tumblr garbage post it is.
      - wehoaks
        
        I guess? Hey have you ever tried not wiping with sandpaper? Fucking moron.
- Devin Owen
  
  i know it was fun
Darren Elmore

I’m interested in seeing this movie regardless but your choice to devote space in this piece to offering an opposing and generally positive view of female genital mutilation is puzzling and disturbing.

For the record, it is nothing like male circumcision….it might be if male circumcision took off the foreskin, glans penis and any erectile tissue external to the body…..but it doesn’t.

Perhaps you should worry less about injecting your own poorly informed opinions than about the craft of the film.
- CelticBull
  
  This.
Oppy

I found this film to be highly entertaining. That said, if you don’t like Eli Roth’s previous films, you probably won’t like this one either. It probably helped that I watched Cannibal Ferox the night before this one, and had already seen Cannibal Holocaust a while back. Nothing is meant to be taken seriously, not even the social commentary, which I see as nothing more than a setup for the main course, and a homage to the social commentary in the 70s/80s cannibal flicks. I bet that’s how they got away with an R rating instead of NC-17, since everything is tongue-in-cheek and fun. Just turn your brain off and enjoy the carnage.
- Devin Owen
  
  I dont know what people were expecting its a homage to an old cannibal grindhouse film.
concerned citizen

Sorry, you lost me when you said this film should provide a balanced view of FGM.
- wehoaks
  
  Same. I usually defend her because she is often called derogatory names by very angry little boys but there is no both sides of the coin with FGM. It’s barbaric.
  - concerned citizen
    
    It seems there are quite a few people here who don’t understand what either FGM of feminism is. It’s a bit sad really.
    - scaryjim
      
      Yeah. Some people don’t seem to be able to read. Utterly bizarre. It makes me not want to come here when i see how many utter imbeciles there are into the same shit.
    - wehoaks
      
      And a bit obvious that just seeing A woman’s name sends them over the edge.
Eldritch Love

I’ll go see it just because it seems to be offending so many Politically Correct bloggers. I can only imagine how terrible a social justice horror movie would be with all its sensitivities.
- TheSlitheryDee
  
  See for yourself. I dug it.
Nick Blackford

I saw this at FrightFest 2014 and I hated it. I understand why people like Eli Roth’s movies, their distasteful humour and grizzly gore made Cabin Fever and the Hostel movies a success and a name out of Roth. Personally I’m not keen on the humour in his movies. It’s unbelievably homophobic, extremely racist, and it stereotypes women in some of the worst ways imaginable. Making the distasteful funny is an art (something that South Park or The Book of Mormon manages to do effortlessly) but Roth somehow falls short and it’s genuinely cringeworthy to watch. So as a comedy it fails, but it also fails as a horror movie; with the camera cutting away from some of the actual kills, which seems bizarre because the first kill is pretty graphic (and in my opinion the only thing worth watching the movie for). But it fails on many more levels too; the script is terrible, the characters are unlikeable, the acting is forgettable and the direction is nothing to shout about. ‘Green Inferno’ feels like it came about 15 years too late. I felt genuinely embarrassed watching this and would suggest you save your money and watch something else!
http://stevenmillan.wordpress.com Steven Millan

I’ll be surprised if this film makes it to the top of this weekend’s box office,since both Blumhouse and Universal are barely giving it any publicity and it’s been released on the same weekend as HOTEL TRANSLYVANIA 2. Eli Roth possibly threw in the bathroom humor since he knew that he couldn’t display any CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST/CANNIBAL FEROX-esque splatter hijinks in a mainstream R rated film and Jason Blum probably was uncomfortable in knowing that he couldn’t fit in a scene of (token Blumhouse reportaire star) Lin Shaye hop skipping with a long rope of freshly shorn out intestines.
- wehoaks
  
  You do know Jason Blum wasn’t involved with this film until over a year after its completion, right? That he acquired it to release? And that the release pattern is part of a new division at Blumhouse catered specifically to these types of films? Oh you didn’t? Makes sense.
- Toe Johnson
  
  You know this is 2015 right? The time of participation ribbons and total pollitically correctness.
  - wehoaks
    
