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Adventure Cult Classic

Caribbean resistance, forbidden seduction, and ritual danger—Papaya lures all who threaten her island.

PAPAYA: LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS

She rules the jungle, commands the flesh, and satisfies the ultimate hunger.

1978 · 1h 26m · NR · Adventure / Horror / Romance / Crime · IMDB TMDB

A team of geologists attempt to remove a native cannibal population from an island to perform atomic research, but the cannibals' female leader disposes of them one by one by seduction.

Quick Answer

What is Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals about?

Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals is a 1978 Italian adventure, horror, romance, and crime film directed by Joe D'Amato about island natives resisting a nuclear power plant, led by the seductive Papaya, whose methods ensnare outsiders in deadly rituals.

Programmer's Pick

Joe D'Amato delivers a sun-drenched slice of sexploitation where tropical heat meets political resistance. Papaya herself is both love goddess and avenging spirit—never underestimate a seductress with a cause. If your appetite runs to voodoo rites and cannibal carnality, this one doesn't hold back.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

On a lush Caribbean island threatened by the construction of a nuclear power plant, the native population bands together under the mysterious and alluring Papaya. Their secret resistance movement uses seduction as a weapon, ensnaring engineers to gather intelligence while quietly orchestrating their own brutal form of justice. Into this charged atmosphere arrives Sara, a journalist on holiday, and Vincent, an engineer oblivious to the island's simmering unrest. As the tension between the outsiders and locals grows, the lines between pleasure, manipulation, and violence blur. The film blends erotic intrigue with folk horror, set against a backdrop of colonial exploitation and simmering revolt.

Details & Specs

Director
Joe D'Amato
Writers
Renzo Maietto, Roberto Gandus
Release
1978
Runtime
1h 26m
Country
Italy
Language
Italian
Also Known As
Et mourir... de plaisir, Love Slaves of the Caribbean, Caribbean Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals, Papaya dei Caraibi (original title)

Why This Matters

This 1978 film is an example of the Italian cannibal genre, directed by Joe D'Amato and featuring Melissa Chimenti and Sirpa Lane in leading roles.
— SassyFlix Curator

Why Cult

Seductive Resistance

Native islanders, led by Papaya, use sensuality to infiltrate and undermine the outsiders threatening their home.

Folk Horror Exotica

Macumba rituals and voodoo ceremonies turn paradise into a stage for erotic and bloody folk horror.

Cannibal Sexploitation

The film revels in taboo-breaking scenes of cannibalism and explicit sexual encounters, pushing genre boundaries.

Bisexual Love Triangle

Desire, jealousy, and seduction entwine Papaya, Sara, and Vincent in an erotic web with deadly consequences.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Construction of nuclear power plant

Threat

Islanders' secret resistance led by Papaya

Effect

Engineers seduced and murdered, ritual cannibalism

Setting

Caribbean island

Questions from the Vault

When was Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals released? +

Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals was released in 1978.

Who directed Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals? +

Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals was directed by Joe D'Amato.

How long is Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals? +

Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals has a runtime of 86 minutes.

What genre is Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals? +

Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals is an adventure, horror, romance, and crime film.

Trailers & Clips