Meat Kills Review [Fantastic Fest 2025]

With its sharp writing, great pacing, and excellent use of practical effects, Meat Kills is a thrilling and exciting watch from start to finish.

Meat Kills is not a film for the faint of heart. It’s a relentless, boundary-pushing horror movie that uses its intense and often gruesome violence not for cheap thrills, but to deliver a gut punch of a message. Director Martijn Smits crafts a terrifyingly effective piece of cinema that is as thought-provoking as it is bloody.

The plot follows a young woman who seeks to join a radical animal rights group, the ‘Animal Army,’ by infiltrating a pig farm. What begins as a mission to expose cruelty quickly spirals into a fight for survival, leaving viewers questioning not just their own dietary choices but the very nature of revenge and justice.

Right from the very start, Meat Kills establishes a tone of unflinching realism that serves its brutal agenda perfectly. The opening act is deliberately unsettling, but it only gets more insane from there.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is the dedication to practical effects, which is much appreciated. It is likely due to budget constraints, but it is effective nonetheless. Every drop of blood, every gruesome wound, feels authentic and earned, reinforcing the film’s core argument without ever feeling overly gratuitous. I love to eat meat, but this movie sure had me second-guessing my diet.

What sets Meat Kills apart from a standard slasher or creature feature is the underlying message and a sweet little subplot. While the violence is absolutely the biggest takeaway, a bit of a love story is woven into the chaos, providing a human anchor to the escalating madness. This subplot takes a backseat to the carnage, but I couldn’t help but root for it. It also provides moments of emotional connection, even though they are quickly shattered by horrific events time and time again.

Meat Kills‘ pacing is another of its major strengths. It hits the ground running and never slows down. It never lingers too long on any single moment before thrusting the audience into the next heart-pounding sequence. This brisk pace, combined with a strong, well-structured screenplay, makes for a wildly entertaining experience that just might make your head spin.

While the film’s gore and violence are the most memorable aspects, the writing includes several well-timed jump scares that are both surprising and genuinely frightening. Due to the nature of the film, there is a ton of tension as well, which keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. For those with a sensitive stomach, this is definitely a movie to be watched from behind your fingers, but the scares are worth it.

Ultimately, Meat Kills is a horror movie that is as thrilling as it is disturbing. It succeeds not only as a tense survival narrative but also as a powerful and provocative commentary on animal rights and human cruelty. Without spoilers, I have to mention the ending. It is one of the best parts of the movie, and honestly, I do not care what thinking that says about me.

With its sharp writing, great pacing, and excellent use of practical effects, Meat Kills is a thrilling and exciting watch from start to finish. It’s a must-see for horror fans and anyone who appreciates a film that dares to push boundaries.

About Meat Kills

A young woman is eager to join the ‘Animal Army,’ a group of radical activists dead set on ending the killing of animals for human consumption. To prove herself, she infiltrates a local pig farm, capturing footage of its incredibly cruel conditions. Galvanized, the group invites her to join them on a late-night rescue mission, but when they arrive, they realize they are too late.

Events spiral out of control when the activists decide to take revenge on the farmer and his family for their misdeeds and find themselves battling to survive the night.

Meat Kills played at Fantastic Fest 2025.

NEXT: Our 10 Most Anticipated Fantastic Fest 2025 Films