I really didn’t expect a gore festival more realistic than in the movie Bone Tomahawk, then up popped The Green Inferno taking me into the blood bath of cannibalism. Now on Blu-ray and DVD the film has excellent cinematography, good direction and a story that’s more a sick mutilation scare fiesta than a piece of cinematic art. If you like Eli Roth’s brand of filmmaking like the frightening Hostel 1 and 2, then this film certainly is up to your expectations. If you haven’t seen the aforementioned films then get ready for something really different.
New York College student Justine (Lorenza Izzo) hasn’t really chosen a path for her future and college life has opened her eyes to many things. One of those involves rights and freedom. Outside the window of her dorm she notices a group OF activists lead by a handsome Hispanic Alejandro (Ariel Levy) fighting for an increase in janitor pay. She later learns that Alejandro has a pet project trying to stop the greed of corporations who are cutting down forests in Peru and destroying the homes of the natives that live there.
Thinking she can do something for humanity she joins Alenandro’s group who are going to the heart of the jungle to stop the bulldozing of the tribe’s land. On their way out of the dense Jungle the airplane crashes leaving half the activist group dead. Surviving the ordeal Justine, Alejandro, Lars (Daryl Sabara), Jonah (Aaron Burns), Amy (Kirby Bliss Blanton), Daniel (Nicolas Martinez) and Samantha (Magda Apanowicz) who are captured by a tribe of cannibals.
So begins a story of flesh eating natives who want to take revenge for the international destruction of their rain forest. Director Eli Roth continues his ravaging ways with another shocker, this time with vicious killers that want to make a meal of their captives. He ups the buckets of blood, chopping of heads, cutting of limbs and slashing of torsos then has the elder ladies of the tribe cook the body parts for the whole village to feast. It’s quite realistically show with special effects make-up, prosthesis and CGI. The costumes of the natives are just enough to hide their private parts and covered with blood. The entrails of the humans are even cooked for the leaders of the tribe. It’s a bloody mess, one that outdoes anything Roth has ever brought to the screen.
As for the acting, it’s par for a B movie and adequate to get the hackneyed story across. I do like some of the characters, especially Lorenza Izzo as Justine the student trying to prove to her United Nations Representative father that she can do something about the greed taking over Peru. Even though she’s the wife of Director/Producer Eli Roth, she holds her own in the dense jungle being dragged around by cannibals and showing convincing punishment throughout the movie.
But the real stars are the cannibals who are a brutal band of people who love the taste of flesh, know how to cook it, and make sure everyone including the youngest has a bite of the delicacy. The tribe gets the ghoul award for nasty blood drinking and gory slicing of human meat to keep their people alive.
BONUS FEATURE:
The film has commentary with Co-writer/director/producer Eil Roth, producer Nicolas Lopez and stars Lorenza Izzo, Aaron Burns, Kirby Bliss Blanton, and Daryl Sabara. Turn this on after you have seen the film and run it though again to hear what they have to say about the production and their roles.
The Green Inferno has been rated R by the MPAA for aberrant violence and torture, grisly disturbing images, brief graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use. A strong stomach is needed for the meek and timid or anyone who has not seen a gory film.
FINAL ANALYSIS: For the shock genre The Green Inferno does a bang up job, but as a story it fails to be any better than a Tarzan melodrama. (C+)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Sky Ferreira, Magda Apanowicz, Nicolas Martinez, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Richard Burgi, Ramon Llao, Antonieta Pari, Matias Lopez.
Director and screen writer: Eli Roth.
MPAA Rating: R for aberrant violence and torture, grisly disturbing images, brief graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use
Genre: Adventure, Horror
Running Time: 1 hr. 40 mins.
Original Theatrical Release Date: Sept. 25, 2015
Video Release Date: January 5, 2016
Language: English, Spanish, Peruvian Native
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray (also available in DVD)
Audio: DTS-Master Audio 5.1
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 disc
Distributed by: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
