Hunger is breeze-block heavy, an unforgettable portrait of battered and self-battering masculinity, a visceral and vitally important reawakening of repressed memories.
Comment
10/31/08
Hunger (2008)
83
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:12
Fresh:10
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Unflinching, uncompromising, vivid and vital. Steve McQueen’s challenging debut is not for the faint hearted, but still a richly rewarding retelling of troubled times.
Theatrical Release:31-10-2008
Synopsis: Renowned English video artist Steve McQueen's feature film debut, HUNGER, is a cinematic punch to the gut. McQueen brings a visceral intensity to his retelling of the hunger strike instigated by... [More]
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham, Brian Milligan
Director: Steve McQueen
Reviews for Hunger
1 - 12 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Top CriticThere is an avoidance of affect and a repudiation of the traditional liberal-lenient gestures of dialogue, dramatic consensus and narrative resolution. This is a powerful, provocative piece of work, which leaves a zero-degree burn on the retina.
10/31/08
Top CriticAnchored by Fassbender’s turn, Hunger is as much about the personal as the political. The real breakthrough, though, is McQueen, who turns in a film that dazzles and challenges in equal measure.
10/30/08
Top CriticImagine how most filmmakers would tell this story and then see ‘Hunger’: the differences are bold and powerful and restore faith in cinema’s ability to cover history free from the bounds of texts and personalities.
10/30/08
Top CriticIntense, disturbing and powerful mix of vision and detail: a recreation of a terrible time combined with a vivid and distinctive artistic sensibility. Truly powerful filmmaking.
10/30/08
Top CriticUltimately, the one thing that can’t be questioned is McQueen’s bold and unflinching talent.
10/30/08
Top CriticThis is a stunning debut feature.
10/18/08
Top CriticHunger is not about the rights and wrongs of the British in Northern Ireland, but about inhumane prison conditions, the steeled determination of IRA members like Bobby Sands, and a rock and a hard place.
04/16/09
Top CriticWith calm, deliberate attention -- an approach at once compassionate and dispassionate -- Hunger explores physical extremity and political extremism.
03/20/09
Top Critic[The] unflinching camera, deliberate pacing and maddeningly long takes (including a 10-minute, single-shot conversation that, while hypnotic, belongs on stage) just amplify the story's innate harshness and test audience endurance levels.
12/05/08
Top CriticPowerful, pertinent but not entirely perfect.
10/18/08
Top CriticTrite, grim and feebly provocative.
10/18/08
Top Critic1 - 12 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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