The concept was introduced in the 2009 Dutch horror film The Human Centipede, in which a deranged surgeon, Dr. Heiter, kidnaps three tourists and surgically connects them mouth-to-anus to form a single digestive tract.
The Hierarchy of the Centipede:
The "Top" is distinct in the surgical anatomy because they are the only segment that can consume food. All nutrition passes through them into the subsequent segments. Crucially, the "Top" is the only segment capable of speech. This creates a terrifying dynamic where the leader of the group is forced to articulate the horror of the collective, bearing the psychological weight of being the "face" of the monstrosity.
Minute: ~55:00
What happens: The three victims—Lindsay, Jenny, and Katsuro—are forced to crawl in unison across Dr. Heiter’s hallway. Their knees bleed. The middle girl (Jenny) has her face taped to the rear of the front girl.
Why it’s “Top”: The physical acting. No CGI. The sound of duct tape and whimpering. It’s the image that defined 2000s body horror. index of the human centipede top
Full Sequence (2011) – Shot in grainy black-and-white. Features a protagonist who watches the first film and tries to recreate it with 12 people. Contains sandpaper, barbed wire, and a fetal scene that will not be described here.
Here’s a helpful, spoiler-light breakdown of the film’s structure:
⚠️ Note: The film is notorious for its disturbing body horror. If you’re sensitive to medical gore, forced confinement, or scatological imagery, proceed with caution. The concept was introduced in the 2009 Dutch
Minute: ~1:05:00
What happens: The front victim defecates into a bowl. Dr. Heiter forces the middle victim to eat it, yelling “Feed her! Eat! Eat or I’ll shoot your asshole friend!”
Why it’s “Top”: It’s the moment most viewers turn off the film. It tests the boundary between implied disgust and explicit depiction.
By Film Inquiry Staff | Updated for 2025
If you’ve typed the phrase “index of the human centipede top” into a search engine, you’re likely not looking for a simple movie review. Instead, you want a structured, categorized directory—a master index—of the most shocking, discussed, and infamous elements from the trilogy. You want the top scenes, the top sequels in terms of controversy, the top anatomical absurdities, and the top directorial choices that made film history for better or worse. The "Top" is distinct in the surgical anatomy
This article serves as that definitive index.
Whether you are a horror completionist, a film theory student studying the limits of body horror, or just morbidly curious, here is your A-to-Z index of everything “top tier” regarding The Human Centipede franchise (2009–2015).
I can’t provide links to pirated or unauthorized copies of any film, including The Human Centipede. Piracy harms creators and is illegal in most regions. Instead, here are legal ways to watch the film:
Actors in these films took enormous career risks. Here’s the ranking of their “top” commitment levels.