IMDb RATING
5.3/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
A group of friends and a hitchhiker become stranded on a tourist island where they are stalked by a disfigured cannibalistic killer who is prowling the island after killing its residents.A group of friends and a hitchhiker become stranded on a tourist island where they are stalked by a disfigured cannibalistic killer who is prowling the island after killing its residents.A group of friends and a hitchhiker become stranded on a tourist island where they are stalked by a disfigured cannibalistic killer who is prowling the island after killing its residents.
Serena Grandi
- Maggie
- (as Vanessa Steiger)
Margaret Mazzantini
- Henriette 'Rita'
- (as Margaret Donnelly)
Joe D'Amato
- Bearded man exiting the cable car
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLuigi Montefiori aka George Eastman who co-wrote, co-produced and portrayed the villain of the disfigured cannibalistic serial killer Klaus Wortmann stated that when he went to the premier to see it at the old Cinema Metropolitan in Rome with the producer, only a few people were in the theater watching the movie, then people started to leave but a couple were still seated. Later, the scene of the pregnant woman comes up and as she's being strangled by the killer and her fetus is ripped out of her, the couple got up and walked out offended (even though it was a skinned rabbit, it was something new and disturbing for the time). Montefiori and the producer were the only ones left inside watching the rest of the film.
- GoofsLaughably obvious false head of Ashab.
- Alternate versionsThe only version ever submitted in the UK is the heavily edited R-rated print known as "The Grim Reaper". This version is missing the sequence where the creature devours the fetus plus the climactic scene where he attempts to eat his own entrails (the film ends abruptly after he is stabbed with the axe).
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Hyena (1997)
Featured review
Very crude and disturbing horror with one of the most sinister killers ever
I have already seen this classic formula in horror films, in which a group of young friends go on vacation to a far-away land, only to find their trip cut short by a series of fortuitous and gory events, followed by an imminent death. "Antropophagus" manages to stand out in its own way, by offering a genuinely frightening villain, extreme gruesome deaths and a perfect setting for the story. I have always thought that the locations of a horror film sometimes have a greater role than the central characters of the story. In this case, the scenario in which the action takes place in a European island, which is actually a beautiful place, but also a devastating scenario that creates a feeling of isolation and vulnerability.
In "Antropophagus", a group of travelers go on a trip to Greece and are joined by a young woman named Julie, who asks them for a ride to an island because she wants to meet some friends.
While the group explores the seemingly deserted island, they come across a rotten dead body, which obviously prompts them to rush back to the boat, only to find it adrift. Julie suggests taking shelter at her friends' house, and when they get there, they find the family's blind daughter in an utter state of panic. The teenage girl, named Henerietta, explains them that her family was killed some days ago by a lunatic. Later, the friends find out that most of the island residents were murdered by the same insane killer, a man named Nikos, who feasts on human flesh and is now out to get them.
I have seen hundreds of horror films and while I can see that certain horror villains, such as Michael Myers, are frightening and creepy looking, that's basically it; I can acknowledge their creepiness, while not necessarily being afraid of them. With this film, I was genuinely afraid of the antropophagus (performed by the surprisingly good-looking Luigi Montefiori). The cannibalistic villain appears as a gruesome beast-like creature with hideous scars all over his face, shredded clothes, a sinister smile and deranged eyes that give the impression that he is some kind of ravenous wild animal that is out to catch his prey. The antropophagus is definitely one of the most intimidating villains I have seen and his image is haunting. "Antropophagus" features some very effective chase sequences full of suspense, in which the killer goes after his human prey with ferociousness in his eyes and a very disturbing smile.
The gore is plentiful and intense, which made my stomach turn once or twice, while not necessarily making this film a torture show. I admit I am easily impressed by gore and I tend to dislike extreme brutality, even when it looks ridiculously fake. However, sometimes gore serves a purpose, when is not just there for the sake of seeing guts scattered all over the place. In some cases, like it happens with this film, the crudeness of the gore help to convey a feeling of vulnerability and even anxiety.
The lead actress is Tisa Farrow (Mia's less known sister) who gave her last performance in this film, in which she accurately provided all the basics that the audience normally expect on a lead girl from a classic horror movie: she's beautiful, but also angelic and innocent. Her character is likable and nice, but also capable of becoming a warrior towards the end and facing that horrible man that is out to get her. And speaking of the devil, the antropophagus himself is played by Italian actor Luigi Montefiori (who goes by the name of George Eastman in this film). I have never seen Montefiori in anything else, except "Antropophagus", but I honestly have to say that this is one of the scariest horror villains I have seen in basically 20 years as a horror fan. He was amazing as the beast-like killer.
To this day, "Antropophagus" remains as one of my favorite horror films, although in all honestly, I don't see it very often, because I actually find it scary and even depressing for moments (that's a good thing, since horror films are not supposed to cheer us up)
In "Antropophagus", a group of travelers go on a trip to Greece and are joined by a young woman named Julie, who asks them for a ride to an island because she wants to meet some friends.
While the group explores the seemingly deserted island, they come across a rotten dead body, which obviously prompts them to rush back to the boat, only to find it adrift. Julie suggests taking shelter at her friends' house, and when they get there, they find the family's blind daughter in an utter state of panic. The teenage girl, named Henerietta, explains them that her family was killed some days ago by a lunatic. Later, the friends find out that most of the island residents were murdered by the same insane killer, a man named Nikos, who feasts on human flesh and is now out to get them.
I have seen hundreds of horror films and while I can see that certain horror villains, such as Michael Myers, are frightening and creepy looking, that's basically it; I can acknowledge their creepiness, while not necessarily being afraid of them. With this film, I was genuinely afraid of the antropophagus (performed by the surprisingly good-looking Luigi Montefiori). The cannibalistic villain appears as a gruesome beast-like creature with hideous scars all over his face, shredded clothes, a sinister smile and deranged eyes that give the impression that he is some kind of ravenous wild animal that is out to catch his prey. The antropophagus is definitely one of the most intimidating villains I have seen and his image is haunting. "Antropophagus" features some very effective chase sequences full of suspense, in which the killer goes after his human prey with ferociousness in his eyes and a very disturbing smile.
The gore is plentiful and intense, which made my stomach turn once or twice, while not necessarily making this film a torture show. I admit I am easily impressed by gore and I tend to dislike extreme brutality, even when it looks ridiculously fake. However, sometimes gore serves a purpose, when is not just there for the sake of seeing guts scattered all over the place. In some cases, like it happens with this film, the crudeness of the gore help to convey a feeling of vulnerability and even anxiety.
The lead actress is Tisa Farrow (Mia's less known sister) who gave her last performance in this film, in which she accurately provided all the basics that the audience normally expect on a lead girl from a classic horror movie: she's beautiful, but also angelic and innocent. Her character is likable and nice, but also capable of becoming a warrior towards the end and facing that horrible man that is out to get her. And speaking of the devil, the antropophagus himself is played by Italian actor Luigi Montefiori (who goes by the name of George Eastman in this film). I have never seen Montefiori in anything else, except "Antropophagus", but I honestly have to say that this is one of the scariest horror villains I have seen in basically 20 years as a horror fan. He was amazing as the beast-like killer.
To this day, "Antropophagus" remains as one of my favorite horror films, although in all honestly, I don't see it very often, because I actually find it scary and even depressing for moments (that's a good thing, since horror films are not supposed to cheer us up)
helpful•231
- Milo-Jeeder
- Apr 2, 2015
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Grim Reaper
- Filming locations
- Athens, Greece(location scene)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content

Top Gap
By what name was Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper (1980) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer