• human centipede films are known for their lewd and disgusting content, but they have also sparked a craze for body horror.
  • In fact, the trilogy was inspired by the horrific events of Nazi Germany, in particular the experiments carried out by Dr. Josef Mengele.
  • Director Tom Six wanted to create an obnoxious film that was different from typical horror genres and the concept of the film human centipede originated from a disturbing joke about punishing child molesters.

Although disgusting, human centipede the films generated a deep admiration for the raw and twisted world of body horror. If you know, you know; if not, then you are probably more fit than the rest of us. Director Tom Six, Human centipede is a trilogy of films released in 2009, 2011 and 2015 that are widely regarded as depraved and disgusting. This is the story of three people who fall into the trap of a deranged German surgeon after their car breaks down. This surgeon has a morbid, twisted desire to torture them in various, inhuman ways and eventually turn the three into human centipedes. How does he plan to do this, you ask. Of course, he connects them through the gastric system! Simply put, he puts them on his hands and knees and stitches them from mouth to anus.

But do you know that Human centipede was actually inspired by some horror story? After reading the description of the film, it seems far-fetched that something of such a heinous nature could be based on something real - but it is! Between the disgusting history of Nazi Germany and the joke of Tom Six and his friends. Human centipede was born.

Is The Human Centipede Based On A True Story?

Josef Heiter at the wall with a projection of a human centipede.

During Nazi rule in Germany, some incredibly dubious doctors and surgeons performed experiments on concentration camp victims. In particular, one of these doctors was Dr. Josef Mengele. According to Chicago TribuneMengele is accused of killing some 400,000 Jews in Auschwitz in two years. While testifying at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, 30 survivors came forward to speak about the horrors of what Mengele was about to do. These survivors are only alive because they were twins. Mengele practiced eugenics, which is a set of practices whose main goal is to improve the genetic quality of the human population, usually by eliminating or trying to eradicate groups that were considered “inferior”. For eugenicists, twins were an ideal subject, since their differences were due only to behavior, not genetics. Ultimately, this means that they felt they could eliminate what they considered undesirable characteristics through selective breeding. Based on this information, we can conclude that Mengele was a true work of art.

The survivors mentioned earlier shared in their testimony some of the horrors that Mengele committed. One of them tore the baby out of the mother’s womb and threw it into the oven because it was not a twin. Another described how he pressed his eyeballs against the wall, as in a sadistic mural. Many of Mengele’s surviving subjects were deeply traumatized and sometimes deformed for life. Mengele is known to have attempted to force sterilizations, introduce diseases, amputate limbs, and even stitch twins together to reproduce Siamese twins. It seems quite obvious that the mad surgeon in Human centipedeDr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser) was named after and inspired by Dr. Josef Mengele.

The “human centipede” was also inspired by the joke

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Tom Six told IndieWire that he definitely wanted to make a movie that was uncomfortable. This is the understatement of the year, Mr. Six! He attributes the film’s success and popularity to being a new and fresh idea rather than a ghost story or slasher movie. In an interview with The keeperThe sixth said that he did not deal with morality, and the content Human centipede the trilogy really demonstrates this. In fact, another source of inspiration for Human centipede came from a joke between him and his friend. The joke in question is just as awful as the movie itself, in a very true Volume Six style. This joke is that the biggest punishment for a child molester would be to have an overweight truck driver stitched to his anus.

What else did Tom Six want to convey in The Human Centipede?

The human centipede, part one
Image via Bounty Films

sensationalism man centipede can make it difficult to understand the essence of the metaphors in the film. When you see a monster on screen followed by the lines “Feed her!” fully knowing what’s going to happen, it’s a bit difficult to get your brain to think critically. First sequence man centipede looks intensely at the impurities, and not only because of the contents of the intestines. The Nazi regime focused solely on the existence of impurities and how these leaders and physicians believed they should be disposed of. While the Nazis considered everyone who was not of the “master race” unclean, Six considered the idea that their history was corrupt and full of monsters.

The rest of the trilogy treats metaphors somewhat differently. The second episode demonstrates how the line between fantasy and reality can sometimes be blurred, especially in relation to obsessive adoration. The antagonist of the second film is obsessed with the first film and Dr. Hayter’s work, so he sets out to create his own human centipede. The final episode brings back the character of Dr. Hayter, but this time as a prison warden who, along with his peers, conspires to create an even bigger human centipede out of the prisoners after watching the first and second films (this gives Origin). The third film touches on a variety of issues: racism, xenophobia, violence and the prison system.

man centipede has become a test of endurance in the horror world. It’s a challenge for anyone to endure it all without wanting to get sick by closing their eyes or turning it off. Many critics will find this film too disgusting to enjoy, but those viewers who are really into body horror might be surprised at how absolutely insane these films are. man centipede can take raw horror to extremes, but his real-life inspirations materialize how toxic a society can be in the wrong hands. If you dare, you can see man centipede on AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple Video, but it might be best to keep a vomit bag handy.