Dutch filmmaker Tom Six, best known for directing The Human Centipede trilogy, has revealed that he has been living in seclusion for the past six years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Six shares his experience in The End of Tom Six, a homemade documentary that he describes as his final film. The documentary will be released on YouTube on 15 August under a pay-what-you-want model.
According to Six, the prolonged struggle to secure a distributor for The Onania Club, his follow-up to The Human Centipede trilogy, significantly worsened his condition.
Released in 2009, The Human Centipede became a global cult horror phenomenon despite modest box office returns. The film's disturbing premise later entered popular culture and was referenced in television shows including South Park and The Simpsons.
Six expanded the franchise with two sequels released in 2011 and 2015.
In the documentary, Six says he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2020 but chose not to make the illness public because he disliked being viewed as a victim.
"I can't walk any more, reducing me to worming through my house like [a] fucking gargoyle," the 52-year-old says in the film.
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease affecting the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms vary between individuals and can include fatigue, vision and memory problems, muscle spasms, stiffness and reduced mobility.
Six describes spending much of his time inside his Amsterdam apartment, saying his daily routine revolves around watching film noir movies, smoking cigars, eating comfort food and making occasional late-night trips to a nearby café.
The second half of The End of Tom Six focuses on Six's criticism of what he describes as "woke cowardice" within the film industry, which he blames for preventing The Onania Club from securing distribution.
The documentary also features a recurring character dressed in an SS uniform portraying a fictional censor who interrupts scenes to suggest cuts or trigger warnings.
In a statement accompanying the documentary's release, producer Maartje Willems said the lengthy battle to release The Onania Club placed enormous stress on Six.
She said the prolonged struggle accelerated his illness and severely affected his health.