    You guys share half a brain.
Facs

Oh, so Stephen King, one of the great maestros of horror loved it but some dumb broad named “Kalyn” who goes to Zumba classes hated it? Hmm, who to trust?
- wehoaks
  
  Your so mad hahahahahaHhHahHhaahahahHa. Your tail is showing.
- J Jett
  
  Facs, King is FAR from perfect. he’s stated he liked how UNDER THE DOME turned out. that right there shatters your whole point.
  - Toe Johnson
    
    Sorry but I don’t agree. King is a genius a shit stirrer and he loves ambiguity. I mean come on. Network tv (boo) gave him millions of dollars for a shitty book, wouldn’t you also sing the praises all the way to the bank, credit union, coffee can in the ground?
    - Nick Blackford
      
      Under The Dome is bloody awful though.
Facs

And of course this twat focuses solely on her feminist agenda as in ALL her reviews. UGH.
- wehoaks
  
  And of course you grab your tiny dick and shout to the rooftops. Ugh if your misogyny was anymore transparent other douche bros would be swimming in their above ground polls into you.
  
  Ps I liked the film. Good luck.
- http://danmandan.com MrDanMan
  
  Not sure how saying the movie should show the reasons why female circumcision is okay and not just why it isn’t okay leads you to believe that this is a complete feministic outlook on the movie. I can’t think of any other stuff that would qualify as even relating to feminism when I read it; maybe I just need to reread it but I doubt that.
  - concerned citizen
    
    No, you’re right. Facs probably just saw this review was written by a woman and assumed there’d be a feminist agenda… Whatever that means.
    - wehoaks
      
      That’s exactly what the little boy did.
  - James
    
    Probably because they spent so much time writing about that specific detail in the film.
  - mjohnson91
    
    You can just tell by her tone she’s a feminist lol…
    - wehoaks
      
      She thinks FGM is up for debate. Hardly feminist.
- Devin Owen
  
  Dont agree with the word twat but I am also tired of people throwing pc crap at everything these days.
  - Facs
    
    You’re right I should have went with “cunt” instead.
- scaryjim
  
  Uhhh there was nothing feminist in this review. Can you read. in fact her odd opinion about wanting to see the argument FOR FGM was actually fairly anti womens human rights, let alone feminist.
Kyle Ord

Reviews are like assholes, most of them are shitty

The only person who can tell you if you’ll like a movie or not is you. No one else.
- Antisocial_ism
  
  Hammer meets nail!!
- Toe Johnson
  
  Preach on Brutha. I know personally I read reviews but give me a freaking break people we all have free will.
- Alanmac
  
  I hear ya. I listened to the reviews on The Devil Inside and The Fourth Kind and didn’t see those movies for probably 2 or 3 years until one night when there was nothing else peaking my interest on Netflix and ended up loving both of them. I know, I know…..People tend to hate The Devil Inside but I guess I’m one of the few who loved it. Anyway, my point being, I don’t put stock into any reviews nowadays. I do still enjoy reading them to see what other peoples’ take is, but no way in hell will I let another review stop me from seeing something.
Facs

Tell me something Kalyn, is there ever a point in the film where there’s a pile of bloody clits on the ground and the natives do “clit angels” in it?
Geno1987

The movie may be bad, but in an age of shitty remakes and PG 13 found footage movies Eli Roth gave us a hard R movie about people being eaten alive.
Someone’s gotta push the boundaries.
- Mightygil
  
  I haven’t seen the movie but praising a movie you consider “bad” because it’s a “hard R” isn’t really the right way to approach something
- http://danmandan.com MrDanMan
  
  Meh. I’m fine if the movie is rated G for all I care as long as it’s scary. Yes, I realize that’s not possible that any horror movie could be scary and rated G but my point is is that nobody needs to be pushing the boundaries of gore. We need people to make scary movies more and adding in more and more gore is not the right way to accomplish that.
  - Fracassi
    
    Pinocchio (Disney) scares the hell out of me every time I watch it. Secret of NIHM is pretty creepy too. But, I completely agree with your point. Stephen King expressed similar sentiments in Danse Macabre.
  - James
    
    No but nothing wrong with good gore if it’s done right. I’m watching this movie this week i don’t know how good or bad it is yet, but I do expect a cannibal movie to be gory.
Vicente Garcia

