Buffet Libre (2025) Film Review

Buffet Libre marks the third feature film from actor/director Zoe Berriatúa, and his first dive into more macabre subject matter. Here, the story follows an older Chinese couple, Xian (Yan Huang) and Ikki, whose restaurant, located in a Spanish mall, is threatened by bankruptcy. After the accidental death of a debt collector leads to the disposal of his body through a meat grinder, the pair begin a series of escalating events that see them murdering and serving those who are looking to sink their business. Much of the burden falls on Xian, who pushes herself for her husband’s sake to keep the business going, but her actions slowly begin to create a divide between them.

Yan Huang in Buffet Libre (2025)

The plot of a restaurant turning its patrons into meat is far from an original concept at this point. Yet it is essential to note that while many of those films, such as Green Butchers and Some Like it Rare, take a comedic approach, Buffet Libre maintains a bleak tone, focusing on character development. This gives a familiar formula enough of an edge to make it stand out among the many cannibal driven horror movies. Yet, the meal here is likely to have some components that won’t be to everyone’s taste. This includes the film being ‘horror’ only because of its grim subject matter as opposed to actually looking to illicit fear through shock or sensational imagery. Yes, there are some graphic murders within and plenty of meat-grinder shots, but it is delivered with a certain softness and build-up that feels more in tune with a telenovela than with a Paco Plaza film.

To be blunt, the movie’s saving grace is Yan Huang’s performance as Xian, as the film becomes solely about her struggle as a wife to an obnoxious, stubborn, and dull man. Her loyalty, though, never feels without merit; she is clearly driven and dedicated. Audiences will understand her desire to save her family, even if it is just the two of them, and the extent to which she will go to do so. This is conveyed through insightful dialogue that helps develop her character, including surreal visions of past victims who talk her through her crimes. Xian’s ordeal becomes a highly emotional affair, and what Zoe Berriatúa does most brilliantly in Buffet Libre is create a sympathetic character out of a killer.

Yan Huang, who appears to be in her first starring role here, is a pretty profound talent, showing that sometimes greatness can be hidden in international indie features; it is on par with the best performances from an older actor playing to her age I have ever seen. The story of Xian’s struggles with her husband and her rebirth through violence, backed by the phenomenal performance, is by far the best aspect of Buffet Libre and reason enough to indulge in this bleak cannibalistic drama.

Unfortunately, the rest of the production has some notable missteps. Notably, the rather cumbersome runtime of around an hour and fifty minutes is unnecessary for the story being told here. This could easily have been cut down to an hour and twenty minutes, without losing any elements of Xian’s story, and with its brutal and surreal moments feeling more impactful. Visually, the film tries for a stylish flair with a shifting color palette, but the result is more often garish. The score here feels non-existent, and every character outside of Xian feels cliché and boring, even her partner Ikki, who gets the same amount of screen time.

These are harsh but necessary critiques to prepare the audience for what Buffet Libre is: an impeccably told story about one woman’s dive into madness to protect her husband, whose profundity is dulled by some poor creative choices and story developments. Would I still recommend it? Yes, Yan Huang deserves that spotlight here, and the problems with the production don’t make what does work in Buffet Libre irremediable. Indeed, one can shift focus to what does work within and have a blast with this one; pay no mind to the unpalatable human gristle found in your hot pot.

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