The Woman (2011 film)

A feral woman circles what appears to be her child. A wolf, apparently tamed by the feral woman, circles the infant as well, but does it no harm. Although it is not referenced in the film, the woman is the last remaining member of a cannibalistic tribe that has roamed the northeast coast for decades (as seen in the 2009 film Offspring).

Chris Cleek, a country lawyer, sits at a local barbecue with his family. His oldest daughter, Peggy, sits off to the side, upset. His only son, Brian, watches as a couple of boys abuse and push a small girl into a corner and makes no effort to save her. While out hunting, Chris happens upon the woman, who is bathing. He returns with a net in an effort to capture her. He knocks her out and returns home with her, restrains her in a cellar, and directs his family to participate in "civilizing" her.

Over the following days, the family is revealed to be dysfunctional. Brian enjoys causing pain to others. Peggy is withdrawn and afraid of her father, who gives the appearance of a smart, charming man. Chris's first attempt to approach the woman results in her biting off and eating his ring finger. Chris and his wife, Belle, argue, and the youngest daughter, Darlin', attempts to befriend the imprisoned woman. Chris's will prevails and he orchestrates a violent series of civilizing measures.

Chris bathes the woman with boiling water and later decides to bathe her with a high-pressure power washer, causing her extreme pain. Belle watches in horror, but Peggy rushes to the woman's aid and turns off the washer. Peggy is forced into the house, while Belle and Chris move the woman back into the cellar. Later, Chris rapes the woman while Brian secretly observes. The next day, Brian also violates the woman and is caught by Peggy. Belle, unable to stand it anymore, announces her intention to leave Chris and take their two daughters, but not their rapist son. Chris knocks Belle unconscious just before Peggy's teacher, Ms. Raton, rings the doorbell. Ms. Raton tells Chris that she believes Peggy is pregnant. He becomes angry, believing that she will somehow expose the family's secret, and knocks her unconscious. He and Brian tie her hands and drag her to the barn where he keeps German shepherds. Peggy protests, but Chris subjects her to a vicious verbal assault.

In the barn, Chris and Brian lock Ms. Raton in the dog's cage. The cage is shown to also contain an eyeless girl named "Socket", the Cleek's other daughter, who behaves like the two dogs. Ms. Raton revives and tries to escape, but Socket and the dogs kill and eat her. Peggy releases the imprisoned woman from the cellar. The woman attacks and kills Belle, gnawing off most of her face. Taking a lawnmower blade, she then kills Brian, severing his torso, and rips Chris's heart out and eats it.

A terrified Peggy attempts to escape with her little sister. The woman does not attack the girls. Instead, she takes Darlin' and they walk away from the house together, along with Socket acting as a dog, apparently forming a new family. Peggy, reluctant at first, follows the new family at a distance as the screen cuts to black.

• Pollyanna McIntosh as the Woman, the survivor of a tribe of cannibals.
• Sean Bridgers as Chris Cleek, a country lawyer.
• Angela Bettis as Belle Cleek, the wife of Chris.
• Lauren Ashley Carter as Peggy Cleek, the oldest daughter of Chris and Belle.
• Carlee Baker as Ms. Raton, the teacher of Peggy.
• Alexa Marcigliano as Socket Cleek, an eyeless girl.
• Zach Rand as Brian Cleek, the sadistic son of Chris and Belle.
• Shyla Molhusen as Darlin' Cleek, the youngest daughter of Chris and Belle.

Critical reception for The Woman has been positive. As of June 2020, the film holds a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 50 reviews with an average rating of 6.36 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Strange, audacious, and aggressive, The Woman is an uneven horror flick that game viewers with a wildly bloody finale."[2]

In 2019, a standalone sequel called Darlin' was released which is also Pollyanna McIntosh's directing debut as it tells about a now-feral Darlin' getting taken in by a Catholic boarding school as part of the Woman's secret plans.

• Official website
• The Woman at IMDb
• The Woman at AllMovie
• The Woman at Rotten Tomatoes