Sophie and Vincent Pascal are a married couple running a struggling butcher shop that is on the brink of bankruptcy, much like their crumbling relationship. Their lives take a gruesome but lucrative turn when Vincent accidentally kills a vegan activist who vandalized their store. Desperate to dispose of the body, he processes the meat and accidentally sells it to customers, who can't get enough of the unique taste. To save their business and reignite their marriage, the couple embarks on a dark crusade: hunting vegans to keep their display case full.
Information |
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Language |
French |
Country |
France |
Premiere date |
October 27, 2021 |
Running time |
87 minutes |
Genre |
Horror Comedy |
Budget |
$6,500,000 |
Box Office |
$1,877,500 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Fabrice Eboué |
Produced by |
Julien Deris David Gauquié Jean-Luc Ormières |
Written by |
Fabrice Eboué Vincent Solignac |
Music by |
Guillaume Roussel |
Cinematography |
Thomas Brémond |
Edited by |
Alice Plantin |
Production Co. |
Cinéfrance TF1 Studio Apollo Films |
Distributed by |
Apollo Films |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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The Plot
The Butchers on the Brink
In a quiet provincial French town, Vincent and Sophie Pascal run a small, struggling butcher shop that has been in the family for generations. Vincent is a traditional artisan who treats his meat with immense respect, massaging steaks and preaching quality, but the business is hemorrhaging money. Their marriage is equally cold; the passion has long since evaporated, replaced by financial stress and weary silence. Sophie spends her days at the cash register, bored and listless, obsessively watching true crime documentaries about serial killers on TV, while Vincent tries to maintain his dignity despite the lack of customers.
Their humiliation deepens during a dinner with their wealthy, obnoxious friends, Marc and Stéphanie Brachard, who run a successful industrial meat empire. Marc mocks Vincent’s artisanal methods, flaunting his luxury lifestyle and further emasculating Vincent. To make matters worse, the Pascal’s butcher shop is violently vandalized by a group of militant vegan activists who douse Sophie in fake blood and smash the windows. The incident leaves Vincent heartbroken and Sophie furious, pushing their relationship to the breaking point. Sophie explicitly tells Vincent she wants a divorce, citing his lack of fight and their impending bankruptcy.
A Bloody Accident
The turning point arrives on a lonely country road. While driving, Vincent and Sophie spot one of the vegan activists—a young man named Lucas, known online as "V-Power"—cycling alone. In a moment of chaotic frustration, Vincent accidentally rams the cyclist, killing him instantly. Panic sets in. Terrified of going to prison and losing everything, Vincent decides not to call the police. Instead, relying on his professional skills, he takes the body back to the shop's cold room to dispose of it the only way he knows how: by treating it like a carcass.
Vincent expertly butchers the body, intending to throw the bags of flesh into the trash. However, in the confusion of the next morning, Sophie unwittingly places the trays of human meat in the display case. Before Vincent can stop her, a customer buys a cut. Vincent is terrified, but later that day, the customer returns, raving about the exquisite taste and tenderness of the meat, asking for more of this "special" pork. Thinking on his feet, Vincent improvises a name: "Iranian Pork," claiming the animals are fed a stress-free diet of dates and massages.
Supply and Demand
Word spreads like wildfire. The "Iranian Pork" becomes a local sensation, with lines stretching down the block. For the first time in years, the shop is profitable, and the town is buzzing. However, the supply is gone. Sophie, realizing that this secret ingredient is the key to saving their business and their lifestyle, pushes Vincent to acquire more "stock." Vincent is initially horrified by the idea of murder, but the intoxicating taste of success—and Sophie's sudden renewed sexual attraction to him—weighs heavily on his conscience.
They decide to hunt. They begin targeting vegans specifically, rationalizing that these people are "grass-fed" and free of the toxins found in industrial meat eaters. They infiltrate vegan circles and use dating apps to lure victims. Their first calculated kill is clumsy and brutal, but they manage to secure the meat. As they continue, the dynamic shifts: Sophie, fueled by her true crime obsession, becomes the bloodthirsty mastermind, finding a thrill in the hunt, while Vincent, the artisan, focuses solely on the "craft" of preparing the meat, dissociating the victim from the product.
The Family Dinner
The stakes rise when their daughter, Chloé, brings her new boyfriend, Winnie, to dinner. To Vincent and Sophie's horror, Winnie is a staunch vegan. Sophie looks at the young man not as a future son-in-law, but as a prime cut of meat. She pressures Vincent to kill Winnie, arguing that he is the perfect specimen—young, healthy, and strictly herbivorous. Vincent, however, begins to bond with the boy, respecting his conviction even if he disagrees with his diet. The tension at the dinner table is palpable, with Sophie making veiled cannibalistic jokes while holding a carving knife, while Vincent struggles with the moral line of killing someone they know.
Simultaneously, their success attracts the suspicion of Marc Brachard. Jealous of Vincent’s sudden turnaround and the superior quality of the "Iranian Pork," Marc tries to uncover their supplier. He breaks into their shop or confronts them, leading to a tense standoff. Vincent, realizing the danger Marc poses, ends up killing his former friend, adding him to the inventory. However, they soon discover that meat from a carnivore (Marc) tastes terrible and bitter compared to the vegans, reinforcing their strict "dietary" requirements for their victims.
The Final Course
The situation spirals out of control as the police begin closing in on the missing persons cases involving the vegans. Sophie becomes increasingly reckless, addicted to the adrenaline and the money. Vincent, exhausted and guilt-ridden, wants out. He realizes they have become monsters. The climax occurs during a chaotic confrontation where they attempt to raid a vegan sanctuary for a mass slaughter to stock up one last time before fleeing. The raid goes awry, turning into a violent struggle.
In the ensuing chaos, they are cornered. Vincent makes a final stand to protect Sophie, but the law catches up with them. They are arrested, their shop is closed, and the grisly truth of the "Iranian Pork" is revealed to the horrified public. The "Barbaque" scandal becomes a national media sensation.
Just Desserts
The film jumps forward to the aftermath. Vincent and Sophie are in prison, serving life sentences. They sit across from each other in the visitation room or are visited by their daughter, Chloé. Far from being traumatized, Chloé reveals she has taken over the family trade, implied to be continuing the dark legacy in some form or simply acknowledging their "craft."
In a final dark twist demonstrating the family's twisted bond, Chloé slides a small package across the table to her parents. It is a sandwich. Vincent takes a bite, his eyes lighting up with recognition. It is "Iranian Pork." The film ends with the realization that the daughter has not only accepted her parents' crimes but has adopted their recipe, ensuring the secret of the "special meat" lives on.
