Feed Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

Feed Blu-ray Movie Review

"It's not your run-of-the-mill, lick-my-boots, drink-my-piss kind of relationship."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 14, 2025

Raise your hand if you wanted a feature-length psychosexual prequel that captured all the skipped gory details of the Gluttony murder in Se7en? Anyone? Anyone? Wait, no one wanted to watch a poor woman gorged to death over a painfully protracted period of time by a discount Ryan Gosling? Ultimately murdered by the lightning-quick killer that is severe obesity? Well clearly, you've come to the wrong Blu-ray because that's the awful glory that awaits you here, other than the promise of a film from the director of Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity and Man-Thing, classics of cinema all (he says with obvious sarcasm). No, Feed is a bit of grotesquerie for grotesquerie's sake, aimed to turn the stomach and unsettle the last meal you had; a game of cat and mouse so trite and foul that it borders on unwatchable. If that sounds like a great Friday night treat, then more power to you. I'd rather be force-fed a warehouse-store box of hot pockets than sit through anything like it again.

"Although the events depicted in this film are fictional, they are based on actual behaviors that are happening between consenting adults... right now." Veteran Australian cop Philip Jackson (Patrick Thompson), a specialist when it comes to cyberporn investigations and crimes, is no stranger to the dangerous side of sexual fetishes. But he may have found his sickest case yet when he discovers a sinister side to an American website devoted to weight-admiring men and obese women dubbed feeders and gainers. Could the man behind it all (Alex O'Loughlin) be force-feeding missing women to death? Jackson's on the case. Directed by Brett Leonard and written by Thompson, O'Loughlin and Kieran Galvin, the film also stars Gabby Millgate, Jack Thompson, Rose Ashton, Matthew Le Nevez, David Field, Sherly Sulaiman, Marika Aubrey, Adam Hunt, Nicholas Coghlan and Yore Kovich.

Look, I'll be the first to say I'm not sporting an 8-pack of abs. But thin or plump, there's one thing most people agree is difficult to look at: extreme obesity. Feed hangs and holds on it like the sexual obsession its serial killer finds it to be; brightly, starkly lit, littered with rolls and varicose veins, and generally flexing as to how realistic the film's fat suit appears to be. By contrast, Se7en understood what it was showcasing and did so with a style befitting the curious onlooker. Feed offers a raw look at the horrors of force-fed killing from the jump, leaving little room to expand or indulge in the disgust and depravity that follows. It's the equivalent of cranking music up to 10 then demanding it continually get louder. There's nowhere left to go. Certainly nowhere in the script, which floats a battle or wits and wills between cop and killer that feels like a bad parody of far better films, and one that twists in the wind to reach a gotcha gag at the end that's fitting but about as far-fetched as it comes; the hero-turned-vigilante trope runs strong through Feed. In the end it's a lot of ewww for very little payoff. The sexual aspect of feeders and gainers somehow far more plausible than the murder sprinkled into the film. My advice? This isn't the horror film you want it to be, if you even want a version of what Feed has on tap.

Feed Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Feed is shot with almost backyard abandon, forgoing more traditional cinematography in favor of lo-fi, low-rent photography as stomach-turning as some of the film's imagery. (Those prone to motion sickness may want to take a pill.) Unearthed Films' 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer follows suit, basking in every bit of over-saturated color, issue-laden clarity, and distracting flourish. Feed's palette is overblown, overheated and overcooked at every turn, with bronzed flesh tones, seared primaries and ruddy black levels. It's all by intention, so it's difficult to complain, but it certainly isn't a feast for the eyes. Detail is problematic as well. Aliasing, halos and other anomalies give edges a frayed, digital appearance, and fine textures are at the whim of the cameras (which is to say don't look for much in the way of exacting detail). Add to that blocking, banding and errant digital noise -- likely the product of the original photography but garish and unattractive all the same -- and a series of stylistic shots meant to hyper-stylize the picture and you have an eyesore in the making. Again, it's seemingly all in keeping with Leonard's intentions but it's hard to tell where it ends and a subpar encode begins.

Feed Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The early bars of The Association's hit 1966 single "Cherish" play out over part of the film's opening credits and easily stand as the highlight of Unearthed Films' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which doesn't have much else going for it. Feed is a down-and-dirty indie production and its sound design is no different. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, sure, but it's also too reedy at times, thin at others, and too pronounced beyond that. LFE output is weak as well, with little in the way of heft or power other than volume. Likewise, rear speaker activity errs on the side of loud over precise and doesn't offer much in the way of true immersion. Is it all in keeping with the original sound design? Yes. So score as you will personally. For me, there's very little here to warrant praise, other than faithfulness.

Feed Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• U.S. Cut of Feed (HD, minutes) - The 91-minute US cut of Feed plays with your choice of either a temp Dolby Digital 2.0 sound mix or dual mono mix.

• Audio Commentary - Director Brett Leonard delivers a detail-driven commentary, touching on the reality of the material depicted in the movie, the disturbing aspects of that lifestyle and its extreme rebellion against cultural norms, the casting and performances, the number of people behind the film who were related or long-time friends, the score and the use of the song "Cherish," the differences between the script and the final film, the creation of the film's fat suit and central victim, and much more.

• Deleted Scenes (SD, 23 minutes) - Eleven deleted scenes with optional commentary with Leonard.

• Alternate Ending (SD, 2 minutes) - Also with optional commentary by Leonard.

• Additional Deleted and Extended Scenes (SD, 41 minutes) - Twelve additional deleted and extended scenes... because one menu selection wasn't enough I suppose.

• Outtakes (HD, 11 minutes) - A lengthy series of gags and flubs.

• Behind the Scenes (SD, 28 minutes) - A fly-on-the-wall selection of behind-the-scenes moments, beginning with the creation and fitting of the film's primary fat suit and tracking it from development to performance.

• Infomercial (SD, 8 minutes) - Patrick Thompson films a tongue-in-cheek infomercial from set.

• Final Day Director's Interview (SD, 4 minutes) - A short interview with Leonard at the end of the shoot.

• Interview with Alex O'Loughlin (SD, 6 minutes) - O'Loughlin discusses his first encounter with feeders and gainers, his anger and fascination with the material, and the eventual concept for the script and film.

• Interview with Producer Melissa Beauford (SD, 5 minutes) - Beauford talks about her meeting with friends Leonard, O'Loughlin and Thompson, and her attraction to the project and hesitance with the material.

• Interview with Jack Thompson (SD, 1 minute) - An abruptly cut interview with Thompson's father.

• North American Premiere (SD, 9 minutes) - A look at Feed's Philadelphia premiere.

• Photo Gallery

• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2 minutes)

Feed Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I've been itching to be done with Feed from the moment I took the first screenshot and wrote my first word. It's grotesque and off-putting, and not because of any fat-shaming here, but rather how the material is handled, shot and presented. Somewhere in Feed was a truly chilling horror movie but this isn't it. Unearthed Films doesn't offer much more in terms of video and audio quality but does absolutely stuff the Blu-ray to the gills with special features.