Cannibal Comedy-Horror Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats Heads to Busan Market After Worldwide Sales Deal

Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats blends cannibalism, dark comedy, and social satire ahead of its Busan market debut. / Feisk Productions / Variety

Cannibal Comedy-Horror Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats Heads to Busan Market Following Abnormal Studios Deal

Malaysia’s independent horror scene is about to introduce one of its most unconventional genre entries.

According to Variety, Kuala Lumpur-based distributor Abnormal Studios has acquired worldwide international sales rights to Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats, a cannibal black comedy-horror from sibling filmmakers Iskander and Feisal Azizuddin. The film will make its market debut this October at the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), held alongside the Busan International Film Festival.

The feature marks the ninth independent collaboration from the Azizuddin brothers under their Feisk Productions banner.

Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats follows two struggling friends who unexpectedly stumble upon a wildly successful spicy beef jerky recipe. Their fortunes quickly change after discovering that one highly unconventional ingredient gives their product its unforgettable flavor. As demand grows, so do the consequences, forcing the pair to confront increasingly difficult moral choices while their business spirals beyond their control.

The film stars Amir Nafis, Syazani Zikry, and Bella Imani, with original hand-drawn illustrations by Gladys Lee and Qistina Ishak incorporated throughout the film as part of its visual storytelling.

Co-director Feisal Azizuddin says the film explores the consequences of desperation and unchecked ambition.

“I wanted to tell a story that explores how desperation warps ordinary people, and how ambition often wears a friendly face, and that we are another person’s dish in this complex, twisted society we live in.”

While cannibalism has rarely been explored in Malaysian mainstream cinema, Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats uses the concept both literally and metaphorically. Beyond its horror premise, the film examines poverty, social pressure, and the lengths people will go to achieve success. The filmmakers also embrace explicit violence, sexuality, and dark comedy as stylistic choices, positioning the project outside the conventions of more traditional local productions.

The Azizuddin brothers have steadily built a reputation within Malaysia’s independent film community through projects including Angkat, Tafakur, This Land of Mine, and Kabus. Their previous feature Angkat premiered at the Blue Chair Film Festival in Laos, while their recent documentary project False Summits successfully completed a crowdfunding campaign.

Abnormal Studios, a subsidiary of Westec Media Limited, handles approximately 100 titles annually across Southeast Asia and neighboring territories. The company has recently represented internationally recognized films including How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.

With worldwide buyers set to get their first look during the Busan market, Ali & Ben’s Spicy Meats could become one of the more unusual horror titles to emerge from Southeast Asia this year. Between its cannibal premise, social satire, and dark comedic edge, it’s already shaping up as one to keep an eye on as festival season continues.