The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2010)

"I'll explain this spectacular operation only once. We start with cutting the ligamentum patella, the ligaments of the kneecaps, so knee extension is no longer possible. Pulling from "B" and "C" the central incisors, lateral incisors and canines from the upper and lower jaws, the lips from "B" and "C," and the anus of "A" and "B," are cut circular along the border between skin and mucosa, the mucus cutaneous zone. Two pedicelated grafts are prepared and lifted from the underlying tissue. The shaped incisions below the chins of "B" and "C" up to their cheeks connecting the circular mucosa and skin parts of anus and mouth, from "A" to "B," and "B" to "C," connecting the pedicelated grafts to the chin-cheek incisions from "A" to "B," and "B" to "C," creating a Siamese triplet, connected via the gastric system. Ingestion by A, passing through B, to the excretion of C. The human centipede, first sequence."

Director: Tom Six
Studio: Six Entertainment
Genre: Horror
Country of Release: The Netherlands
Language: English
Release Date: 2010

The human body is a fascinating thing that can be grotesquely distorted, this impending physiological dread is the basic idea behind the concept of Body Horror. How far can the human body be twisted before it no longer is anything remotely resembling human? The Human Centipede is a film that takes the idea of body horror and just runs with it. It's received quite a bit of hype for the depravity of the idea itself, read on if interested but this isn't a movie for those with weak stomachs just based off of concept. This is a film about two American tourists (they're the typical ditzy, dumb American girl types) in Germany who have a run in with a crazy doctor who stitches them together mouth to anus in a chain with a a Japanese man in front, one girl in the middle, and another in the back after they fail to escape. Yes, it is literally a human centipede. However, that's about as far as this movie goes when it comes to substance.

There's not really much to this film besides the idea itself which is original and horrifying in its own truly bizarre way. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a film necessarily has to be deep to be good but The Human Centipede never even manages to truly be scary and instead is far more unsettling in it's idea than it's execution. There is literally nothing here in terms of anything outside of basic idea that makes good film-making. So in a way this is body horror that takes on attributes of psychological horror with the kind of imagery that just sticks in your head.

Yet, for a truly original idea, everything else in this film is either mediocre or annoying. We have our typical dumb tourist girl archetype characters that we can't become even the least emotionally interested in (despite them spending about half the movie screaming and yelling, which I realized annoys me to no end), we have our evil and twisted scientist who is really just plain nuts, we have our classic dark cinematography, we have our classic horrible fate of tourists storyline, and it's all just really there but not remotely remarkable at the end of the day. Oh and did I mention that incredibly cheesy dialogue that you expect from a low-budget, indie flick? It has that as well.

The movie isn't even exactly what I would call enjoyable to watch, it's more of a test in just how much of this truly fucked up idea can you take. Outside of the utterly insane and yet still unique idea, the movie is essentially completely forgettable in nearly every way. I wouldn't call the movie necessarily bad in the same way that instead I'd call it disappointingly bland. Also, to me this was nowhere near as utterly disturbing as many made it out to be...it's more grotesquely inane than truly disturbing. Oh and the film claims that it is "100% medically accurate." Take that as you will.

Rating: 4/10