The Green Inferno (2013)★★★★☆

I like Eli Roth. He’s got a good eye for what scares people, even if I think he sometimes veers a bit too much in the direction of shock value over terror.

And this one definitely sits over on the shock value side. Which isn’t to say the premise itself isn’t terrifying, because it is. The idea that you could fly to a foreign country to do what you think is a good deed, only to be mistaken for the enemy by the very natives you were trying to protect…that’s pretty dark and disturbing on its own.

But of course that isn’t enough for Eli Roth. No, Eli Roth has to throw in tarantulas, female genital mutilation, cannibalism, and giant man-eating ants. So of course I liked this one.

As you may have gathered, it’s not for the faint of heart. But if you can deal with some of the more graphic scenes and the blood and gore, you might find this one interesting. The acting is great, the scenery both beautiful and terrifying, and the plot makes sense. I even liked the ending, though I could have done without the mid-credits scene. I’m not sure this one needs a sequel, and I’m not sure what other purpose that scene had except to make way for one.