My problem with Roth movies: there can be truly great scenes right next to really terrible ones. (There’s an extended fart joke in the same movie that has a touching end scene with our lead and a little girl…) The man has no sense of pacing, tonality, or structure. TGI’s script is a huge mess, and movie is really only saved by some great acting from Izzo and some good moments scattered throughout.
Colin Perkins

I’m all for hating this movie because it’s clearly not any good, but as if you went into a rant about the film showing FGM in a bad light. That’s like getting mad at a film for showing pedophiles as evil or murder as wrong. Like come on! You are honestly going to tell me your for FGM? Hate this movie, I’m sure it earns it, but don’t post something as silly as “I wish it made FGM look like a better idea.” Give me a break.
- concerned citizen
  
  It’s such a bizarre stance to take.
Facs

For her next review Kalyn will discuss traditional gender roles in Toy Story 3.
Devin Owen

I think you are reading into this film a bit too much, sure it is stating that lazy college student activism is pointless and stupid (which I agree) but it’s mostly a fun over the top gore flick. All this pc crap is annoying just watch a movie and enjoy it or dont. I don’t know about everyone else but I wasnt expecting much more than a bloody movie and I got what I paid for.
Queen B

I’m starting to think Kalyn is Mr. Disgusting’s very own Barbie doll. Here to stir the pot, create conflict and in term, create more hits. Congratulation guys. It seems to be working lol.
- Jeff Eastwood
  
  Or a plant of Mr. Roth’s as a way of gaining sympathy. I get the feeling some people are going to go see the movie simply as a reaction to all the critics who are putting it down.
  - DamionThorn
    
    Why do you think I’m so curious? Jeff, wanna join me? 😉
    - Jeff Eastwood
      
      You like Madonna and horror flicks. I’m in =^)
- zombie84_41
  
  Maybe its his wife they both act the same as in writing terms.
tyler

I thought by you saying, “a big step BACKWARDS for Eli Roth”, you would actually mean that this movie is good! In order to go “backwards,” he would have to had good films before it. Besides Cabin Fever and Hostel being just OK, his other credits include The Sacrament, Last Exorcism 1 and 2, Hemlock Grove, and Aftershock. Personally, I sat through those since they were free on Netflix and can say they were beyond horrible They were extremely lazy and forgettable. I still don’t understand why anyone would be excited for an Eli Roth film – but everyone likes different things I guess.
- nils
  
  He only produced The Sacrament, Last Exorcism 1-2, and Hemlock Grove. He wrote and produced Aftershock, but didn’t direct it. The only movies associated with him he actually directed were Cabin Fever, Hostel 1-2, The Green Inferno, and Knock Knock (which comes out next month). He gets a lot of credit for reintroducing non-supernatural body horror (Cabin Fever) and for starting the “torture porn” subgenre (Hostel), which is all worth mentioning in the ~grand scheme of things~ but isn’t a proof of quality. I think he’s a good horror director–the guy knows his stuff, and he seems genuinely enthusiastic about the genre. Doesn’t mean the premise for his movies, or the way the themes are handled, or the writing (…especially the writing) are any good, and ultimately it’s a combination of these things that make a good movie. The reason Eli Roth is popular is because excessive gore is a cheap thrill a lot of horror fans enjoy, but past the shock value, there’s zero substance to his movies.
  - Nick Blackford
    
    Absolutely, couldn’t have put it better myself.
- johnggg
  
  I don’t think you understand the saying “a big step backwards”. No matter what, you have to go step forward to improve, even if you currently suck.
oddnico

you guys, need to get rid of this writer. they gave this movie, which makes no claims to be much more than a fun cannibal movie, a bad review, and seems to not get that, and also gave THE GALLOWS, one of the worst movies i’ve seen in a years, a positive review and said it revived found footage. this kind of writing is more suited for a facebook status rather than a dedicated horror site.

THE GALLOWS was so bad, i don’t trust anyone’s taste who gave it a positive review.
- zombie84_41
  
  The gallows was a fun movie. It didn’t do anything for foundfootage. But also this is the same site that praised Mockingbird and that movie was the most pretentious piece of shit film I ever saw.
- Wes Draven
  
  Critics aren’t spectacular minds that see things in a magical way that eludes everyone else. They’re People. Who Like Films. And share their thoughts on said films.
  
