What Is Cannibal Girls About?
The premise of Cannibal Girls in 290 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the snow‑bound outskirts of Ontario, Gloria and Clifford find their car stalled and their night suddenly unsettled. Seeking shelter, they drift into a solitary restaurant that seems frozen in time, its dim lighting and creaking walls hinting at a past that refuses to stay buried. The place exudes a quiet, oppressive atmosphere, where every clink of cutlery echoes like a warning and the faint scent of old meals lingers long after the kitchen has gone dark.
What begins as a simple respite quickly turns uncanny when the couple senses they are not alone. Whispers drift through the empty dining room, and shadowed figures emerge from the corners of the room—three women whose beauty is matched only by the cold, lingering grief that clings to them. These spectral hosts are bound to the restaurant by tragedy, and their presence suggests a restless hunger that has long fed on the fear of unsuspecting visitors. The film’s tone balances dread with a fragile intimacy, letting the viewer feel the weight of the night pressing in while the couple grapples with the unsettling realization that the past can be both alluring and deadly.
As the clock ticks toward dawn, Gloria and Clifford must decide whether to flee the suffocating silence or confront the lingering echoes of the three vengeful spirits. The isolated setting, the relentless cold, and the uncanny hospitality combine to create a palpable tension that makes every whispered breath feel like a summons. In this battle of survival, the couple’s bond is tested against a backdrop of haunted history, leaving them to wonder how much of the restaurant’s darkness is a reflection of the place itself and how much is a manifestation of the unresolved anguish that still haunts its walls.
What Happens in Cannibal Girls?
The complete story of Cannibal Girls, from the first scene to the last, in 834 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 9 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Gloria Wellaby and Clifford Sturges head north into a snowbound Ontario forest, seeking help in Farnhamville after their car grinds to a halt. What begins as a tense roadside scenario quickly spirals into a nightmare as an axe-wielding woman attacks, killing the boyfriend, ripping open the girlfriend’s shirt, and leaving a disturbing dab of blood between her breasts. The couple’s fragile calm shatters, and they must confront a chilling mystery that will push them into a town where old legends feel all too real.
The pair’s car struggles to run as they push into the secluded town, where a fellow traveler seeking his missing sister—a victim from the opening scene—adds an eerie, almost ritual feel to their misfortune. Stranded, the duo checks into a modest, rain-soaked motel run by an elderly woman, Mrs. Wainwright. The old host is the first to hint that Farnhamville hides a dark urban legend, whispering of a trio of seductive but murderous women known as the Cannibal Girls. The legend centers on three beautiful yet merciless figures—Anthea, Clarissa, and Leona—who lure men to their home, where they feast on them while still alive. Their grotesque ritual is aided by a strange, freakish helper named Bunker, whose existence heightens the town’s unsettling, cult-like ambience.
The film then unfolds in a sequence of brutal, staged encounters that blur sensuality and violence. In a secluded room, [Clarissa] kills a man with a swift knife strike, while [Anthea] and [Leona] orchestrate a far more unsettling assault on a second victim—each act carefully choreographed to emphasize the girls’ beauty and their merciless appetite. The third victim awakens, finds himself at their mercy, and is subjected to a terrifying ordeal: after a night of ambiguous intimacy, he is bound to a bed and subjected to the combined predation of all three women, who first lick his belly and then devour him alive. Throughout these acts, the town’s atmosphere tightens, hinting that the Cannibal Girls’ bloodletting sustains their youth and immortality.
Meanwhile, the traveler pursuing his sister is halted by local law enforcement, acting on directives from the Reverend Alex St. John, a charismatic authority figure who exerts a magnetic pull over Farnhamville. The Reverend, played by Reverend Alex St. John, wields religious confidence like a weapon, shaping the town’s sense of normalcy and fear alike. The narrative threads converge as the Cannibal Girls are implicated in the town’s most disturbing rumors, and Mrs. Wainwright’s dinner-table confidences hint that more is at stake than simple rural superstition.
A grim turn arrives when Clifford and Gloria are invited to a bed-and-breakfast where the Cannibal Girls supposedly once lived. The Reverend hosts a macabre, ritual feast in which Anthea, Clarissa, and Leona stand naked, offering their blood in a chalice to the Reverend and chanting a dark creed: “Within me and without me I honor the blood which gives me life.” The line, delivered with eerie calm, underlines a chilling philosophy that ties the town’s faith to its appetite for human life.
