Alice and Bret’s dog Harvie is dying, and he’s ruining everything. What had been a bright little family is quickly being consumed by clouds of self-doubt, suspicion, and a disturbing amount of ground beef. Bret (Lindsay Burdge) is taking the news hard. She’s had Harvie since before the relationship and is startled to find just how much of her sense of self is wrapped up in her history with him. Alice (Tallie Medel) thus finds herself on the outside of a relationship looking in. Bret’s obsession with the dog is getting overtly unhealthy, yet the more Alice attempts to connect, the further Bret retreats.
As the stress on Alice, a vegan, manifests in increasingly strange ways involving sleepwalking and a fascination with meat, she plans to get rid of Harvie to reclaim Bret’s love. But when Alice wakes one night holding an empty leash with no sign of Harvie except his severed ear, she begins to fear she’s become a monster. As each woman sets out in search of what’s been lost, Alice and Bret uncover parts of each other they never suspected, hideous and beautiful alike.
Directed by: Caleb Michael Johnson; Written by: Caleb Michael Johnson and Jeff Bay Smith; Distributor: Dark Sky Films; Produced by: Ted Speaker, Caleb Johnson, Thomas Fernandes, Adam J. Minnck
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING…
“There’s something daring and memorable about Johnson’s vision of possible mental illness and marital strife.” – ROGER EBERT ONLINE
“The Carnivores for better or worse is uncategorizable with elements of drama, psychological thriller, horror, and even comedy – and I was happy to be confused.” – SMASH CUT REVIEWS
“The Carnivores is an effective psychological foray that may be divisive among some but is worth biting into, to really appreciate the talent within. It is successful in being both discomforting and inviting, you won’t know how to look away.” – FILM INQUIRY
“Filled with non-sequiturs, abrupt cuts, and nightmarish interludes, The Carnivores is not without its moments of humor.” – FILM THREAT
