Feed Me Review

Scare Value Award Winner – Best Actor

Feed Me review.

Feed Me, from directors Adam Leader and Richard Oaks attempts to walk many lines at once. At turns a dark comedy and an inspection of grief. A body horror movie and a psychotic character study. It can be overwhelming at times when the movie pulls in so many different directions. The good news is that it walks those lines more often than not and leaves you not knowing where it will turn next.

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Feed Me

Directed by Adam Leader and Richard Oaks

Written by Adam Leader

Starring Neal Ward, Christopher Mulvin and Hannah Al Rashid

Feed Me Review

Feed Me may be best described as buddy horror. Well…it may be best described as a dark cannibal body horror psychotic breakdown comedy that presents an interesting study of grief…but we’re going with buddy horror. The truth is Feed Me is a few different movies, or at least ideas, at different times…and although they don’t always intersect all that elegantly…there is a lot here to enjoy. While it puts a little too much on its plate (it’s going to be hard not to make dinner puns here) the bizarre central relationship between the main characters is what gives it all life.

Jed (Christopher Mulvin) is depressed after the death of his estranged wife. He meets Lionel (Neal Ward) who offers to assist in his suicide. The catch is that Lionel wants to eat him. When he begins to have second thoughts, Jed discovers that his problems have only just begun.

The relationship between Jed and Lionel is what lies at the heart of Feed Me. When the movie chooses to veer away from it for stretches…the story suffers a bit. Not to say that there still isn’t plenty of moments to enjoy during those periods…just that the most interesting aspect of the film is this dynamic.

Neal Ward gets the showier part and delivers a deliciously unhinged performance. He’s funny…until he’s not. He’s got it all together…until he doesn’t. Ward delivers in all ranges asked of him. As the depressed Jed, Christopher Mulvin strikes a fine balance between a character who fees doomed…and a character who is doomed. As Feed Me often shows, there is a difference.

Fans of body horror and practical gore effects will find enough to satisfy their cravings. This aspect of Feed Me is incredibly well done. Fans of black comedy will also get their fill. From Ward’s performance to the awkwardness of the entire situation it’s a veritable buffet of grotesque guffaws. … I swear not all of these are intentional plays on words.

Underlining the fun is Jed’s journey. There is a surprising level of depth given to a character who willingly signs up to be cannibal carnage. Mulvin imbues him with a profound emptiness. Combined with Ward’s off kilter take on Lionel, you find yourself, at times, wishing the bond forming between them would result in the companionship each needs. And then you remember this situation is completely insane.

If their chemistry is the strength of Feed Me…serving too many masters is its one, minor, weakness. There are times, particularly in the second half of the movie, where you kind of miss the simple set up of two men sitting around a dinner table. There are some fun parts anyway…Ward could spend a half hour alone on camera and make it entertaining. The problem is more narrative based. What you care about is Jed and Lionel. Their dynamic changes a bit too early and leaves you wishing it had held out longer. Again…there are very good moments and fun surprises in the latter parts of the movie…it’s just that the wonderfully awkward Lionel and Jed relationship is lacking.

The good news is the movie gets back on track and nails the ending. Ward does a great job raising his insanity as Lionel becomes increasingly unhinged. His evolving performance is worth the price of admission. It’s a satisfying end to a perhaps overstuffed movie. Whether it’s too much for you or not will vary…but you will walk away from Feed Me with a lot of respect for how many different feelings and genres they put into this smorgasbord. … Ok I’ll stop now.

Scare Value

If this Feed Me review gets one thing across, I hope it is just how many different things the movie succeeds at accomplishing. Brutal and funny. Sad and surprising. Crazy and hopeful. Feed Me accomplishes a lot of what it sets out to. It drifts off course for a while in the second half but sticks the landing. There is something here for almost everyone. Thankfully, due to great lead performances and an unpredictable script, it all adds up to a package you can really sink your teeth into. … Guess I had one more.

4/5