Watch American Cannibal

American Cannibal is a fascinating and thought-provoking documentary that explores the curious phenomenon of reality television and the lengths that producers will go to in order to make their shows stand out in a crowded market. The film is directed by Perry Grebin and Michael Nigro and features interviews with a host of industry insiders, including producers, executives, and former contestants on reality shows.

At the heart of the film is the story of a show called "The Ultimate Reality," which purported to be a competition in which ten contestants would compete for a cash prize by living in a house together and filming themselves 24/7. The twist? There would be no food provided for the contestants, and they would be forced to survive by eating each other. As the producers gleefully explain, "It's not just 'Survivor' - it's Survivor meets Lord of the Flies meets 'Alive'."

Despite the obvious ethical concerns with such a premise, the show was greenlit and quickly became one of the most talked-about reality shows of the year. However, as the producers quickly discovered, the reality of having a bunch of starving, sleep-deprived people in a confined space for weeks on end was far messier than they had anticipated. In a series of increasingly bizarre and disturbing incidents, the contestants began to turn on each other in ways that the producers had not anticipated, leading to a grisly and tragic conclusion.

The film explores the various factors that led to the creation and eventual downfall of "The Ultimate Reality," including the pressures faced by producers to come up with new and innovative show ideas in a crowded marketplace, as well as the inherent ethical dilemmas of putting people in extreme situations for the entertainment of others. The film also delves into the psychological makeup of the contestants themselves, examining the ways in which their own desires and insecurities played into their willingness to participate in such an extreme scenario.

Throughout the film, the directors are careful not to take a moralistic stance on the events that transpired, instead allowing the interviewees to speak for themselves and leaving it up to the viewer to decide who is at fault. However, it is impossible not to come away from the film with a sense of sadness and disgust at the ways in which people can be exploited for the sake of entertainment, and the ways in which our culture has become so desensitized to depictions of violence and suffering.

One of the most interesting aspects of American Cannibal is its exploration of the inner workings of the reality television industry. We hear from producers who freely admit that they are willing to manipulate and stage events in order to create compelling TV, and executives who are more concerned with ratings and ad revenue than with the human toll that their shows may take. The film also features interviews with former reality TV contestants who describe the pressures and exploitation that they faced during their time on these shows, including the psychological toll of being constantly watched and judged by millions of strangers.

While the story of "The Ultimate Reality" is undoubtedly the film's centerpiece, American Cannibal also touches on broader themes of the dehumanization of popular culture, the commodification of human life, and the moral responsibility of those who create and consume entertainment. It is a powerful and unsettling film that will leave viewers with much to ponder about the state of modern society and the role that popular culture plays in shaping our perceptions of ourselves and others.

Overall, American Cannibal is a thought-provoking and deeply disturbing documentary that is not for the faint of heart. Its exploration of the reality TV industry is both fascinating and sobering, shining a light on the ways in which entertainment can serve as a vehicle for exploitation and dehumanization. While it may be too intense for some viewers, those who are interested in the cultural impact of reality TV will find it to be a fascinating and important film.

American Cannibal is a 2006 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.9 and a MetaScore of 44.