Thwarted by a ferocious storm and a warning about an escaped lunatic, the couple finds themselves trapped. Gloria experiences a nightmare where Clifford is bound and at the mercy of the three women, a dream that foreshadows the couple’s fragile grip on safety. In the real world, the telephone lines fail, and the buses won’t run until morning, leaving the couple with few options beyond facing the town’s other center of power—the Reverend and his ritual circle.
As tension escalates, Clifford’s suspicion and dependence toward Gloria twist into a lethal confrontation. When the sheriff eventually escorts Clifford and Gloria back to the Cannibal Girls’ dwelling, a terrible betrayal comes into view: Clifford plans to offer Gloria as a sacrifice to secure his own survival. The Reverend, however, surprises everyone by stepping back from outright violence and instead passes Gloria a mace. Enraged by her former lover’s betrayal, Gloria drives the mace into Clifford’s stomach, killing him instantly and cementing her own uneasy alliance with Farnhamville’s dark ritual.
In a final, uneasy tableau, the Reverend, the Cannibal Girls, the servant Bunker, and Gloria sit together at a table with Clifford’s corpse transformed into the meal. Gloria’s initial hesitation gives way to a grim resolve, and she begins to eat alongside the others as the ritual continues. The cannibal circle has claimed another victim, or perhaps more accurately, another participant in their endlessly renewing ceremony of blood and youth.
The film then closes with an epilogue that reframes the entire sequence as a story being told by Mrs. Wainwright to another couple stranded in town. The innkeeper’s narration suggests Farnhamville’s legend persists, a cyclical tale that blends fear, desire, and ritual into a single, shocking legend about three beauty-turned-ploodthirsty icons and the town that worships them.
Within me and without me I honor the blood which gives me life.
Included cast anchors and links:
Cannibal Girls Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening kill in a snowy forest” to “Epilogue twist”. 15 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Opening kill in a snowy forest
An axe-wielding female assailant attacks a couple in a snowy forest near Farnhamville. The boyfriend is killed and the girlfriend is left wounded, with blood smeared on her chest as the attacker departs. The scene establishes the Cannibal Girls as a horrific, blood-drenched threat.
Where:Snowy forest near Farnhamville
- 2
Car trouble and arrival in Farnhamville
Clifford and Gloria's car breaks down upon reaching the small town of Farnhamville. They meet another traveler searching for his missing sister and decide to check into a nearby motel. The town's isolation foreshadows the danger ahead.
Where:Farnhamville
- 3
Mrs. Wainwright and the Cannibal Girls legend
Mrs. Wainwright recounts the urban legend of the Cannibal Girls to the couple, describing Anthea, Clarissa, Leona, and their servant Bunker. The legend explains how the women lure men, feast on them alive, and drink their blood to stay young and immortal. The Reverend Alex St. John is hinted as the town's charismatic organizer.
Where:Bed and breakfast / Mrs. Wainwright's home
- 4
First victim killed by Clarissa
Clarissa kills the first victim in a secluded room, stabbing him in the gut with scissors while they are naked. The act is intimate and brutal, signaling the ritualistic brutality of the Cannibal Girls. This marks the first of several ritualistic killings.
Where:Secluded room
- 5
Second murder by Leona and Anthea
Leona stalks a second victim with a knife, providing a diversion for Anthea to hack him with an axe. The coordinated attack underscores the group’s predatory alliance. The victim is dispatched in a cold, ritualistic fashion.
Where:Unspecified location
- 6
Third victim's fate
The third victim awakens the next day, has a moment of intimacy with Anthea, and is later tied to a bed and eaten alive by all three Cannibal Girls. They begin by licking his belly before consuming him, completing the trio's gruesome ritual.
Where:Unknown location
- 7
Traveler murdered by police
The traveler searching for his missing sister is murdered by the local police at the Reverend's request. This demonstrates the Reverend's control over the town and his willingness to silence outsiders. The incident underscores the grim authority structure surrounding the Cannibal Girls.
