Rent Ravenous (1999)

Eat the Empire - Ravenous review by griggs

Some films sharpen a single blade; others brandish the whole cutlery drawer. Antonia Bird’s Ravenous opts for the later—an existential, post-colonial, horror tinged, revisionist Western with a pitch-black sense of humour and a stomach for the grotesque. Somehow, against all odds, it works.

Set during the Mexican-American War and soaked in snow, blood and metaphor, the plot is simple enough: a disgraced soldier stumbles into a remote outpost and finds a very hungry survivor. From there, things spiral—from cannibalism to moral collapse, and maybe back again. The tone shifts constantly but deliberately, swerving between deadpan comedy and genuine dread without losing its footing.

It’s not flawless—the pacing dips, and some of the satire feels a little overcooked—but the ambition is undeniable. History, Ravenous suggests, is a nightmare of appetites: for power, land, flesh. And once you get a taste, good luck stopping.

There’s something refreshing about a film that doesn’t try to reconcile its contradictions—just chew through them.

Very entertaining Horror - Ravenous review by GI

This is an unusual and interesting horror film from British director Antonia Bird. Set in 1848 Army Captain John Boyd (Guy Pearce), having been decorated during the American/Mexican war is sent to Fort Spencer in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He is racked by guilt and trauma over the battle in which he was declared a hero. His new posting only has eight other soldiers and trackers until on a dark winter night Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle) stumbles into the camp and once revived tells them how he's survived in the wilderness after his party was stranded and forced to cannibalism and murder. Colonel Hart (Jeffrey Jones) orders his men search for survivors but Colqhourn isn't telling them the entire truth and soon things quickly go awry. Whilst this fits into the horror genre there's an originality to this one. Not only in its setting and time but in the hands of Antonia Bird it has fun, scares and a really unpredictable plot, and it certainly twists in unexpected directions. Once you've seen it you can see the clever use of some horror film tropes and it plays on the familiar theme in horror based on insatiable hunger, a theme that drives the vampire film for example and is here used in a unique setting and on a subject that has none of the romanticism that the vampire film holds. Cannabilism is a truly horrific subject and whilst the zombie film indulges in freely here we have rationale humans struggling for survival and yet this is a hugely enjoyable film with a great cast. Bird, now sadly no longer with us, was a highly talented director and could turn her hand to any genre and her other films are worth seeking out. However, even if you aren't normally into horror films try this one it will really surprise you. A fantastic little film, really entertaining and one I guarantee you'll enjoy.

Brilliant characterisation and acting - Ravenous review by CD

I really enjoyed this film which has brilliantly created characters and a lot of dark humour amongst the cannibalistic goings on. The 19th California setting is a good one to choose, and the lack of any clear heroes is a plus. There are also some clever moral dilemmas and twists, and more than one surprise in the plot that keeps this film going strongly to the end.