The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (2011)

Directed by: Tom Six | 91 minutes | crime, drama, horror | Actors: Laurence R. Harvey, Ashlynn Yennie, Maddi Black, Kandace Caine, Dominic Borrelli, Lucas Hansen, Lee Nicholas Harris, Dan Burman, Daniel Jude Gennis, Georgia Goodrick, Emma Lock, Katherine Templar, Peter Blankenstein, Vivien Bridson, Bill Hutchens , Peter Charlton, Daniel De’sioye

That Tom Six! After a failed career in the Netherlands, the perverse director tries abroad. And rightly so, because how many films like the cringe-inducing ‘Gay’ and ‘I Love Dries’ can a movie viewer handle? Anyway, across the border he manages to get reactions – also positive –. With ‘The Human Centipede’ he put himself on the international map. His horror film was even parodied in ‘South Park’. Very well done considering his tight budget. ‘The Human Centipede’ became a cult hit. After the film’s unexpected success (which was largely due to a dirty idea), Six promised the sequel would be “even bloodier.” That worked…

In short: ‘The Human Centipede’ revolves around the idea that the human variant of this insect consists of a few people sewn together with the mouth to the anus and crawling behind each other. This particularly unsavory idea is the linchpin of the movies. You’re waiting for this sick fantasy to come into the picture.

‘The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)’ centers on Martin (Laurence R. Harvey), a mentally retarded and traumatized man who is fascinated by the film ‘The Human Centipede’. The obese guard decides to reenact this movie and kidnaps twelve people whom he wants to transform into a human centipede.

If you’ve seen the frenzied ‘The Human Centipede’, you’ll notice how different this second part is. The tone is grim and the violence is portrayed in a much more graphic way. Six has kept its word and shows much more. For example, you can see a scene where Martin puts sandpaper on his sex while pleasuring himself. There is also a rare brutal scene in which he knocks out a victim’s teeth with a hammer. The bloody operation also cuts in. In part one, three people formed the centipede, while this part has twelve victims. In terms of gore, there is little to complain about.

The acting has also been greatly improved. In part one, the cast’s play of crying was so bad, while Dieter Laser’s (the deranged professor)’s exuberant acting was the pinnacle of that sleeper hit. In this part Laurence R. Harvey carries the film. In a silent role (he just coughs and chuckles) he plays an unforgettable character. Harvey acts with his body. Martin is a filthy little man who arouses pity and fear. A very remarkable villain. Every now and then the balance is lost and you think you are looking at a character from a Benny Hill episode. The chuckling, the silly looks and the physical play sometimes feel out of place. Most of the time, though, Harvey’s piercing gaze and unwieldy facial expressions are terrifying. By good practice, the rest of the cast is rather unremarkable. Most of them are gagged on the ground, begging for mercy. No time is spent on character development.

Six has kept his word and made his film a little harder (say a whole set of teeth). The budget has been spent on a few hard, realistic-looking scenes. The choice to shoot the film in black and white wasn’t even that bad. The atmosphere has literally gotten darker. However, don’t expect to watch a perfect horror movie. The lack of character development, strong acting and the swaying direction indicate that you are looking at purebred pulp.

Six knows what horror fans want and hasn’t skimped on special effects. Compared to the first part, the successor is a lot more brutal. A cult hit in the making.