Cannibal Boys (2025)

Genre: Horror | Thriller | Psychological
Director: Eli Roth
Starring: Joe Keery, Thomas Doherty, Sadie Sink, Mia Goth, and Lance Reddick

Brutal, stylish, and deeply disturbing, Cannibal Boys (2025) sinks its teeth into modern horror with a vengeance. Directed by horror veteran Eli Roth, the film blends psychological dread with gore-soaked savagery, delivering a chilling story about privilege, appetite, and the primal instincts that lurk beneath civility.

Set in a remote elite boarding school known as Black Hollow Academy, Cannibal Boys follows Jamie (Joe Keery), a new student from a working-class background who receives a mysterious scholarship. At first, Black Hollow seems like a dream come true—lavish grounds, elite professors, and enigmatic students. But Jamie quickly realizes that something is very wrong with the group known as The Sons of Prometheus—a secret fraternity led by the charming and predatory Lucien (Thomas Doherty).

When students begin disappearing, Jamie and fellow outsider Eliza (Sadie Sink) uncover the horrifying truth: the most powerful boys on campus are cannibals, protected by generations of wealth, tradition, and institutional silence. The deeper Jamie is drawn into their twisted rituals, the harder it becomes to distinguish predator from prey.

Joe Keery shines in a performance that evolves from innocent and curious to unhinged and morally compromised. Thomas Doherty is magnetic as the seductive yet menacing Lucien—a villain as stylish as he is terrifying.

Sadie Sink brings grit and urgency to her role, providing emotional balance to the film’s brutality. Meanwhile, Mia Goth appears in a chilling cameo as a faculty member with a hidden past, and the late Lance Reddick offers gravitas in his final role as the headmaster who knows more than he admits.

Eli Roth returns to form with Cannibal Boys, dialing up the gore while grounding it in psychological horror. The film’s first half plays out like Dead Poets Society meets Get Out, slowly unraveling the eerie elitism of Black Hollow. The second half descends into a full-blown nightmare—with ceremonial feasts, bone-chilling chases, and flesh-for-power metaphors rendered in blood-red elegance.

Cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski (Midsommar) bathes the school in haunting light and shadow, making even dining halls feel like hunting grounds.

At its core, Cannibal Boys is a savage critique of institutional privilege, inherited power, and masculine dominance. It asks: What would you sacrifice to belong? What would you consume to stay on top?

It also explores moral decay beneath polished appearances, making it not just a horror story—but a cautionary tale about conformity, peer pressure, and unchecked hunger.

• Stellar cast and haunting performances

• Atmospheric visuals and intelligent direction

• Sharp, layered social commentary

• Unflinching horror that lingers beyond the screen

• Not for the faint of heart—extremely graphic content

• Some symbolic elements may feel heavy-handed

• Pacing dips briefly in the second act before the final crescendo

Cannibal Boys is a visceral, cerebral, and unforgettable experience—a film that dares to ask how far we’ll go to fit in, and what’s left of us when we do. With its stunning cast, eerie tone, and biting social critique, it earns its place among the best horror films of the decade.