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Taxidermia

Released Aug 14, 2009 1h 31m Drama List
81% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Set over three generations and beginning with Morosgoványi Vendel, a sexually frustrated orderly during the war who relieves his tensions in the most outlandish, gross ways. The result of his liaison is Balatony Kálmán, a glutton who grows up to be a champion speed eater. He produces a child, Balatony Lajoska who becomes obsessed with taxidermy.
Taxidermia

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Surreal and visually striking, Taxidermia is, at times, graphic and difficult to watch, but creatively touches on disturbing subjects with imagination and wit.

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Critics Reviews

View All (47) Critics Reviews
Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Noel Murray AV Club Taxidermia is frequently funny, for those who can stomach it. Rated: B- Aug 20, 2009 Full Review Eddie Cockrell Variety Taxidermia sets a benchmark for body horror in the cinema. Aug 14, 2009 Full Review Martin Tsai Critic's Notebook Mr. Plfi's grandiose vision and technical bravado are nothing short of mesmerizing, yet there are also plenty of tender moments amid the go-for-broke follies. Oct 7, 2015 Full Review Christopher Long Movie Metropolis The gluttonous middle section of the film is by far its most successful. Rated: 7/10 May 1, 2010 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Surreal, grotesque and bitterly funny Hungarian art horror film ... aspires not to cult status as a torture porn totem but to the highest cinematic art.(It's not that, but give it points for trying.) Rated: 86/100 Apr 11, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alex C I enjoyed but it really isn't that gross. I can't understand why that is being said a lot. Sometimes slow but it was okay. Acting was very good. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Taxidermia will be far too much for most people to stomach, especially after the first act. It's a highly metaphorical tale, where the dialogue is secondary to the imagery, which ranges from grotesque to... actually, that's it, just grotesque. It follows 3 generations of a single family, none of whom you would call well-adjusted, and none of whom I suspect you'll grow to like very much. The film is a symbolic representation of Hungary's history, from the second World War to present day. This is a topic I know almost nothing about, and as such much of what was happening went clear over my head. It's also representative of the 7 deadly sins, which, again, you might well miss on the first watch. A lot of what you see is so disgusting and unpleasant that you might just shut it off early on, and to be honest, I'm not sure you'd really miss very much. It's certainly a competently made film, not cheap by any means, with a lot of effort put into the camerawork and cinematography, but its heavy symbolism renders it light on entertainment, and as such its not very enjoyable to sit though. It's a film you suffer more than anything else. Full credit to Gyorgy Palfi for going out and making a film so unashamedly messed up and crazy, and I certainly admire his ambition and unique vision. But looking back, there nothing about the film that would make me want to watch it again, and I don't think any of my friends are mad enough to enjoy it. I hope not anyway! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review georgan g Not for the faint-of-heart! Hard to tell what's real from what's special effects. Can't look away as it's so mesmerizing. Shows the last 75-years of Hungarian history but with laughs, too. Likely, how this country survived. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member this film is disgusting and meaningless. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Taxidermia is a film about a man who likes to stick his dick in things. Fortunately this section of the movie only lasts for the first 20 minutes. The remainder of this gruff and grizzly Hungarian offering has other tales to tell, with varying levels of interest, coherency and disgust. Gyorgy Palfi's cold portmanteau horror-drama charts the exploits of three generations of obsessive oddballs, quite literally of of different shapes and sizes. These range from a masturbating madman, a competitive eater with a stubby tail and a pasty taxidermist with a paedo hairdo. All are shot with beautifully dizzying rotating handi-cams and garish pans, interspersed with the odd vomit close-up. In its own weird way, each story grows slightly more interesting and surprising than the last, before the film culminates in a finale far more intelligent and surprising than we'd ever have expected from a filmmaker predominantly interested in elaborate displays of grotesquerie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member So quirky. I like those time-lapse sequences though. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Taxidermia

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Set over three generations and beginning with Morosgoványi Vendel, a sexually frustrated orderly during the war who relieves his tensions in the most outlandish, gross ways. The result of his liaison is Balatony Kálmán, a glutton who grows up to be a champion speed eater. He produces a child, Balatony Lajoska who becomes obsessed with taxidermy.
Director
Gyorgy Palfi
Producer
Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Emilie Georges, Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Alexandre Mallet-Guy
Screenwriter
Gyorgy Palfi, Zsofia Ruttkay
Distributor
Regent Releasing
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Hungarian
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 2009, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 1, 2024
Release Date (DVD)
Apr 6, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$10.2K
Runtime
1h 31m