Delicatessen

Play trailer

Delicatessen

R

Released Apr 17, 1991

1h 38m

Sci-Fi

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) is a butcher who owns a run-down apartment building in post-apocalyptic France. The building is in constant need of a handyman, because Clapet routinely butchers them and sells them as food. The latest in the long ling of disposable workers is Louison (Dominique Pinon), a former circus clown desperate for work and lodging. But this time Clapet's plan hits a snag when his young daughter (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls head over heels for the lovable Louison.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet deftly combines horror, sci-fi, and humor in Delicatessen, a morbid comedy set in a visually ravishing futuristic dystopia.

Read Critics Reviews

Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

All at once nightmarish cannibal horror and romantic comedy, good-natured fairytale, and hyper-stylised allegory of French wartime collaboration and resistance, this collective debut from Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet is dizzyingly difficult to pin down

Oct 18, 2023

Full Review

Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

With its molelike inhabitants, its sprawling war between flesh-eaters and lentil-men, its achingly sweet love story and surrealist blend of dusty antiquities and 21st-century gizmos, Delicatessen is indescribably wild.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 21, 2013

Full Review

Clifford Terry

Chicago Tribune

All of this is handled in a breezy, off-handed, nutsy manner, as the superb cast combines to help bring it off.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 21, 2013

Full Review

Iain Robertson

Starburst

While the subject matter is bleak, Delicatessen is a charming, unique movie and a truly unique piece of cinema.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 16, 2023

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

An existentialist fricassee of irresistible comedy. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 12, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Thriving on eccentricity, the film also utilizes an artistic entwining of music and sound effects, tinged with a spectacularly compelling atmosphere of unease.

Rated: 9/10

Sep 11, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Maeve H

If you only watch one movie in your whole life, it has to be Delicatessen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

Full Review

Fer S

Great movie! Very unique. Great casting, acting and fantastic sets. They must have been a real mess to clean up.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/25

Full Review

Aender S

Great visuals, quirky acting and crazy story, the main ingredients for this excellent movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

Logan D

In a morbid future, food is in short supply and rice is used as currency. A corrupt butcher lures persons to be cut up as meat by advertising for a handyman. Wow! This is a film I often saw advertised at our local theater that showed art films and Rocky Horror but I never saw it. Indeed, I just had the impression (with no evidence) this was some snooty French film which I wouldn't like. Little did I know it is an whimsical darkly humorous zany sci-fi tale that actually examines the resistance movement in German-occupied Europe. Not that I got that. That's on Wikipedia. But you don't need to know that to enjoy this great work of film. And it has one of the greatest set pieces to ever grace the screen. A fellow film buff said that set piece was the advertisement for the film and always garnered laughs before the scheduled feature. Highly, highly recommended. So sad I took so long to view it but so happy I finally did.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

Full Review

Richard H

A unique blend of black comedy, dystopian atmosphere, and visual creativity. It's a showcase in creating a bizarre and captivating world where the absurdity of the characters' lives unfold. It successfully combines romance, horror, and satire. The cinematography, set design, and quirky characters all contribute to the film's charm, Definately watch if you're a fan of offbeat cinema.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

Matthew L

Very entertaining. Somewhat slap-stick in nature. A love story with a villain and a hero that you can't take too seriously. I loved it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Director

Marc Caro

Director

Dominique Pinon

Louison

Marie-Laure Dougnac

Julie Clapet

Jean-Claude Dreyfus

Clapet

Rufus

Robert Kube

Adrenalin: Fear the Rush

0%

30%

Adrenalin: Fear the Rush

Watchlist

eXistenZ

76%

69%

eXistenZ

Watchlist

Naked Lunch

72%

77%

Naked Lunch

Watchlist

Freejack

25%

25%

Freejack

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

E.T., Best in Show, and More Certified Fresh Movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime

Now Streaming: Saturday Night Fever, The Professional, Tim Burton’s Batman Films, And More

Elijah Wood’s Five Favorite Films

View more photos

Synopsis

Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) is a butcher who owns a run-down apartment building in post-apocalyptic France. The building is in constant need of a handyman, because Clapet routinely butchers them and sells them as food. The latest in the long ling of disposable workers is Louison (Dominique Pinon), a former circus clown desperate for work and lodging. But this time Clapet's plan hits a snag when his young daughter (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls head over heels for the lovable Louison.

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Producer: Claudie Ossard
Screenwriter: Gilles Adrien, Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: R
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 1991, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 3, 1992
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.1K
Runtime: 1h 38m

Most Popular at Home Now