  It stands to chance that everything one person likes won’t be the same as what you or I like. That doesn’t make their taste’s bad.
  - johnggg
    
    Well sure, but not once did he say “I thought” or “I didn’t”;The reviewer just blatantly sounded like “This is what it is and I’m right. Don’t see this.” It wasn’t an opinion piece. So there’s a difference. Reviewers have the responsibility to be objective, especially in major websites like this one.
    - concerned citizen
      
      FGM and feminism couldn’t be further apart. This isn’t a feminist review, but it is confused and all over the place.
    - Wes Draven
      
      It is an opinion-piece. Reviewers don’t have the responsibility to be anything at all. Reviews are the simple-task of stating ones’ opinion. Your beef is that they said it as a fact, but from reading it, I found it as someone that just didn’t sugarcoat it. That doesn’t make them likable. And even makes them kind-of a douche, but it’s still opinion.
      
      Someone that just simply said what they thought. The marquee itself where it says “Review” should be enough to realize it’s opinion.
  - oddnico
    
    I’m a fan of film, and a fan of horror and genre movies in general. THE GALLOWS has no redeeming film making qualities to it, even on any low bar rudimentary level. and to go into a movie like THE GREEN INFERNO and expect the setup to be much more than just a way of getting them eaten by the natives as fast as possible, you’re missing the point of the movie. it knows what it wants to be and what we wanna see.
    
    you gotta stack a movie like this against others in its genre, and on that genre’s levels. the characters are a little one dimensional, the acting in the beginning is largely pretty bad, but we don’t sit here talking about how good the acting was in cannibal holocaust. of course good writing is always wanted, this movie chose to focus it’s energy on the kills and how brutal they could look, which it what this movie was supposed to do.
    
    obviously, everyone has their own opinion. But there’s a certain way to talk and look at movies. I just feel like this reviewer is looking at them through the wrong lens.
- Garbageface
  
  You guys need to get rid of this writer because he thinks in certain contexts that female genital mutilation is a-ok.
  - oddnico
    
    you’re aware they cannibalize people in this movie, right? and that no female gets their genitals mutilated, right? so you’re saying people getting cannibalized is fine, no problems there. pull their eyes, tongue and everything else out. but a specific person getting a specific thing cut isn’t ok. everything else is fine, this one body part is untouchable though.
    
    even though they didn’t do it, if they did, it’s a cannibal movie. it exists in a different corner of the movie universe where you’re supposed to push things as far as you possibly can in the name of grossing out the audience. I hope you have a little more faith in this movie’s demographic that they’re not gonna watch it, and then start mutilating female genitals like crazy. it’s a movie. a cannibal movie. where a lot of terrible things happen to a lot of people. there’s no place for this kind of soap box speech when talking about a movie where everyone is getting every part of their body cut off and eaten. Eli Roth cut a dick off in Hostel II. I bet you had no problem with that.
    - Garbageface
      
      What the fuck are you talking about?
TheSlitheryDee

I disagree. Movie was a great time, as his movies usually are. Nobody said it would be up for an Oscar.
- johnggg
  
  While I agree that this movie was more than a 1/5, OF COURSE no one said that this would be up for an Oscar.
zombie84_41

Damn 1 skull. I give it 3 the most. It was fun. It did what it meant to do. Where not talkin an oscar film here. Only thing it didn’t do for me was go insane with the gore but it was used in the right stops. WHich I think Eli wanted.
David Glass

This reviewer has lost all credibility to me at this point. No, the movie isn’t great, but it was still a good time and had me laughing most of the film. I was disappointed by the lack of gore with Roth’s filmmaking history; but considering the source material he was paying homage to, I think he did what he could with a theatrical release for the audiences if 2015.
macguffin54

A review arguing for “the other side” of genital mutilation (by arguing there needs to be a debate, you know like pedophile priests and rapists, right??)
- DeathMountainDew
  
  Cause Roth pushed it as a commentary on the bullshit of SJWs and similar shit.
- Wes Draven
  
  The film was presented as a social commentary, thereby, when it isn’t one, people take notice and comment. Simple as that.
  - Nick Blackford
    
