*I feel the need to add to this article the fact that I was engaged as a freelance contributor to the film’s post-production team, specifically responsible for creating the end credits. While this does make me part of the film’s crew, this fact has not influenced my thoughts on the film in any way.*

Human Hibachi 3: The Last Supper is a 2025 found footage horror film written and directed by Mario Cerito. It is the third and final feature-length instalment in Mario’s cannibal series, comprising Human Hibachi (2020), Human Hibachi 2: Feast in the Forest (2022), and the short film Human Hibachi: The Beginning (2023).

A man suffering from hyper-religiosity leads a cult of fervent followers to partake in a “last supper”, where sacrificed humans are the main course.

Starting at the conclusion of the previous title, Human Hibachi 3’s narrative feels like a return to the themes of the original entry. While Human Hibachi 2 presented itself as more of a home video featuring a deeply disturbed backwoods family, this instalment reconnects with its roots in snuff film production and the Asian black market associated with Human Hibachi. Additionally, the film is rich with callbacks to earlier titles, such as the now infamous “Give me that Red” scene, which fans of the series will instantly recognise.

What sets this entry apart from its predecessors is the introduction of religious elements through the cult’s megalomaniacal piety. The embellishment of Christianity to encompass categorically non-Christian ideals—namely, human sacrifice, murder, cannibalism, and suicide—is an exaggerated reflection of many contemporary religious movements. It serves to justify various despicable rhetoric and injustices in the name of a faith that objectively denounces such behaviour, adding a haunting depth to the narrative.

The cinematography adheres to a similar formula as before, employing a single handheld camera shot occasionally broken up by wider-angled faux security camera footage to break up the monotony of an extended single camera angle. However, there are a few instances of varying cinematography techniques, such as footage from a phone camera mounted on a sacrificial victim to offer a POV perspective of the murder, providing a refreshing variation of angles within the realm of found footage. Moreover, the use of coloured lighting and post-production tinting over these torture scenes visually imbues the brutality they carry expertly.

Implimenting a similar level of grotesque gore as the previous entries, Human Hibachi 3 certainly delivers the goods when it comes to the vivid practical effects. Chock full of the graphic depictions of mutilation, murder, and ‘man-eating’ fans of the series have come to expect, the film relishes in this grisly spectacle with zeal. The prosthetic body parts, copious fake blood, and real meat and organs create a visceral portrayal of ritual sacrifice and dismemberment, making them standout elements not only in this film, but of the whole series.

Featuring a diversified range of characterisations from the cast, the acting can vary from meritorious to mawkish. However, the stand-out performances are delivered by the cult’s leader, Russel Rin, played by TJ Wren, delivering a maniacal portrayal of religious delusions and debauchery. Aunt Maureen, portrayed by scream queen Debbie Rochon, provides a delightfully exaggerated depiction of the cult’s matriarch. Additionally, Human Hibachi 3 features a cast far larger than all previous entries combined, with 38 named characters and numerous extras. Several characters from Human Hibachi and Human Hibachi 2 return, such as Doug Patrick (Jeff Alpert), Bobby Shields (Stafford Chavis), Aikio (Zachary Chueng Pun), and Jin Yamamoto (Wataru Nishida), reprising their roles for this final chapter.

A brutally visceral depiction of human sacrifice and cannibalism, Human Hibachi 3: The Last Supper provides a fitting finale to a series that has amassed a cult following since 2020. With its reconnection to the themes of the original, expansion into new narrative territory, impressively gruesome effects, and solid acting performances, the film is destined to appeal to dedicated fans and aficionados of independent genre cinema alike.

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Human Hibachi 3: The Last Supper (2025) is available to preorder, signed by director Mario Cerrito at humanhibachi@gmail.com

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