Megalomaniac – Fantasia 2022
July 14 to August 3, 2022
Two siblings follow in the footsteps of their serial killer father in Megalomaniac. Martha (Eline Schumacher) and Felix (Benjamin Ramon) are the offspring of “The Butcher,” a serial killer who terrorized Belgium in 1997. While Felix seems to be following in his father’s footsteps by kidnapping and killing women, Martha tries to work a regular job as a janitor at a factory. However, as Martha routinely becomes a victim of abuse and rape by the factory workers, it isn’t long before she joins her brother down a dark path.
Megalomaniac is a horror film written and directed by Belgian filmmaker Karim Ouelhaj, inspired by the real-life serial killer The Butcher of Mons, who committed at least five murders between January 1996 and July 1997. The film imagines The Butcher had children who followed in their murderous father’s footsteps. While his son Felix is already an established serial killer, the plot of the film follows Martha’s path into the darkness.
To say that Megalomaniac isn’t a very pleasant watch is a bit of an understatement. Not only does the film feature graphic depictions of the kidnapping and murder of women, but Martha is also routinely a victim of rape, and it’s insinuated at one point that she and Felix share an incestuous relationship. While the plot of the film has a lot to dissect, the highly disturbing nature of Megalomaniac makes it a film that is not for casual consumption.