    Exactly!
- James
  
  I get the feeling they haven’t watched cannibal holocaust and had no idea what they were getting into. In both films the idea is that the Americans are idiots. This is supposed to be a throwback to holocaust and ferox and I can’t wait to go see this for myself this week.
http://careersreport.com jeffreythrash

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- DeathMountainDew
  
  Fuck off
- PsychoMantis18
  
  You are a babe, Jeffrey!
  - Nick Blackford
    
    Come on man, that is 100% not a real person.
    - PsychoMantis18
      
      Who? Jeffrey? Yes, he is. And he is a babe.
turk

So, this movie loses points for not being PRO-female genital mutilation? Are you fucking kidding me?
K-Dogg

Saw this earlier today, I found this movie to be absolute crap. I always stick up for Eli Roth, but I soooo hated this fucking movie. I wasnt even 15 minutes in, and I found every single character to be a douchebag, and it just got worse for me as it progressed.
- Alanmac
  
  A bunch of self righteous 20 somethings that think they know better than anyone else what the planet needs and feel it’s their “mission” to show everyone what they learned in their first semester at college? How could they NOT be douchebags? But people these days do seem to have some pathetic need to be told how to feel and what to think by social media and know nothing pop stars. Sad.
Wes Draven

I wasn’t looking forward to The Green Inferno. The whole idea of a social-commentary wasn’t very appealing to me. In-fact, it repelled me. But now, from what you’ve wrote, it seems like it’s more grotesque than much else. That doesn’t make me want to watch it much more, but I’d be more interested in a mindless bloodbath than what I was anticipating, which was something a bit more pretentious.

Eli Roth tends to repeat himself though, doesn’t he? The same message with a different coat of paint, I guess. The Green Inferno aims to show the ignorance we have toward different places, … which was Roth’s explanation for Slovakia’s interpretation in Hostel.
Σαβινα

whatever the critics say people will still watch this movie and Roth’s purpose will be served..as far as some found the movie more comical than horror..well Eli sometimes goes overboard with that stuff
NarcolepticGargoyle

I don’t get the hate for Cabin Fever & Hostel, esp considering the paucity of R-rated horror when both came out. CF was fun and Hostel was grisly and well-timed considering the transatlantic political tensions when it was made. Hostel 2 was very lame, and Hemlock Grove was unwatchable. He’s also a bad actor. I haven’t seen this one yet but the criticisms seem a bit schizo, but exploitation films can be somewhat schizo anyway. Although many would scoff, Cannibal Holocaust actually effectively brings all sorts of issues to the table. I doubt Roth has much more to offer but I’ll give this a watch if it hits NF…oh yeah Id like to hear a non-islamicoid justification for cutting clits off too lol
- Daniel Anderson
  
  I doubt it’ll live up to Cannibal Holocaust, even if it got more than one skull. With as much coverage BD has given this movie I’m surprised to see that rating.
Robin Williams

u PC bro??
- Colin Perkins
  
  How is this PC? It says FGM is a good idea. It’s sexist.
  - Billy Pop
    
    You don’t get the joke.
  - Daniel Anderson
    
    The joke revolves around the first episode of season 19 south park. I haven’t watched south park in a few years, was a huge fan just cut the cord and haven’t looked into watching it. This episode showed Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still funny as hell.
- SugarShane333
  
  Hell yeah brah. PC for life.
- Billy Pop
  
  WOOWOOWOO! You’re PC too bro??? We should live together and discuss our views!!!
Lady Bathory

I was actually looking forward to The Green Inferno and usually don’t let negative reviews scare me off. But the things I’ve read or heard about this film don’t really make me want to watch it anymore. Explosive diarrhea, fart and masturbation jokes, severe sexism, etc. All that makes this film seem like one of Tom Six’s creations. The Human Centipede: Green Inferno…
We’ll see whether or not I’ll watch it. My boyfriend really wants to see it, so I just might join him. But my excitement is kind of gone…
- TheSlitheryDee
  
  Don’t listen. Those things are all done in a non-explicit way.
  - Jake
    
    I would say the diarrhea, fart and masterbation jokes are done the way they always are done. A lot of sound effects. All of these come within a sequence, and the film changes from serious to a more campy/funny affair.
scaryjim

“For instance, one counterpoint that many in favor of F.G.M. bring up is the comparison to male circumcision; an event that is considered normal by society’s standards in many first world countries. There’s also the argument that many of the countries that use unsafe blades to carry out the act simply don’t have access to proper medical centers that would help safely conduct these events. However, the discussion on female circumcision executed by The Green Inferno fails to provide any real depth, and reveals a lack of research, making the story feel as detached and shallow as its characters.”