Where:Farnhamville
- 8
Dinner at the bed and breakfast
Clifford and Gloria are taken to a bed and breakfast where the Cannibal Girls supposedly lived years before. They meet the host, Reverend Alex St. John, who exerts a charismatic hold on the town. The meal scene hints at the town's dark underbelly.
Where:Bed and breakfast
- 9
The town gathering and the ritual
The town holds a gathering dedicated to Reverend St. John. Anthea, Clarissa, and Leona stand naked around a small table, offering their blood in a chalice while chanting about life through blood. The ritual underscores the church-like power structure that sustains the cannibal cult.
Where:Town gathering
- 10
Stormy night and Gloria's nightmare
A thunderstorm traps the couple as the Reverend's influence tightens. Gloria experiences a nightmare in which Clifford is sacrificed, reinforcing the danger while revealing it as a dream. The dream foreshadows the peril still to come.
Where:Bed and breakfast / town
Show the other 5 events of Cannibal Girls Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Clifford's growing craving
Clifford develops a craving for the town's diners' food, which is revealed to be human meat. Gloria cannot place a call due to broken lines and the buses won't depart until morning, trapping them further in Farnhamville's web. The couple's dynamics begin to fracture under the cult's influence.
Where:Town diners / Farnhamville
- 12
The sheriff encounters the couple
The sheriff returns with the couple to the Cannibal Girls' bed and breakfast. Clifford intends to sacrifice Gloria to the Reverend in exchange for his life, but the Reverend unexpectedly changes course and offers Gloria a mace. The power shift moment reframes the impending danger.
Where:Bed and breakfast
- 13
Gloria's act of self-preservation
Fueled by the betrayal, Gloria kills Clifford with a mace, ending their relationship and removing him as the dinner table's centerpiece. The act marks Gloria's complete surrender to the Cannibal Girls' world. The dynamics within the group intensify as power shifts occur.
Where:Bed and breakfast
- 14
The final cannibal feast
In the final scene, the Reverend, Anthea, Clarissa, Leona, Bunker, and Gloria sit at the table as Clifford is served as the meal. Gloria hesitates at first but, encouraged by the Reverend, she joins in and consumes him. The ritual concludes with the cannibals united in their grim sustenance.
Where:Bed and breakfast dining table
- 15
Epilogue twist
In the epilogue, Mrs. Wainwright reveals that she is telling the tale to another couple, casting the Cannibal Girls as a continuing Farnhamville legend. The legend hints there are more cannibals than previously suggested and frames the story as folklore rather than a closed-off incident. The film ends on a note that the horror persists beyond the immediate events.
Where:Mrs. Wainwright's narration
Who Are the Main Characters in Cannibal Girls?
8 characters, among them Gloria Wellaby (Andrea Martin), Clifford Sturges (Eugene Levy) and Anthea (Randall Carpenter): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 7 of them link to the actor’s page.
-
Gloria Wellaby (Andrea Martin)
Played by Andrea Martin
A wary traveler who partners with Clifford but is drawn into Farnhamville’s deadly secret. She begins by seeking safety but gradually becomes entangled in the Cannibal Girls’ ritual, showing resourcefulness under pressure and a capacity for moral ambiguity.
- 👤 Protagonist
- 🧭 Cautious
- 🩸 Survivalist
-
Clifford Sturges (Eugene Levy)
Played by Eugene Levy
A practical, stubborn partner whose sense of self-preservation overrides loyalty. His fear and self-interest drive a crucial betrayal that catalyzes Gloria’s transformation and the town’s dark turn.
- 👤 Co-lead
- 🧭 Self-Preserving
- 🗡️ Threat
- A(
Anthea (Randall Carpenter)
Played by Randall Carpenter
One of the Cannibal Girls, whose seductive charm hides a willingness to kill. She embodies predatory sensuality and a casual brutality that sustains the trio’s appetite.
- 👤 Antagonist
- 🗡️ Predator
- 🩸 Bloodthirsty
- C(
Clarissa (Bonnie Neilson)
Played by Bonnie Neilson
Another Cannibal Girl, she stalks and executes victims with a calm, lethal precision. Her beauty masks a dangerous hunger that fuels the town’s secret rites.
