Taxidermia

Taxidermia (2005)

  • 81% of critics liked it
    (47 reviews)

  • 76% of users liked it
    (5,742 ratings)

A strange young man takes his family's long tradition of bizarre behavior to new heights (or depths) in this wildly perverse and explicit horror comedy from director György Pálfi. Kálmán Balatony (Gergo Trócsányi) is a grotesquely fat gentleman who was fathered by an angry hospital orderly… More

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Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
György Pálfi, Zsofia Ruttkay
Genres
Drama, Horror, Art House & International, Comedy
In Theaters
Feb 3, 2006 Wide
Regent Releasing

Critic Reviews

  • Eddie Cockrell, Variety

    Taxidermia sets a benchmark for body horror in the cinema.

  • Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

    Taxidermia is a brilliant, often grotesquely bizarre allegory on life in Hungary from World War II to the present, a surrealist fantasy exploring the limits of the body and its desires and altogether a darkly funny comedy.

  • V.A. Musetto, New York Post

    And now a word of advice from your friendly film critic: If you go to see the Hungarian black comedy Taxidermia, don't plan to eat afterward.

  • Stephen Holden, New York Times

    Produces nightmarish horror and formal beauty in a surreal, Central European blend.

  • Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

    Those who pride themselves on iron guts will want to trek down to Cinema Village for this surreal, stunty endurance test, occasionally redeemed by a darkly Pythonesque sense of humor.

Read all 18 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Carlos M


    An interesting film that may be too repulsive but still we never look away. With a memorable direction and camera work, it tells a cynical (and often hilarious) story about three generations of deviant men who are a reflection of Hungary's History since WWII.

  • Greg S


    A surrealist take on three generations of bizarre and perverted Hungarians: a horny army soldier (whose penis spouts fire), a competitive eater, and a taxidermist. It's technically well done and ranks high on the "I've never seen THAT before" weird grossout scale,… More

  • Luke B


    Disgusting at times but also beautiful in the way it is presented. A great visual style, wonderful lighting and an imaginative series of events leads to a film unlike most others. One scene involves a pop-up book come to life. A whole film should be shot this way as that single moment… More

  • Gordon A


    Bizarre visceral story of three ages of man which has some wonderful visual flourishes backed up with great sound. The middle story is laced with a dark humour but I'm not quite sure of the point of it all.

  • Saskia D


    Sick, disturbing and brilliant.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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Trailers & Clips