The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence] Review

Tom Six brought the world one of the most notorious, ridiculous and talked about films of recent times with his cult 2009 horror The Human Centipede. Now he returns with the sequel, recently having been itself cut up by the BBFC in order not to be banned entirely, which promises to make the first film look like, in its director’s words, ‘My Little Pony’. It was not without trepidation that I approached The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence]. Not having seen the first film (through circumstance rather than choice), I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew what a so-called ‘human centipede’ involved, of course (and if you don’t know, you can look it up). Would this sequel be gross-out torture porn? Tongue in cheek (pun intended) black comedy? Perverse social commentary? All of the above?

The Human Centipede 2 focuses on Martin (Harvey), a deranged, disturbed and largely silent car park attendant, with a hacking, asthmatic cough, bulbous staring eyes and, in a metaphysical twist, an all-consuming obsession with the original Human Centipede film. He’s something of a grotesque caricature and the film might have been more interesting if its antagonist weren’t a maladjusted social outcast. Spurred on by his psychotic mother and neighbour, his twisted psychiatrist and his history of sexual abuse at the hands of his father, Martin is driven by a desire to create his own human centipede and sets about kidnapping people, usually by smacking them heftily upside the head with a crowbar. This film couldn’t be criticised for a lack of restraint and one thing it’s certainly not short of is crowbar-on-cranium action.

The scenes prior to and after the second act climax of the creation of the centipede are actually fairly tame by the outrageous standards of extreme depravity the film would have you believe it sets for itself. I mean, of course, it’s very violent (lots of people get their heads stoved in), but perhaps no more so than the average spot of ultra-violence in film. Indeed, many of this scenes are patently ridiculous and/or excessively stylised (take your pick), in particular those depicting Martin’s home life and relationship with his mother. At night, Martin recalls his father saying, “Stop your crying, you’re only making daddy’s willy harder”, which provokes laughter, not out of humour but sheer, ‘what on earth are we watching?’ exasperation.

The ‘operation’ itself is, however, completely repellent. Unlike the original film’s Dr Heiter, Martin is no surgeon. Laying out his tools prior to the task, we are shown various knives, scissors, gaffer tape, a staple gun and a hammer (‘what’s he need a hammer for?’ I thought to myself, only to be disgusted upon finding out), just what he needs for a messy, night of amateur butchery. The gore is in your face, up-close and personal, as opposed to the more implied violence of the previous film. Like 127 Hours to the power ten, these scenes are among the most harrowing I’ve seen.

After that, things get increasingly absurd as Six attempts to top each scene with ever-more outrageous set-pieces. I won’t give anything away, but one of the more bizarre moments involves the pregnancy of one of Martin’s victims. It’s ridiculously awful, but to be offended by it would sort of miss the point. The real experiment here seems to be ‘what can Tom Six get away with showing to a paying audience?’

So is it any good? That’s hard to say. It’s nigh-on impossible to remain objective about it. To its credit, Human Centipede 2 does everything it sets out to do. It is what it is and sometimes what it is even approaches witty and intelligent fare (there’s a further metaphysical twist towards the end which raises a wry smile). On the other hand, it is often completely disgusting, inane, juvenile and has little more to say than ‘you thought that was sick? Check this out!’

You probably already know if you want to see this or not and fans will most likely be wholly satisfied. Those without an interest in it can get on with their lives. This review was intentionally sparse on detail so as not to spoil for those who want to see it and to spare those who don’t. The few in two minds whether to watch it or not should perhaps just give it a go. It’s unlikely to be half as bad as you might build it up to be in your mind and I can honestly say I was never bored. At least it’s something different, you know? Perhaps the fairest and most positive verdict would be that The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence] is a stirring tribute to the industry of one man, a crowbar and a shedload of gaffer tape.