How to watch

The Human Centipede shocked audiences in 2009 with its grotesque premise of a mad surgeon and his horrifying experiment. Director Tom Six followed it with two increasingly extreme and self-aware sequels, each one commenting on the series' own infamy. The trilogy is short, but the meta storytelling means order matters more than you might think.

🕐 Release Order

Watching in release order is essential, because each film directly references the one before it.

1. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
2. The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011)
3. The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) (2015)

The sequels are unusual because they treat the earlier films as movies that exist in their own world, so the timeline follows the release dates exactly.

📖 Story Chronology

In Full Sequence, a disturbed man becomes obsessed with the first film, and Final Sequence features characters who have watched both earlier movies.

1. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
2. The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011)
3. The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) (2015)

Which Order Should You Choose?

There is only one sensible way to watch this trilogy: in release order. The second film is shot in black and white and is far more graphic, while the third leans heavily into dark satire inside an American prison. Be warned that these films are extremely disturbing and not for everyone, so check the content warnings before starting. Horror fans curious about the hype can stop after the first film, which is the least explicit of the three.

🔗 Related Guides

• Hostel Watch OrderGuide
• Saw Watch OrderGuide
• The Hills Have Eyes Watch OrderGuide

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