This is a fucking weird sentence. There is no ‘other side’. It’s primitive barbarism. There are no health benefits, it is purely done to stifle sexual pleasure.While male circumcision is also pretty barbaric it doesn’t actually ruin someones sexual pleasure, evidently. I’m sure the film isn’t great but that is an odd thing to pick on.
- Garbageface
  
  Yeah, dude. What in the ever loving fuck? Both sides to mutilating someone’s clit? Fuck you so hard you piece of human garbage.
Ocelot006 .

The line of calling activism gay was meant to be laughable. Both in its funny and what someone like her character would actually say.
- Nick Blackford
  
  But using the word “gay” to describe something in a derogatory way isn’t funny, and thankfully it’s becoming more unacceptable. If we were supposed to dislike the character for it then I could understand it, but that wasn’t why it was used. All it did was alienate a large amount of horror movie fans who happen to be gay, and that kind of thing really annoys me.
  - Ocelot006 .
    
    Yet most people did find it funny so it did kind of work.
    - Nick Blackford
      
      I get that we disagree. But how could you possibly know that?
      - Ocelot006 .
        
        How did I know people found it funny? The way anyone knows anyone found something funny. Laughter. Welcome to the world Nick. Step right this way.
      - Nick Blackford
        
        I wouldn’t follow you anywhere.
      - Ocelot006 .
        
        Well then enjoy your humorless existence.
      - mjohnson91
        
        I thought it was funny. People take shit way too seriously nowadays. Not everything needs to be politically correct, if you can’t handle being offended maybe you shouldn’t watch movies. Or step outside your home.
      - Ocelot006 .
        
        People just love to find ways to be offended to get that opportunity to make it about themselves. “As a gay man I am offended.” Well there are gay people that aren’t offended so what’s your point? 😛
      - mjohnson91
        
        Right? People with this stance assume everybody is as easily victimized as they are. It’s super annoying when people are crying wolf constantly over bullshit. Probably because they’ve lived such a sheltered life that they don’t know what being truly victimized actually feels like.
        
        Sorry to rant here, just sick of seeing this attitude at school and on the internet. It’s sad.
      - Ocelot006 .
        
        No worries. Rant is very understood. But the worst is just people with the “as a ‘insert here'” and then acting like the speak for all. “As a gay man” what you speak for all gays? They’re all the same and indistguishable? Wow. Great to know how you believe. 😛
Ocelot006 .

You’re looking way too much into the “political and social commentary”, Kalyn. The film isn’t actual commenting on the issues of deforestation and using military and so on and so forth. It’s using those things to comment on these activists who do it just for the attention of wanting to appear to care just to appear to care. The film itself doesn’t actually give two hoots about international issues. Those are there to frame what Roth is actually criticizing. And then these activists all get what they deserve. Eaten by the very people they tried to save not because they really wanted to save them but because they enjoy the attention. Way to let the movie go over your head.
- Nick Blackford
  
  But doesn’t the fact that so many people are questioning the “political and social commentary” just prove that the film isn’t clear in it’s intentions? To me that’s wooly film-making.
  - Ocelot006 .
    
    There will always be the minority that gets lost on the the analysis of any film but maybe the reviewer should realize when the second half of the film doesn’t gel with her interpretation of the first half, then she misinterpreted the first half.
- Neptunium
  
  She’s one of them.
parsyeb

Isn’t the fact that a satisfying genre film is even dealing with questions like, “We can recognize that FGM has $*&#ed up implications, but how does one tell that to a culture one doesn’t understand or can’t understand in their own terms?” a small miracle?

