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The release of Yellowjackets season 2 recently this year has resparked significant conversation around modern pop culture's intrigue and obsession with cannibalism. Ever since the 1991 classic The Silence of the Lambs featured Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in one of their finest performances, cinema and television have been an important part of the narrative around cannibalism.
With a rise amongst the audience for the crime genre along with explicit gore and eerie undertones, serial killers and cannibals have become popular characters on television. True crime shows and fictional stories have shown equal investment in the stories of disturbed killers. Yellowjackets, however, can be distinguished from the rest for its portrayal of savagery, which is weaved into the story.
Similarly, many other critically acclaimed and widely loved shows have managed to tell stories of cannibals and their habits through brilliant writing, rather than shallow sensationalism. Such shows also provide scope for some amazing performances and effective horror, which can be executed wonderfully to bring strange stories closer to home and leave an impactful impression on the audience.
Cannibal-themed shows like Yellowjackets
1) Hannibal
Hannibal is one of the finest psychological thrillers ever made. Even though the genres of psychological thrillers and horrors have only recently become very popular with shows like Yellowjackets, Hannibal was a show that spelled perfection way back in 2013. It starred Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy in an engaging and intriguing thriller that had some very deep comments to make about civilisation and human culture.
Mikkelsen delivered an almost flawless performance as he played Hannibal Lecter, a forensic psychiatrist who indulges in cannibalistic instincts. Themes of empathy, honor, friendship, truth and subjectivity are cleverly explored in a story that boasts inspiration from The Silence of the Lambs whilst still being a contemporary story that is true to itself.
Although everything in the series is worth discussing, the most prominent element that defines the show is the chemistry between Will, a criminal profiler, and Hannibal, the psychiatrist. The way the characters complement each other in their perspectives about humanity and life, makes the show one of the finest of our times.
2) Dahmer- Monster: The Jefferey Dahmer Story
Jeffery Dahmer is likely one of the most infamous serial killers who has become an integral part of pop culture's conversation around true crime. Netflix's recent interest in true crime and Dahmer's existing popularity among lovers of the genre caused Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story to become one of the most-watched shows of 2022.
Although the show did receive some criticism for sensationalizing the crimes of Dahmer, aka 'Milwaukee Cannibal,' the themes of cannibalism and death are deeply embedded into the narrative that dwells on the killer's childhood and the incidents that shaped his outlook.
In a way, the story attempts to understand what leads up to these instincts and how they are different from urges of other kinds, something that Yellowjackets also attempts to do. Evan Peters plays Dahmer and manages to mimic the killer with major similarities in body language and behavior, making the series all the more eerie and chilling.
3) Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer
Unlike Hannibal and The Jefferey Dahmer Story, Indian Predator also showed significant interest in the investigative procedure that went into catching a deadly serial killer. The story follows Ram Niranjan, a serial killer who was found guilty of slaying 14 people. However, after the court proceedings were complete, officials found a diary of the man that suggested far more gruesome crimes and incidents of cannibalism.
Several allegations, including the boiling and eating of human brains, were made against the man but were never proven in court. The fact that the suggestions towards cannibalism are vague and only subtle makes the show all the more interesting and chilling. It also sheds a lot of light on the killer's personal perspectives and intentions through the discovery of his diary.
Although the Netflix documentary could have been more insightful by prioritizing events over sensationalism, it still makes for a horrifying experience as gruesome details of the crime are revealed in a reserved manner.
4) Yellowjackets
Several shows, such as The Society, have been inspired by the themes of civilization as explored in The Lord of the Flies, where the need to start a new society forces survivors to come to terms with their innate social needs. Yellowjackets also starts off on a similar note, but magnifies the concept of the survival of the fittest as it emphasizes the possibility of cannibalism in such cases.
The story revolves around a group of high school girls who are stranded after a plane crash and are forced to give in to their cannibalistic and savage instincts. While the girls survive and make it out alive, the narrative sheds light on the fact that such instincts are not easily let go once they arrive. Yellowjackets explores the meaning of savagery and its persistence through civilization.
Unlike the other shows on the list, Yellowjackets is more likely to dramatize events and magnify themes of cannibalism. None of the drama is underplayed, making it an engaging watch. The second season of Yellowjackets was released on March 26, 2023, and the show has been renewed for a third season.
