Man Bites Dog

Critics Consensus

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72%

TOMATOMETER

Reviews Counted: 18

90%
liked it

Audience Score

User Ratings: 22,640

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Average Rating: N/A
Reviews Count: 0
Fresh: 0
Rotten: 0

AUDIENCE SCORE

90%
Average Rating: 4.1/5

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Movie Info

Man Bites Dog is a Belgian faux-documentary and high-concept satire of media violence which follows the lethal exploits of Benoit Benoit Poelvoorde, an affable, and very talkative, serial killer. He kills for money, and he kills for pleasure, and he talks all the while about philosophy and the proper technique for weighing a corpse down underwater. He is followed through his slaughter-fest by the filmmakers, Rémy and André (the actual filmmakers, Rémy Belvaux and André Bonzel), and the line between reporter and subject becomes blurred pretty quickly. The filmmakers become more and more involved in Benoit's actions, starting with the relatively innocent act of holding a flashlight for him. Eventually, when their funding runs out, Benoit hires them to continue making the film, and soon they are accomplices in a gang rape. While this film has the subtlety of a sledgehammer, its message rings true: the media tend to become part of the stories they report upon as surely as a physicist changes a wave by looking at it.

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Cast

Benoît Poelvoorde
as Ben
Rémy Belvaux
as Remy (Reporter), Reporter
Nelly Pappaert
as Ben's Grandmother
Hector Pappaert
as Ben's Grandfather
Jenny Drye
as Jenny
Jean-Marc Chenut
as Patrick (Sound Man #1)
Alain Oppezzi
as Franco (Sound Man #2)
Vincent Tavier
as Vincent (Sound Man #3)
André Bonzel
as Cameraman
Jacqueline Poelvoorde-Pappaert
as Ben's Mother
Malou Madou
as Malou
Rachel Deman
as Mamie Tromblon
Willy Vandenbroeck
as Boby
André Laime
as Bed-ridden Old Man
Édith Le Merdy
as Nurse
Sylviane Godé
as Rape Victim (Martine)
Zoltan Tobolik
as Rape Victim's Husband
Valérie Parent
as Valerie
Alexandra Fandango
as Kalifa
Olivier Cotica
as Benichou
Gina Cotica
as Mother
Ricardo Cotica
as Child
Pierre Vanbraekel
as Father
Marcel Engels
as Cameraman
Franco Piscopo
as Sound Recordist
Venelin Poikov
as First Postman
Alain François
as Video Reporter
Fernaud Dubois
as Postman
Antoine Chapelot
as Wine Waiter
Hughes Tavier
as Buffet Waiter
Pol Vanderwarren
as Ben's Lawyer
Anne LaGrange
as Journalist
Paul Bottemanne
as Taxi Driver
Vincent Merveille
as Boxer
Irene Gilissen
as Lady on Train
Sabine Tavier
as Madame Pipi
Annamaria Szomolanyiova
as Violinist
Carlos Miranda
as Night Watchman
Pascal Lebrun
as Featured Victim
Stephanie Aubier
as Featured Victim
Alain Hologne
as Featured Victim
Micheline Hologne
as Featured Victim
Philippe Blasband
as Featured Victim
Aldo Fostier
as Featured Victim
Jean-Pol Cavillot
as Featured Victim
Anny Hologne
as Featured Victim
Elaine Leonard
as Featured Victim
Marie Travier
as Featured Victim
Bruno Belvaux
as Featured Victim
Lucien Belvaux
as Featured Victim
Jean-Claude Maschetti
as Featured Victim
Laurence D'Hondt
as Journalist
Daniel Tursh
as Journalist
Benoît Mariage
as Journalist
Emmanuelle Bada
as Journalist
Stéphane Aubier
as Journalist
Jean-Paul Geets
as Malou's Customer
Clotilde Francois
as Victim in Montage
Steven Artels
as Victim in Montage
Bertrand Tavier
as Victim in Montage
Bob Lens
as Victim in Montage
Josephs Craeynest
as Victim in Montage
Willy Van De Waele
as Victim in Montage
Andre Kuys
as Victim in Montage
Patrick Goisse
as Victim in Montage
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Critic Reviews for Man Bites Dog

All Critics (18) | Top Critics (1)

View All Critic Reviews (18)

Audience Reviews for Man Bites Dog

½

A shocking and engaging mockumentary that takes a unique and often difficult look at violence in our society. The subject of the film Benoit is disturbingly believable as the maniacal yet oddly likeable sociopath. While Benoit participates in extraordinary acts of violence, the filmmakers do a great job making sure that we are entertained the entire time. In that way we are giving consent for the madness to continue. Even as the camera crew in the film began to become more and more complicit in Benoit's crimes, we as the audience can share in their wonder. It is a well made film and even though it is hard to watch at times, you cannot help but watch. It is violent entertainment critiquing violence as entertainment and it does a very good job at achieving that goal.

Reid Volk
Reid Volk

Super Reviewer

"Once I buried two Arabs in a wall over there... Facing Mecca, of course.". Man Bites Dog is a very shocking, disturbing, and darkly funny documentary style film. It's one of the best documentary style films I've seen. The content isn't for everyone and is very graphic. A rape scene in this makes the one from A Clockwork Orange look like PBS television. The themes of this film are interesting in the least. What makes the film terrifying is the fact that there are people like this in the world. They aren't easy to spot. They seem normal, but they are capable of the extreme violence like that of the serial killer in this movie. Although it is graphic, the film is very funny as well. The killer makes a lot of smart cracks and some of the irony of the movie is pretty funny too. Some of the funniest scenes occur when the killer is talking about what he does in a serious manner. Not for everyone, but well worth the watch if you can tolerate the material. Last scene is amazing, and Blair Witch owes a lot to it.

Melvin White
Melvin White

Super Reviewer

½

I remember this movie. I kind of wish I had seen it before I saw the English-language remake from Britain, though (The Last Horror Movie). It's a fairly novel concept for a horror movie: a serial killer gets a documentary film crew to follow him around, and generates the films scares organically and simply through his own behaviour. I kind of feel the way I do when I watch a movie's parody before I see the original: when the first thing you've seen is a reworking, retooling and improvement on an idea, the original source text seems a little pale by comparison. The protagonst-killer in this movie is not nearly as likeable as he was in The Last Horror Movie, and the story isn't as inventive (not by a long shot) as Behind the mask. Still, for the time it was made and what it does, it's a very effective film. It gets extra points for being the first of its type (to my knowledge).

Emily Armstrong
Emily Armstrong

Super Reviewer

I can understand why people have certain problems with Man Bites Dog. Really I can. I just think they're wrong.Yes it's gruesome. Yes it displays a very warped sense of humor. Yes it sometimes goes to far in trying to repulse and cloud the moral sensibilities of its audience.But you either get it or you don't. The makers have not set out to make a movie intended to titillate the viewer, or to satisfy our morbid curiosities concerning serial killers. If that had been their intention they wouldn't have shot the film on cataract-inducing grainy black and white film.They've made a movie that examines the role of violence in society and more importantly in movies. They've made a purposefully repulsive character that only seeks to prove that old Hollywood moral conundrum - if the protagonist makes us laugh and occupies a large amount of screen time, we, the audience will forgive him no matter what he does.I don't think I have ever seen film that is quite like this, It's really the only insightful piece next to Psycho that really captures the psyche of a serial killer

Nelson Pickens
Nelson Pickens

Super Reviewer

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