‘Ravenous’
20th Century Fox, 1999

starring: Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeffrey Jones and David Arquette
directed by: Antonia Bird

the plot: Capt. John Boyd (Pearce) is a decorated hero who served in the Mexican-American War. But Boyd’s medals hide an act of both cowardice and unspeakable horror that he’s eager to forget, so he’s sent to Fort Spencer, a remote outpost near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There he finds a motley crew of soldiers, from the erudite Col. Hart (Jones) to the drugged out Pvt. Cleaves (Arquette). Soon, the bedraggled and bloody Colqhoun (Carlyle) wanders into camp and spins a tale of a lost wagon train and cannibalism among the survivors. The men of Fort Spencer mount a rescue mission, but as Boyd soon discovers, there are no survivors to rescue and Colqhoun is more dangerous than he appears. Boyd escapes Colqhoun’s murderous clutches but finds himself stranded in the woods with a broken leg, the body of one of his fallen comrades his only company. To survive, Boyd resorts to cannibalism himself and, upon returning to the fort, discovers Colqhoun, now disguised as a colonel. Soon, the two are locked in a pitched battle for survival, two cannibals as consumed by their hatred as by their hunger for human flesh.

why it’s good: “Ravenous” is an underrated gem of a film. It’s a rare piece of work that is horrific and suspenseful with a streak of twisted humor. Pearce and Jones shine as the pair of dueling cannibals. While Pearce’s character, Boyd, is unwilling to embrace his base appetites and bloodlust, Carlyle’s Colqhoun revels in the gory glory of the ultimate taboo. The denizens of Fort Spencer make up a fantastic supporting cast, and the only qualm is that they’re all too easily dispatched. Damon Albarn, known primarily for his work in the bands Blur and Gorillaz, provides a quirky score for the film, which, while excellent, doesn’t always fit the grisly activities on screen. The only rough patch is the film’s treatment of the benefits of cannibalism, which it treats as a sort of zombie-type disease that grants the eater supernatural powers. Seven years after it’s initial release, “Ravenous” deserves a closer look, if only for its biting (pun definitely intended) commentary on the American desire for expansion and consumption at any cost.

why you should own it: Fox’s DVD of “Ravenous” boasts three commentary tracks, deleted scenes and a gallery of costume and set designs.