Sure, the movie shares a colonialist premise. It’s laid into the basic premise of the cannibal genre. That being said, it’s a fairly typical genre film strategy to make a political point (a complete lack of understanding of truly foreign, non-Westernized cultures) through extremity (that culture’s alterity here marked by eating people). Whether or not I Spit on Your Grave is effective as a “feminist” movie or at least as a serious movie about sexual violence and trauma is undercut because of its grindhouse revenge plot is up to the viewer and how much leeway they’re willing to give a filmmaker for saying something in a visceral way.

I’m really surprised by the mixed reviews I’m seeing. The crowded theater I saw it in on Thursday night liked it even more than me.
http://www.awesomebryner.com/ Awesome Bryner

I will definitely watch because these are the kind of movies I enjoy watching. Call me deranged. I don’t care. Only movie I can’t stand and not sure to see the third one is Human Centipede Full Sequence. I could not stand the black and white of the movie with clear up to date quality. To me seeing some that looks like it could of been from the 40’s or 50’s should of been more projector kind of filming, not no bluray and black and white.

Then the third one goes right to normal color. So I am confused on the black and white for the second one anyways. What was the point of it? No matter their point of doing it. I think it was stupid. It just made me think I was watching an older movie.
- Travis Johnson
  
  Wow, that was tangential.
- David Tucker
  
  How on earth did you find your way onto the internet?
CR

You have awful taste in movies. One skull? You’re such a girl.
CR

The film is anything but an ethnocentric, xenophobic practice. Now, get back to your homework, little girl.
CR

HOLY SHIT! I was just looking through your review archives and saw your positive review for The Gallows. You have zero credibility. Brad, where the fuck do you find these half-wits? Your only good asset you’ve gained over the years is Trace Thurman…whom I initially gave a lot of shit for his still somewhat prevalent lack of proof-reading…don’t worry Trace, still love you, man! Get rid of these new people, like Kayln. Also, sorry if you’re not actually female, Kayln. I just realized that’s a unisex name. But you’re awful and have no grasp on what you’re watching and interpreting them in lazy, predictable ways. I feel like your review was just to provide a negative flipside to the otherwise VERY positive previous review this film received on an early screening in 2013. GO AWAY.
Lena Dunham’s diaphragm

The dialogue was actually pretty spot-on, since these kind of SJW/activist/heroes are incredibly inconsistent, self-indulgent, and moronic.
Derek Behrends

Ok, wow. I feel like this reviewer has never watched one Eli Roth film. I am not a superfan, but I do watch all of his films. Every single one of them is highly flawed, and suffer from many of the same flaws, but his vision usually comes across and cements itself in my head. Well, I mean that was the case for the Hostel films. But seriously, walking into this, I knew it wouldn’t be perfect. I knew it would have annoying characters, awful humor, and be pretty offensive. And by knowing that, I had a pretty great time. It was enjoyable and I had a lot of fun. Tell me what movie has been filmed in the actual remote amazon with real native people? The plane crash was insane and the kills were pretty gruesome, even if some were more gruesome than others. This reviewer is trying to read WAY too far into, of all things, an Eli Roth film. You can’t watch a film like this, a horror film made by an offensive director, and keep a tally of every single thing that is mildly offensive. As a college student, I can attest to every single type of person in the film walking through my campus every single day. The social justice warriors offended by every sentence, the “activism is gay” kid, the uninformed and naive do- gooders. It’s all very real. Just a few days ago a charity worker tried to make me donate to an organization without telling me anything about what they do. It’s REAL. So by all means, take off a few skulls for the awful dialogue, cringe worthy humor, and a few not as great kills, but it still deserves at least 3 skulls for the look of the film, the special effects, and the brilliant performance from Lorenza Izza. That’s right, I thought she nailed it. But seriously, maybe put down the offensive tallyboard next time you watch a horror film, and sit back and enjoy the ride.
WalkingDeadGuy

I saw the movie last night and I was very disappointed. After ‘Hostel Part 2’ (which I consider to be Roth’s most accomplished film and one of the best horror films of the last 10 years) I thought Roth had grown-up as a filmmaker, but alas, he indeed takes a huge step backwards with TGI. It’s clear that its biggest problem was the script; some of the worst dialogue I’ve heard in some time. Perhaps it wouldn’t have bothered me as much if he had some decent actors delivering the lines but they were just awful! The toilet humor was also beyond stupid and unnecessary; you know it’s bad when not a single person in the theater laughs. And finally I thought the movie was too tame considering its subject matter.
- Cure4Humanity
  
