Hambre

I was shocked after watching this film. Obviously the film on the surface is about cooking, kitchens etc, and then on the next level down it becomes about greed, snobbery and privilege. How far are we willing to go to get what we want and what is meaning of it all?

But there is another level to this movie which left me feeling sick to my stomach. And it's not because of blood or gore. It is more to do with the way that the whole world is going, in a biblical sense the worshipping of false idols that in the end prove to be wrong. The way that we are being led by our greed and jealousy, into a place that is as far from reality as you can get.

But thankfully the film does pull it around in the end and gives mankind a glimmer of hope.

Very engaging film for any food lover. The main character played by Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying did a terrific job as an actress. You can really feel the emotions during the intense scenes. Sadly she was the only character with any depth. It felt like her world and everyone was just living in it. The supporting roles were kind of interesting but only surface level.

Many of the plot turns were pretty cheesy. The scenes of violence and the reasons behind them were random, weird and had no build up. The head chef was cool, and stoic, which is to be expected from many successful chefs, however, he had outbursts that didn't make that much sense.

There was a few ominous scenes of rich people living out their gluttony with depictions of them eating flesh-like food. It was a clear dynamic between rich people betrayed as greedy while low-status people betrayed as simply, caring, loving, yet frustrated. It was very interesting to see this depiction, especially during the flashback scene of the Head Chef's upbringing. The comment about the caviar had me burst out laughing.

The cinematography was enjoyable and the dishes looked great. Its probably was kept me engaged the most.

Overall, this film was good. I would recommend it for sure. Many aspects were rushed, and had little development, but remained exciting and had scenes that moved me. The ending will leave most with lots of questions and unfulfilled, but you will give reflections.

Tries to hard, but I still found this movie enjoyable. All the ingredients for a great movie are here, but they have been overcooked into a kind of mainstream stew.

Acting performances are for the most on point. Presentation and production value are there and deliver. Basically most aspects are done pretty well. But sometimes it is very over dramatic, ridiculous and features a few tropes. It comes across self-indulgent and takes itself too seriously.

Apart from that, you will find a mostly interesting story that takes one or two unexpected turns and is well executed. It offers a little change if you're currently having a limited palette.

I remember Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying from 2017's Bad Genius and here too, she's phenomenal. While the easy (and obvious) way to look at Hunger is Whiplash meets The Menu, the writing and direction are both pretty solid. They have an interesting tale to tell here; one that doesn't just stick to the hierarchy in a fine-dining restaurant's kitchen. Of course, those bits are as hard-hitting as they come, but the socio-economic layers that the writing offers, sweeten the pot. The protagonist's character arc is clear-cut, and the transitions that she goes through - physically, emotionally, and financially - are always at the film's forefront.

Not only is the film super engaging, it makes you root for the protagonist's eventual realizations. How far are you willing to go to stay relevant and successful in the modern era? And how much success and relevance is too much? Very pertinent questions like these are answered through fiery exchanges between the leads, against the backdrop of deliciously cooked food (and some grotesque consumption). The film also doesn't shy away from doing its bit on "eating the rich" and speaking in detail of their high-profile perversions. From a thematic perspective, Hunger has as much in common with the Malayalam film Ustad Hotel as the films I mentioned above. Nothing comes above family, I guess?

The scene at the hospital between Nopachai Chaiyanam and Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying is spectacular. Not only does it open eyes to the antagonist's understanding of life, but it also throws darts at the protagonist for the choices she's about to make. Same goes for the climactic showdown between the two, but this section treats celebrity connoisseurs as objects of feeding, hence the lessened impact. If Netflix is doing something right, it's in giving Thai cinema the funding it needs to make competent drama-thrillers like this with great production values and cinematography.

What a weird movie, a very confusing movie that tries way too hard to be impressionable.

The main character is extremely one-dimensional. She pretty much has the same exact facial expression for the entire movie. It's the same deadpan stare that many Asian dramas suffer from.

The story's message is quite simple but the execution is like a hot soda can that exploded inside your car, it's all over the place.

The show is evil, demonic at some points. But for what? It's so extra and beyond that it's comical... Except that it's trying to be serious.

So the result is a bunch of drawn out scenes that do not offer any pleasurable closures. The ending scene is bizarre and the twist comes out of left field.

Give it a try if you desperately need something to try but you won't really be missing out on much if you decide to skip it.