Cannibal Ferox

Three friends head into the jungle to test the legends about cannibal tribes. Their mission quickly collides with two fugitives who have brutalized a local group while chasing emeralds, leaving a trail of fear in their wake. The fugitives’ crimes draw the forest into their pursuit as danger closes in from every angle. As deception, mistrust, and a raw will to survive collide, the line between hunter and prey grows blurred. The jungle becomes a claustrophobic arena where greed and fear drive people to unexpected extremes, forcing characters to reckon with the consequences of exploiting others in a world that offers no easy answers.

Released in 1981 and directed by Umberto Lenzi, Cannibal Ferox derives from an original screenplay rather than a pre existing novel, marking Lenzi as a key figure in the Italian exploitation cinema wave.

Box office figures for Cannibal Ferox are not widely documented, and the film is better known for its notoriety within the exploitation cycle than for clear commercial receipts.

Cannibal Ferox is infamous within the cannibal genre for its blunt violence and provocative imagery, contributing to the era's censorship battles and sparking debates about representation and sensationalism in cinema. It remains a reference point for discussions of exploitation cinema and audience complicity.

Critical reception is mixed, with critics often split between labeling it as exploitative sensationalism and recognizing its blunt critique of greed and colonial bravado. The film foregrounds danger, moral ambiguity, and the price of chasing wealth in hostile terrain.