Feed Me is the latest thriller directed by Adam Leader and Richard Oakes, starring the likes of Neal Ward as Lionel Flack, Christopher Mulvin as Jed Freeman, Samantha Loxley as Liv Freeman, and more.
The narrative follows a man named Jed, whose life is consumed by the recent passing of his wife. Jed’s path collides with the enigmatic Lionel Fleck, a man deeply involved in assisted suicide. However, Lionel’s actions and behaviors are not only unsettling but also hint at something more sinister. Jed is unwillingly pulled into Lionel’s world, a place where violence and macabre are everyday occurrences. As the story progresses, Jed begins to unravel the true nature of Lionel’s activities, which leads to an intense and suspenseful climax. This work explores themes of loss, the isolation that can arise from grief, and the darkness that lurks within individuals.
Spoilers Ahead
A Strange Way Of Helping
Jed Freeman is a man shattered by the tragic loss of his beloved wife, Liv. Their once-blissful union had grown strained in the wake of their nuptials, with Liv pulling away from Jed and battling her own social demons. Despite his best efforts to reassure her of her beauty and worth, Liv remained convinced of her own ugliness, and their once-cherished bond slowly crumbled. In a desperate bid to salvage their love, Jed made countless attempts to reconnect with Liv, but to no avail. Ultimately, before they could reconcile, Liv took her own life, leaving Jed reeling with grief and regret.
The discovery of Liv’s body by the police, surrounded by the buzz of swarming flies and the stench of decay, only compounded Jed’s anguish. He was left to confront the painful reality that his beloved wife had suffered alone and in silence, unable to find solace in their strained relationship. Now, Jed is left to pick up the shattered pieces of his life and make sense of the tragic loss that has left him broken and adrift. Jed has considered suicide on more than one occasion, but he just can’t bring himself to go through with it. After Liv’s funeral, Jed meets Lionel Flack, a weird middle-aged man who promises to take all his grief away and leaves him with his card. But as Jed soon discovered, Lionel’s brand of “help” was far more sinister than he could have ever imagined. Lionel was actually a purveyor of assisted suicide, offering people like Jed an escape from their pain through a final, irreversible act that is devouring his fellow callers. Jed, believing this to be the only way, signs the agreement, and Lionel takes him back to his home, where Jed will be living till the end of the procedure.
The Procedure
Lionel’s home speaks volumes about his work, with dull, flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the walls, meat cleavers of varying sizes hanging ominously from hooks on the walls, and a kitchen table stained with old blood splatters. First, Lionel cooks one of Jed’s fingers to see if his tastebuds enjoy the taste, and they do. For the next part, Lionel straps Jed to a chair, laces him with anesthetics, and begins slicing his arm with a sawblade; however, the ensuing pain is too much for Jed to bear, and he asks Lionel to stop. But unfortunately, Lionel is already halfway through it and needs to finish to cauterize the hand. His incessant yelling and screaming caught their neighbors’ attention, forcing them to call the police.
While the cops initially seemed skeptical, Lionel’s acting skills and quick thinking managed to convince them that the screaming was merely a sound effect from an old horror movie he was watching. He even offered the officers a taste of the meal he had been cooking earlier, claiming it to be a delicious veal dish. The officers, satisfied with Lionel’s explanation and charmed by his hospitality, leave without further investigation. Jed was haunted by the ghost of his dead wife, Liv, whose presence served as a constant reminder of his guilt. He couldn’t help but think of the final argument they had before she died, wherein, in a heated confrontation, he told her that he wanted her gone. Afterward, Liz starved herself and died when her insides ruptured. The realization hit him hard, and he was filled with a deep sense of remorse and sorrow. He couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been different if he had only known what Liv was going through and had been more understanding. On the other hand, Lionel was awkward and shy, often struggling to carry on a conversation or make eye contact with others. He found it easier to express himself through his food, letting the flavors and textures do the talking for him. Fortunately, in the midst of all the cutting and cooking, he strikes up an unusual friendship with his “ingredient.”
‘Feed Me’ Ending
Jed had reached his breaking point, unable to bear the gruesome reality of Lionel’s actions any longer. He knew he had to escape, but Lionel reminded him of the contract he had signed, which bound him to the chef’s twisted plan. Jed was stuck, trapped in a nightmare that seemed to have no end. But as he spent more time with Lionel, Jed began to see through his facade. He realized that the chef was nothing more than a predator, a man who devoured everything he wished he could be. Underneath the surface, Lionel was just a child starved of love, desperate for attention and recognition. Jed’s empathy for Lionel’s troubled past began to wane as he realized the true extent of the chef’s depravity. Unfortunately, Lionel doesn’t take kindly to his words and responds by drugging him and cutting his foot so he can’t leave. As if that weren’t enough, Lionel also takes out his frustrations on the woman, Marry Higgins. Just as Jed was planning his escape, the police arrived at Lionel’s house to arrest him for his crimes. However, things took a dark turn when Lionel turned on the officers, using his culinary skills as weapons to subdue them. In the end, the police became some of Lionel’s latest victims, adding to the growing body count of those consumed by his madness. Since Lionel expects reinforcements any minute now, he takes Jed out of the freezer and forces him to eat his own leg. Luckily, Jed got the upper hand and slammed his head on the table, causing the splintered log to rise and stab Lionel in the face, putting an end to all the madness. This harrowing experience made him realize that no matter how challenging it seemed, the only way to find true healing and peace was to face his suffering and find a way ahead. Armed with his newfound perspective, Jed is finally ready to let go of his guilt.