[1] Nerdrum’s works often provoke polarised reactions—some viewers are captivated by his technical prowess and philosophical depth, while others are disturbed by his bleak, often violent subject matter.

Daniel Maidman wrote in 2016 for Whitehot Magazine that "a very un-PC classical iconography of good and evil is deployed here", as the three cannibals are, "to use the appropriate nomenclature", "a cripple, a madman, and a mongoloid".

At the same time, the victim's face is depicted with "the serene beauty of a fallen Siegfried, unimpressed by his humiliation, retaining a steadfast, and perhaps ultimately foolish, faith in cosmic justice".

[citation needed] His works are heavily influenced by Old Masters such as Rembrandt and Caravaggio, employing chiaroscuro and dramatic, often violent themes to evoke a sense of timelessness.

[citation needed] Cannibals fits within Nerdrum’s larger body of work, which frequently delves into dystopian worlds, human suffering, and existential dread.

His heavy use of shadow and dramatic contrasts imbues the figures with a sense of monumental tragedy, evoking the works of Caravaggio while simultaneously confronting modern existentialist themes.