Taxidermia

The film started off looking like German porn, then turned into a philosophical drama. The Hungarian filmmakers clearly demonstrated that humankind evolved from Mangalica pigs and the subsequent plot was further evidence of that. All that competitive eating must have been hard to stomach not just for the competitors but many viewers as well. The final part was a nice transition to the horror genre. I will be keeping a close eye on both my cats from now on. Overall, I had a great time, and the Hungarians pleasantly surprised me again. (12/22/2016)

I may sound like a creep, but the modern world, not to mention cinema itself, needs films like Taxidermia. An amoral, twisted, nihilistic and utterly fascinating mockery and disfigurement of the three basic essences of human life that, despite its strict artistic detachment, is impossible to tear your eyes away from, and which offers so many moral clues and messages that a more accessible possible remake should be made by Ingmar Bergman from beyond the grave – I'm exaggerating, of course, but this film simply deserves your attention. It will probably disgust you and kick you into the private parts of your mind, but if you can at least appreciate the construction of the film as a narrative tool or the brilliant camera work, the attention management or spatiotemporal interweaving of motifs or entire story blocks, Taxidermia will at least engage and absorb you in a healthy way – and make you throw up :D 80% (11/02/2016)

Fans of film escapades, intellectual experiments, and depressive decadence can rejoice, whereas I just shrug my shoulders and say: I mostly missed the point of Taxidermia. The film is divided into three parts, and only the middle part can stand on its own as a bizarre satire on the training of athletes who sacrifice everything for success. Although Pálfi made a real effort to provoke and extract the maximum from the aesthetics of disgust, I couldn't help but feel bored at certain stages, and as a whole, the film disappointed me in terms of content, as it's too self-indulgent and a manneristic affair. Overall impression: 40%. (02/20/2013)

Weird? Yeah, it's weird. Disgusting? Yeah, it's disgusting. Perverted? Yes. Interesting? Maybe. Good? Definitely not. Another example of how "different" or "special" doesn't always necessarily mean good or quality. Trying to disgust and shock with form and delivery completely trumps the film's message and as a result, I don't understand the film's motive to criticize society at all (as do 90% of the audience). And if you make a film in an attempt to criticize and point out, but no one can get it, then you probably haven't made a good film. Nonsense, a waste of time, either due to the director's hubris for daring to make a film beyond his powers, or just pure incompetence and burnout, I guess we'll never know. (09/22/2021)

The fact that a film is part of Projekt 100 does not automatically guarantee that it will be of value. Just because a film is presented as a "distorted mirror of the era and society" does not necessarily mean that it truly is. For me, this Hungarian goulash is just a random mess without any meaningful message, but whoever absolutely must find something more in it in welcome to it. (03/01/2007)