Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Infamously icky horror movie is truly repulsive; skip it.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Human Centipede
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 14 parent reviews
Parents say that this movie seems to be polarizing, with some praising it as a delightful family film that captivates young children, while others warn that it is extremely graphic and unsettling, making it unsuitable for viewers, especially kids. Many reviews emphasize the misleading nature of its reputation, cautioning against its allegedly family-friendly label and suggesting it's better suited for older audiences who are prepared for its horror elements.
- family-friendly debate
- graphic content warning
- mixed reviews
- emotional reactions
- misleading reputation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 13 kid reviews
What's the Story?
In THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, Lindsay (Winter Williams, credited as Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) are American tourists in Germany. They decide to go to a night club but become lost in the woods and get a flat tire. And there's no cell service, and it starts to rain. So they start walking and happen upon a house belonging to the sinister Dr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser). He drugs the women and kidnaps them. When they wake next to a Japanese tourist named Katsuro (Akihiro Kitamura), Heiter explains his plans for the three of them. As a surgeon renowned for separating conjoined twins, Heiter has now concocted a sadistic plan to bring three humans together, mouth-to-anus, with a single digestive system. Can the prisoners escape, or does a horrible fate await them?
Is It Any Good?
A revolting movie that isn't campy or fun, takes itself too seriously, is rather dumb, and is actually less explicitly gory than you might imagine, this horror effort is closer to "horrible." The main goal of The Human Centipede is, like Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, to exploit a supposedly Big Idea and make it as repugnant as possible. Movies like this these are nothing more than tests for the audience. Watching them and "passing" the test may give you bragging rights, but there's no other value here.
It's especially frustrating that Lindsay and Jenny get themselves into this mess; the doctor doesn't even set a trap for them. They blunder into the woods and get a flat tire all on their own. And there's no explanation for how Katsuro even got there, nor the other person whose corpse Heiter gets rid of early on. (Do tourists just frequently pop by his remote house of their own volition?) Writer/director Tom Six tries to mix things up with some escape attempts and the arrival of a couple of police detectives, but that only serves to heighten the cruelty of the whole endeavor. Bottom line? The Human Centipede, which, disturbingly, spawned two sequels, is a movie that no one needs to see.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Human Centipede's violence. What reaction do you think the filmmakers were hoping to get from the movie? Is there value in pushing the envelope so far?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes enjoy being scared?
Have you ever done anything as an endurance test for nothing other than bragging rights? Why are humans often drawn to acts like that?
Would it have been better to know a little more about the characters before their ordeal? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 30, 2010
- On DVD or streaming : September 27, 2016
- Cast : Dieter Laser , Winter Williams , Ashlynn Yennie
- Director : Tom Six
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : disturbing sadistic horror violence, nudity and language
- Last updated : January 19, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate