It was only when Esther checked Lucien’s fridge during the third act of Delicious that I realized the film’s plot twist. I was confused when I saw Teodora eating raw meat while preparing a meal for the family. Nothing came to mind when Teodora said “Delicious” after chewing some steak. When Amber went missing on the beach and Teodora and her friends enjoyed meat by the campfire, I only assumed they had killed her.
The overarching plot twist in Netflix’s Delicious is that Teodora and her young adult friends are a group of murderous cannibals. By the end of the film, we are shocked to see the group eat raw human flesh for the first time, as Esther is horrifyingly eaten alive after learning of her fate.
Teodora’s Role
At the beginning of the film, Teodora deliberately injures herself and lies by the roadside, leading John to believe he hit her with his car. This allows Teodora to insert herself into the wealthy family as a temporary maid at their vacation villa in France. She uses her injury as leverage to continue earning money, and in exchange, she will avoid going to the hospital for treatment. Esther worries that the authorities will discover that John was driving under the influence.
Throughout the film, Teodora cunningly sows division among family members. She senses that a marriage is troubled and encourages Esther to have an affair with Lucien; she teases John, who eventually breaks and continues his affair with Cora (a relationship that’s already implied and established); she provides a maternal figure for Alba, sensing that she needs a more present mother; finally, she flirts with Philipp, giving him that “holiday romance” vibe.
Teodora unveils the family’s wounds, making them appear dysfunctional in contrast to their outward facade. She demonstrates that wealth does not equate to a strong family structure. Gradually, she isolates each member. It’s so insidious that the family remains oblivious to what is happening. Teodora exploits their insecurities and fragmentation. She takes advantage of the fact that this family lacks communication.
The Victims
Well, technically, Amber is the first victim that we see in this group of cannibals, but as she’s a minor character, and the twist is not revealed at this point, I have to point out that Esther is the real first victim. Lucien, whom she’s having an affair with, lures her to a family with Esther and all her friends, and this is where we see, for the first time, the cannibals eating raw human flesh.
Esther had a chance to sense that something was off beforehand; she noticed an unusual amount of raw meat in Lucien’s fridge and felt it was strange, yet she ignored her intuition.
We can assume John is the second victim, but I must note that I’m unsure where his mistress, Cora, went during this ordeal. John finds himself surrounded in his villa. He’s next to be eaten.
This is the part of the story where things become unclear. The brother, Philipp, returns to the villa, unaware of what has transpired. He sees his sister Alba outside with the cannibals, sleeping, but thinks nothing of it. He then goes inside and reheats cooked meat, presumably his deceased mother. He ends up spitting out the meat, as he nearly chokes on a ring that belonged to his mother, given to her by his father.
Either Philipp was killed and chopped into meat, too, or he woke up the next day to an empty villa, unsure what had happened.
Esther, the mother (Valerie Pachner), is the first official victim in ‘Delicious’ (Credit: Netflix)
What happened to Alba at the end of Delicious?
The theme of “young adults” is prevalent throughout Delicious. Teodora and her friends exhibit cunning and malevolence in their schemes. They have reached a point where cannibalism has become normalized for them. There is a complete lack of remorse or self-reflection about their actions. However, the trend indicates they are all young, implying they target a specific demographic, which I will explore further in this explanation.
As the film’s ending alludes to, Alba joins the group of young cannibals. She is seen on the back of the motorbike with Teodora, who now takes the mother role. I can only assume that over time, she will become accustomed to their ways and become a cannibal herself. Her plan all along was likely to become Alba’s adoptive mother and bring her into the group.
As suggested by the birthday party that Esther attended, this is not a small group of young adults. There are many of them, so they must recruit and expand in various ways.
I also believe that Teodora’s maternal feelings for Alba were genuine. Early in the film, Teodora expresses to the young girl that she likes her, but this does not seem as manipulative as her other actions.
Philipp’s status remains unclear. Once again, I can only presume he was eaten by the end or woke up in an empty villa, feeling confused. My imagination suggests he was eaten, primarily because he annoyed Teodora by spying on her after developing a crush. It’s possible that Teodora considered him a creep and didn’t want him in the group.
Who did the cannibals target?
The film’s beginning reveals the cannibals’ motives, providing a full-circle ending for Delicious. As the German family travels to their villa, they are delayed by protests in the South of France. These protests arise from the rising cost of living and economic despair. Anger is directed at the wealthy who exploit the working class, which is why the film consistently highlights the maids and servers completing their shifts at various points. After all, they are serving affluent families.
Additionally, near the film’s beginning, Esther’s friends observe a family and engage in a subtle conversation that concludes with, “They are not rich enough,” which means they have a limit to their self-created principles. The group of cannibals has rules.
The cannibals target wealthy families to eat. They’ve likely become disillusioned with the economy, and in their perceived plight, have resorted to killing and eating those they blame as a source of food to survive. While evil, they’ve justified eating wealthy people as a way to afford food, but also get revenge against them. The overarching theme of the film is “eat the rich.”