  While your comment was well written and somewhat insightful….I feel like you lost me at Hostel 2 was one of the best horror films of the last 10 years….Still not sure if you’re joking.
  - DamionThorn
    
    That is EXACTLY what I was thinking…as Hostel 2 was…um….pretty damn terrible, even by not-expecting-much-but-torture-porn standards…
- David Tucker
  
  You’re right on man.
ROBERT BLACK

A bullshit review by one of the people Roth ridicules in the film. It’s his best film and has something to say. You may not like but it doesn’t invalidate the courage it took to do so.
Ravinus

Do you feel really progressive and intelligent now? What a dumbass. Your review sucks.
- turk
  
  What the fuck is progressive about being pro-female genital mutilation? If anything, banning that barbaric act has been a cause of progressives for as long as I can remember. I saw another poster make the comment that the author is feminist, which also makes no sense. Pretty much any noteworthy feminist has spoken out against FGM on numerous occassions. It is the ultimate act of misogyny, designed to eliminate the pleasure of sex in women.
  
  If anything, the author seems to have some mental issues, probably unrelated to her political leanings. No one with any semblance of mental health could possibly make a positive case for that disgusting act of cruelty against females.
  - Jyesta96
    
    I don’t think the posters were referring to her comments as progressive or feminist. They were commenting on her mindset and how she most likely feels progressive and politically correct for blindly tolerating a barbaric practice for the sake of cultural acceptance.
huge_jacked_man

I’m speechless. You actually, honestly think there’s a “positive side” to butchering a child’s genitals because of “culture”. What the fuck is wrong with you.
- Billy Bob Throrton
  
  What part of “we do the same thing in our culture”(circumcision) don’t you get?
  
  You’re some oblivious dumbf*ck who thinks the american way is the standard.
  It’s like you don’t even understand the concept of points of view
  - huge_jacked_man
    
    Ah, here comes the usual cretin who’s apparently oblivious to the fact that circumcision does not aim to deny men sexual pleasure for the rest of their lives, contrary to FGM.
    
    Thanks for being you son.
    - http://endaoconnor.com Enda O’Connor
      
      Agree the idea that FGM is anything but butchery is bullshit.
  - wehoaks
    
    No civilized culture practices FGM. Sorry dummy.
  - W.C. Degradation
    
    You do understamd
Billy Bob Throrton

I think people have ALWAYS imagined the subtext in Eli Roth movies.

Xenophobia subtext my @ss (in Hostel) the way those characters talk is normal to Eli Roth and the foreign characters are meant to be laughed at.He really is a vapid dbag,we’ve been pretending he ever had meaning because he’s Tarantino’s friend.
ash

Sounds like the writer of this article doesn’t like the movie because it openly mocks “Social Justice Warriors”. Dude suck it up. lol I thought this was one of Roth’s best.
Ken Huber

Review just seems a little too personal for me to take it seriously. To each his/her own, but the author is just way to eager to tear into this movie.
Alexander Connolly

People over think movies way too much. Relax.
Jordan Goodeye

I respect what the reviewer has to say, but I disagree with her angle. While I do believe a sociological undertone exists, I don’t believe it is what the film is setting out to do. It came across as Eli Roth trying to make a 1970s cannibal movie in this day and age. It has its issues but I think it succeeds. I would like the reviewer to go into more detail as to why the movie fails as such. It didn’t seem like they went into that much.
tbaio

I totally agree with this review; I don’t know why the reviewer is being given so much backlash. The film’s 1st half is clearly its strongest segment. While viewing this part of the film, I actually thought that Eli Roth finally developed into a better screenwriter/director. After viewing the final product, it’s sadly obvious that he is still a terrible craftsman, whether on purpose or not. As seen with his previous films, he can’t tell a story with a straight
face. The humor he injects still undergoes its usual devolution: when the
humor can’t be achieved through wit, it then resorts to toilet & 8th grade humor.
The final result is again the same: a gross horror movie that isn’t scary with humor that isn’t funny. I’ve made the mistake of viewing his movies 2 previous times (Cabin Fever & Hostel…I knew better to avoid Hostel 2). I will not make the same error with Knock Knock.