The Woman [Horror Movie Review]

[SPOILERS]

From Roman to The Lost to All Cheerleaders Die, Lucky McKee's works are a blast to watch. I wasn't the biggest fan of Offspring, which introduces the Northern cannibal clan, but it was better than The Asylum's Hillside Cannibals, anyway. (Don't get me wrong. I love a fun Asylum film or show.)

The Woman continues the story of Offspring. Polyanna McIntosh (Offspring; Exam; Tales of Halloween) gives a strong performance as the eponymous cannibal woman, and this female member of the cannibal clan is imprisoned by an imperious judge and his well-to-do family. In true "Who are the real cannibals?" fashion, the splintering of the family during this woman's imprisonment opens up terrible truths of abuse and rape from a seemingly upstanding pillar of the community. I'm interested in the implications of the ending, where the young daughter of the family and the eldest daughter (played by Lauren Ashley Carter from Jug Face and Darling), pregnant with her rapist father's child, go off with the cannibal woman into the wilderness.

With this, the film is not subtle in its exploration of the savagery and depravity of supposedly civilized people; the real "monster" of the story is the father, someone with systematic influence and power, someone who appears "normal" and respectable to the outside world and then hurts those who rely on him for financial and emotional support. However, some anvils need to be dropped.

Also, a roaming cannibal matriarchy sounds pretty sweet. Can I get a sequel, please?

If this sounds right up your alley, or if you have seen this movie and loved it, I highly recommend the twisted original novel. Jack Ketchum is a must-read for all horror lovers.

#horror #movie #cannibals