Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Hunger
User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 31
  3. Negative: 2 out of 31

Review this movie

  1. Your Score
    10 out of 10
    Rate this:
    out of 10
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

  3. Characters remaining: 5000 out of 5000

view
per page
  1. RoryP.
    Feb 1, 2009
    9
    This is a hard one to describe. First of all, this is an exceptionally well made film. I am surprised that It has not done so well critically here. I will assume it has something to do with its controversial subject matter-which perhaps is a tad unfair as it is accurate-and a finale which some argue descends into moving but slightly benign and closed martyr centric iconography- which is a far more valid point. I can see why people have such criticisms, but to be honest I cannot fully endorse them, mainly because the film is just so plainly overwhelming. Exceptionally acted, exceptionally shot and put together, it is an incredibly immersive, cinematic experience. It was one of the few films that i have actually sat, after the end credits started to roll, in the darkness of the cinema, totally bowled over by the whole experience. The second best film of 2008 in my book (the best being There will be Blood, which says alot of the the quality of this film.) The fact that it has been relatively ignored during the awards season is a travesty, especially when far less daring and affecting films such as milk, frost/nixon and yes, even slumdog millionaires are getting acknowledged. I am willing to say it if no one else will, they are all not as good as this film. go see it.… Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. JoeM
    Mar 15, 2009
    9
    Steve McQueen has constructed a film devoid of politics and bias. Instead the emphasis is the bare bones of human conflict and sacrifice. We see the mundane world of tea trolleys and care homes spliced with the blind and bitter violence of the troubles. Despite an obvious visual priority in McQueen's filming their is a poignant concentration on dialoguge, climaxing in the elongated discussion between Sands and his priest. To call the film trite is a lazy accusation, and is mistaking what is the most simple of human communication, emotion. A film of depth and patience that is vital viewing.… Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  3. drawkward86
    Dec 25, 2010
    10
    Harrowing, irreverent, fearless, virtuosic, inimitable, beautiful, unforgettable. Steve McQueen shows himself a true artist; in the hands of a more experienced director, this could have been a film with more technical proficiency and a screenplay that obeyed the traditional laws of character arc and continuity, and as such, would have been another above-average movie about the Irish Troubles to throw on the pile. Cheers to McQueen for having the balls to make the movie he wanted. It's great.… Expand
  4. raymondh
    Jan 16, 2009
    8
    Far better film than some of the reviews would suggest. A powerful and painful film that shows the relativity of man's brutality, as it moves from victim to perpetrator and back again. The viewer inevitably sides with the prisoner, not the state authority, without regard to the nature of the crimes that resulted in the incarceration in the first place.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. Mark
    Jul 4, 2009
    8
    Incredibly acted, very long, uninterrupted two-character scene.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. ryancarroll88
    Aug 27, 2010
    9
    With "Hunger" - the harrowing vision of 1981 prisoner protests in Northern Ireland - Steve McQueen reminds us that art isn't confined to elegance and beauty, but can be as brutal and revealing as the darkest of reality. That being said, the movie is difficult to watch at times, but then again the questions it raises are even more difficult to answer - How far can a person push their limits through shear determination? If there is a God, how would he judge this self-deprecation for a greater good? Rather than trying to preach us an answer to these, the movie simply shows the events as they unfolded, all through a stunningly provocative camera lens.… Expand
  7. nutterjr
    Mar 21, 2011
    8
    A very shocking film that depicts atrocities of prison to their extreme. Direction is bold and brilliant and so is the acting especially from Michael Fassbender. The film is not for the faint hearted.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    70
    The fulcrum of this deeply humanist work is an extended two-shot of the strike's leader, Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), as he converses with a priest (Liam Cunningham); the virtuosic sequence encapsulates the whole sorry history of a horrific civil war.
    Read full review
  2. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Don R. Lewis
    80
    While Hunger is a very brutal film, it also taps into human emotions and, in the end, asks what would we be willing to die for or, better, what could we truly not live without?
    Read full review
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Ray Bennett
    50
    Trite, grim and feebly provocative.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »