Dutch Slasher Meat Kills (FANTASTIC) Serves Up Delicious Fun

Title: Meat Kills

First Non-Festival Release: TBD

Director: Martijn Smits

Writer: Paul de Vrijer

Runtime: 86 Minutes

Starring: Caro Derkx, Sem Ben Yakar, Sweder de Sitter

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2025.

Few conversations in life can get as toxic and unproductive as those that center the ethics of meat consumption. Both sides of the argument have deeply entrenched, unlikely to change beliefs. Much like any conflict, this spells danger when the ideology gets sharper and more personal. 

Mirthe (Caro Derkx) is caught in the crossfire of one such conversation. Sympathetic to the plight of animals, she goes undercover at a factory to document what she deems as violations related to the ethical treatment of the animals processed at the plant. After getting fired for her efforts, she joins a group of activists who, upon viewing the video, decide that tonight is the night to free the animals. When things go wrong, however, the lives of the animals aren’t the only ones at stake.

Vicious, gory, and altogether satisfying, Meat Kills is a glorious slasher that will satiate your need for bloodlust.

Fans of French extremity and the 2000s torture subgenre of horror will find plenty to adore in Meat Kills. Projecting a blunt approach to violence and cynical outlook on humanity, Meat Kills makes its film as miserable as the conversations surrounding eating meat are. Using the extreme violence as a lens to view the debate, Meat Kills transcends its simple slasher setup. Bereft of smirks or winks, Meat Kills plays it straight which works to its advantage and its inspirations. Even criticisms about the general unlikability of its characters fall flat when considering the material.

Everyone sucks here, which is both perfect for the slasher setup it has and the commentary it carves up on the divide between animal rights activists, particularly vegans, and those whose livelihoods are tied to the meat industry. Unable to consider the other’s side, the players in Meat Kills doom each other to a violent cycle of retribution. With only two realizing how futile their struggle is the rational voices are drowned out by screeching and scheming. The escalation feels very familiar for anyone who deals with hardline, black-and-white thinkers and, not to “both sides” this, feels very indicative of the times. Slicing away at the most incorrigible of people, Meat Kills shows the consequences of failing to turn the temperature down.

Meat Kills has this unrelentingly bleak veneer to it that makes every scene feel gritty, grimy, and gross, apt for a film shot at a real meat packing plant. The dinginess of the plant feels true to life, which makes sense considering this. Carts full of disembodied limbs and organs pepper the work floors alongside a menagerie of weapons traditionally used to kill animals, eerily forecasting the fates of the embittered rivals. It isn’t pretty to look at, but that’s the point. Its aesthetics allow the horror of the situation to digest as bodies fall to the floor.

Above all else, Meat Kills is simply a scary film. Soaked in as much tension as it is in blood, Meat Kills paces itself beautifully. Making great use of the expansive facility, Meat Kills lets the machines and emptiness do the heavy lifting. Contributing to the dark atmosphere and sour taste of blood in the air, each instrument portends serious damage to the humans fighting amongst each other. This crudely surgical violence is calculated and maximized for the enjoyment of the sympathetic nervous system.

Dark and brutal, this lean slasher is not for everyone. For those that do gravitate toward it, however, will be rewarded generously. Slasher fans and gorehounds alike will delight in the carnage, while those passionate about the debate surrounding the ethics of meat consumption will have quite a mouthful to chew on here. Strong atmosphere, awful people, and unbearable tension make this Dutch slasher one to seek out. No frills, no gimmicks, Meat Kills is one satisfying meal worth sharing with friends.

Overall Score? 8/10