[FrightFest 2026] FILM REVIEW: Bowels of Hell

Bowels of Hell - FrightFest UK Premiere Review

Director: Gurcius Gewdner, Gustavo Vinagre

Starring: Martha Nowill, Benjamin Damini, Majeca Angelucci, Octavia Muller, Maria Gladys, Bruce La Bruce

Written by: Gurcius Gewdner, Gustavo Vinagre, Antonia Baudouin

Produced by: Tereza Alvarez, Berta Marchiori, Rodrigo Teixeira

Cinematography by: Daniel Venosa

Original Score by: Arthur Joly

Synopsis:

A mother battling trauma faces a surreal nightmare when toilets mysteriously transform into killer beings, forcing her to confront both her personal demons and these bizarre supernatural threats.

Thoughts:

John Waters is the master of filth. From 'Pink Flamingos' to 'A Dirty Shame', Waters pushed the boundaries of what people had ever seen before on a cinema screen. Of course, many film makers are influenced by John Waters work. Harmony Korine, Dawn Luebbe, Jocelyn DeBoer and Jim Hosking have all tipped their hats to Waters, all pushing the limits of depravity and bad taste.  Other filmmakers just like to watch Devine eat dog poo off the ground. This is the bracket in which 'Bowels of Hell' lies…  

You know a films is going to be a challenge when it opens on a close up of an actual shit in a toilet.  I’m no prude, I love a good poop joke and it’s part of the reason I was looking forward to watching this film. Unfortunately, the film wants to be a deep drama about the loss of a child, being a mother and being accepted while also having a character who can read the skid marks in your trunks like she’s reading your future.

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Directing duo Gustavo Vinagre and Gurcius Gewdner are clearly lovers of 80s schlock horror and I applaud their use of low budget special effects and their inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters. The main problem with 'Bowels of Hell' is its confusing tone. At times, it’s trying to pull at the heartstrings and the next moment, we’ve a shot of a man’s actual arsehole. If this was a 80 minute fun romp, full of filth and mayhem, I’d be all about it. At almost 2 hours runtime, the “drama” sections drag the plot down to a halt. Also, it’s a film that thinks it’s being mean to certain characters with disabilities or elderly, but it’s all surface level; like an imitation of a dogma 95 project.  

Martha Nowill is fantastic as Malu and truly carries the film through some of its more ridiculous moments. All of the actors are doing their best with the material they have. Some characters are giving heartfelt speeches about being a mother then the very next scene, having their intestines sucked down a toilet. There’s a scene that involves a pregnant woman and a toilet which I feel like a lot of people will be talking about that scene in years to come. It truly is something…something that a lot of people might complain about but good on the directors for going as far and as ridiculous as they did.  

The whole film has this weird filter over the top of it to make it feel like an old 70’s trashy movie, but I don’t feel like the film needs it and ultimately takes away from the feature. The cinematography as a whole is serviceable; the film does its best with its low budget and it’s clear that most of the money went into the special effects which are both gross and funny, everything you’d want from this type of film. While the poo stuff is a bit full on (like seeing actual poops and butts), it is very funny. There’s something very early Peter Jackson about the lengths the ridiculous scenes will go.  

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'Bowels of Hell' is highly offensive, sickening and outrageous but unfortunately, it’s not enough to carry it through some of its more boring moments. It’s definitely a film that’ll play well with a crowd of people going into the film blind, but for me, the poo madness became too predictable and left me feeling a bit stale. 

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️

-Adam Neeson

'Bowels of Hell' received its UK Premiere at FrightFest '26 on August 27th