Cannibal Comedian review
What if Leatherface’s true passion was stand-up comedy?
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers
Cannibal Comedian is streaming exclusively on SCREAMBOX now
Cannibal Comedian
Directed by Sean Haitz
Written by Sean Haitz
Starring Aaron Prager, Austin Judd, Robert Dunne, David Vega, Allen Danzinger, Edwin Neal, Ryan James and Mis Sadistic
Cannibal Comedian Review
Cannibal Comedian opens with a direct homage to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. A familiar looking text crawl rises across the screen. This isn’t merely done to rip off the concept…though I now find myself wondering of George Lucas was Texas Chain Saw fan. The premise of Cannibal Comedian is built from a foundation set by Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece. Unlike pretty much every movie that followed Chain Saw in its own franchise, Cannibal Comedian manages to build something enjoyable on top of it.
Charlie (Aaron Prager) is a cannibal. The kind that would feel right at home in the Sawyer family farmhouse. He makes his way selling roadside meatball subs using his very special ingredient…but he dreams of something more. Specifically, he dreams of being a stand-up comedian.
I found the central idea in Cannibal Comedian an intriguing one. It’s aided by literal decades of watching Leatherface movies, sure…but Cannibal Comedian isn’t hiding from it. Movie after movie, whether remake or legacy sequel, has presented only slight variations on the cannibal family’s members. There are crazy ones and authoritative ones and…it’s usually just the same idea over and over. Leatherface himself is largely incapable of expressing his inner thoughts…having to change faces to represent his emotions. Cannibal Comedian asks what would happen if a masked killer pursued a different dream.
In this case, stand-up comedy. Charlie heads to a local club to give their open mic night a try. He’s dressed in a blood-stained apron and his material is entirely comprised of funny observations about his cannibal lifestyle. Assuming it’s a bit, the club owner Carrey (Robert Dunne) encourages him to return. The act even starts to catch on…even when Charlie starts bringing along some props like human skin or a dead body wrapped in a tarp. Charlie’s act is full of one-liners and puns about being a cannibal. … Pun-liners? Is that anything? Either way, Cannibal Comedian is all about the jokes. It has a light, breezy tone that is easy to enjoy.
What makes the whole deal more interesting is the moments of introspection given to Charlie. As a masked killer and cannibal cook…he’s an intimidating, confident man. As a burgeoning comedian…he’s full of fears, doubts, and frustration he struggles to express. Before you start worrying that this pure horror/comedy has a deep dramatic side slowing it down…Charlie expresses these thoughts (and tests his material) on a woman he is holding against her will. Chrystal (Austin Judd) is, in Texas Chain Saw parlance…the final girl of Cannibal Comedian. She plays a larger role in the plot as the story progresses…but is a constant sounding board for Charlie’s thoughts. She even gives valuable advice given her circumstances.
Chrystal’s story is a great aspect of Cannibal Comedian. From her perspective…she’s trapped in a horror movie. Since we are viewing things solely from Charlie’s viewpoint…her story plays out in the background of a lighter movie where the horror is his job…but comedy is his passion. She pleads for her life while Charlie struggles with how to get Carrey to give him more stage time. It’s a fun juxtaposition…and it leads to a satisfying conclusion.
Most of Cannibal Comedian rests on Prager’s shoulders. He finds the balance between likable enough to follow…and crazy enough to buy as a serial killer and connoisseur of human flesh. The movie finds clever ways to keep us on his side through the carnage. It makes the kill scenes part of the fun…and eventually allows him to target people you wouldn’t mind ending up in a meatball hoagie. Say…a heckler at the club or the owner who has a devious reason for cutting his time on stage. It doesn’t want you to be against Charlie…but, through the Chrystal storyline, it also doesn’t want you to forget who he really is. Prager does a great job walking that fine line.
Scare Value
Cannibal Comedian finds the humor in eating people. Positioned as the story of a struggling but passionate comedian…but never losing full sight of his horror movie proclivities. The tone is light even when it’s time for Charlie to get down to business. The result is a fun watch with more going on under the hood than appears at first blush.
3.5/5
Cannibal Comedian Link
Streaming on SCREAMBOX
