Dialog-dialog dalam film ini sangat penting untuk memahami motivasi Profesor Monroe dan perilaku kru film yang menyimpang.

Beneath the grime and gore lies a sophisticated, albeit cynical, thesis: "Who are the real cannibals?" The film posits that the Amazonian tribes are not the true savages; rather, the documentary crew represents the true barbarism. They stage scenes of brutality for dramatic effect, burn villages to get "action shots," and abuse the natives to provoke reactions. In an era predating reality television and "fake news," Cannibal Holocaust predicted a future where the camera man becomes an agent of chaos, willing to sacrifice humanity for the sake of sensational content.

Mengandung kekerasan seksual yang eksplisit, mutilasi, dan penyiksaan hewan secara nyata.

Years before The Blair Witch Project , Cannibal Holocaust used a dual-narrative structure. The first half follows NYU anthropologist Harold Monroe as he searches for a missing documentary crew in the Amazon. The second half consists of the "found" footage of the crew's journey. This technique was so effective that Italian authorities originally believed the actors had actually been murdered, leading to Deodato’s arrest on . He was only cleared after the actors appeared in court to prove they were alive. "Who Are the Real Cannibals?"

While the human deaths were successfully proven to be special effects, Cannibal Holocaust faces legitimate, enduring criticism for its real-life animal cruelty. Seven animals, including a large sea turtle, a monkey, and a pig, were killed on screen during production.

The interactions between the Western film crew and the Amazonian tribes rely on heavy thematic subtext about colonialism. Subtitles bridge the language barrier, ensuring local audiences can analyze the film as a piece of historical art rather than mindless exploitation.

Film ini sebenarnya adalah satire tentang bagaimana media barat mengeksploitasi penderitaan demi rating, dengan menunjukkan bahwa "orang beradab" lebih biadab daripada suku kanibal.