- 👤 Antagonist
- 🗡️ Predator
- 🩸 Bloodthirsty
- L(
Leona (Mira Pawluk)
Played by Mira Pawluk
The third Cannibal Girl who combines allure with brutal violence. Her actions help trap victims and drive the ritual’s momentum.
- 👤 Antagonist
- 🗡️ Predator
- 🩸 Bloodthirsty
- RA
Reverend Alex St. John ( Ronald Ulrich )
Played by Ronald Ulrich
The town’s charismatic religious leader, whose authority legitimizes the cannibal cult. His influence extends over both townspeople and the Cannibal Girls, orchestrating the ritual with unsettling calm.
- 👤 Leader
- 🕯️ Cult Master
- 🗝️ Manipulator
- MW
Mrs. Wainwright (May Jarvis)
Played by May Jarvis
The elderly host who shelters the couple and serves as the narrator of the epilogue. Her role frames Farnhamville’s myth as a story told to newcomers, hinting at an ongoing cycle.
- 👤 Narrator
- 🏡 Host
- 🗝️ Keeper
- B
Bunker
The freakish servant associated with the Cannibal Girls, adding a disturbing, almost supernatural edge to the trio’s operations.
- 👤 Henchman
- 🪨 Monstrous
- 🗡️ Silent Threat
Where and When Is Cannibal Girls Set?
Cannibal Girls is set in Farnhamville, Ontario, Mrs. Wainwright's Bed and Breakfast. Here is why the place matters to the story.
When
The events unfold over a tight, twilight-to-dawn timeframe in a remote town, punctuated by a thunderstorm. Nighttime dangers and a breakdown of communication—no working phone lines and delayed buses—trap the protagonists and escalate tension. The setting uses weather and isolation to heighten dread rather than presenting a clear historical period.
Where
Farnhamville, Ontario, Mrs. Wainwright's Bed and Breakfast
A remote Ontario town sits amid a snowy forest where the story unfolds. Farnhamville is presented as quiet and quaint on the surface, yet it houses a hidden ritual led by a charismatic Reverend. The bed and breakfast run by Mrs. Wainwright becomes the centerpiece of the cannibal legend, revealing the town’s dark undercurrents.
- ❄️ Snowy
- 🏘️ Small Town
- 🪵 Rural
- 🎭 Gothic Atmosphere
What Are the Themes of Cannibal Girls?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Cannibalism, Cult and Betrayal.
-
01
Cannibalism
The core premise hinges on the three Cannibal Girls luring men to their home and consuming them alive to prolong youth and immortality. Blood is ritualized and central to the mythology that animates the town. The acts of feeding anchor the film’s horror and eerie longevity of the women’s appetites.
-
02
Cult
A charismatic Reverend wields control over Farnhamville, shaping social norms and silencing dissent. The townspeople participate in ceremonies and follow the Reverend’s orders, revealing how charm and ritual can coerce a community. The three women operate within and around this cult-like structure, blurring lines between worship and predation.
-
03
Betrayal
The relationship between Gloria and Clifford deteriorates as fear and survival override trust. Clifford’s willingness to sacrifice Gloria to save himself reflects a brutal reversal of romance. Gloria’s eventual act of violence marks a dark shift from victim to participant in the town’s deadly ritual.
-
04
Isolation
The remote town, severed communications, and inescapable weather create a claustrophobic atmosphere. The snow, thunderstorm, and remote bed-and-breakfast trap the protagonists with the Cannibal Girls. Isolation heightens paranoia, making every character’s choices feel like a last chance against a predatory world.
What Kind of Film Is Cannibal Girls?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A dark and steadily paced horror film that creates an intensely eerie and claustrophobic atmosphere as a couple uncovers a town's grotesque secret, culminating in a bleak and disturbing ritualistic ending.
- eerie
- claustrophobic
- grotesque
- suspenseful
- nightmarish
- ritualistic
- cannibalism
- small town secrets
- betrayal
- ritual sacrifice
Content notes: cannibalism, graphic violence, ritual murder, betrayal, bodily mutilation.
Quiz
How well do you remember Cannibal Girls? Test yourself on the story.
Where to Watch Cannibal Girls
Stream it on Fawesome and Hoopla, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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