Movies - TV
10 Meal-Centered Horror Films To Watch After The Menu
By CASS CLARKE
Content Warning
The following story contains discussions of domestic abuse, eating disorders, and mental health.
Dumplings (2004)
Mrs. Li discovers a dumplings shop rumored to restore youth, as she tries to win over her unfaithful husband. The film’s main strengths lie in its visual depiction of the dumplings’ secret ingredient, and in how the film relies on the suggestive gore entailed in the cooking process.
Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
The delightfully silly cult-classic, “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!,” centers on a self-aware cast who cower in fear of mutated tomatoes that are out to get them. At times, it's hard to explain when a film is deliberately or accidentally campy, but fans of satirical comedy will find a lot to love in this splatter-happy flick about killer food.
Fresh (2022)
Plenty of seedy pleasures and vices come with being wealthy, and through dating somebody new, Noa discovers innocent people are being sacrificed for the elite’s appetite. The film masterfully examines the perils of online dating and trusting men, making it a worthy and entertaining watch.
301, 302 (1995)
Two unsatisfied women live in an apartment building, with their individual life desires explored through food and time jumps. It should be noted that this film is not for gore-adverse viewers and contains a grotesque dog death.
The Stuff (1985)
The stuff is a sweet-tasting parasitic convenience food with no calories that causes eaters to be betrayed by their own insatiable appetites. The film utilizes its on-the-nose comedic premise to remind viewers of the dangers of a life built around consumer culture.