Hunger

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1:33

Hunger

2009

1h 32m

Drama

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

133 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Focusing on the 1981 hunger strikes by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. Bobby Sands is one of a group of prisoners who first "took to the blanket" with a "dirty protest" in pursuit of their claims for recognition as political prisoners. Sands then became the first one of the group to embark on a hunger strike that was to end in his death.

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Critics Consensus

Unflinching, uncompromising, vivid and vital, Steve McQueen's challenging debut is not for the faint hearted, but it's still a richly rewarding retelling of troubled times.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

07/25/2020

3/6

McQueen seems too enamored of his shorthand art-house symbolism for [the film] to truly resonate.

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Matt Singer

The Rumpus

09/18/2017

There is very little context, because on the inside, prison has no context. There is just horror. And maybe, sometimes, in the least expected places, beauty.

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Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

11/02/2015

The stylistic palette of McQueen's picture, and its grasp of cinematic vocabulary, elevate the film to a purely visceral realm, so that it seems to bypass your eyes and ears and go straight for your nerve endings.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

08/15/2023

4/4

[Fassbender's] performance is a small sensation.

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Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

05/14/2022

3.5/5

Michael Fassbender is phenomenal in Steve McQueen's impressive and captivating feature debut. [Full review in Spanish]

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

01/05/2022

5/5

It's a breathtaking piece of filming born out of a story riddled with violence, gore, maggots, and human waste.

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patrick T

@RT46672350 Jun 27

Closer to the truth than a lot of the escapist crap normally released in the cinema. Colonialism gone wrong, a people subjugated to the brutality of unionist and British rule. Yes, 10/10 for the unflinching truth and superb directing and acting. Bobby Sands was a principled individual and gave a voice and drew attention to the suppression of the nationalist population

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Richard T

@ricardodeangelo 06/22/2025

A shame there wasn't much context provided, just the subjective and relentless experiences of horror, then slow but undeniable self-destruction as the last free act of someone whose every other freedom has been taken away.

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Faiz D

@RT95588871 05/13/2025

Hunger is not an easy film to watch but it is a great film featuring a brave debut from a director and a powerhouse of an actor. It certainly succeeds on an artistic level as the cinematography is astonishing.

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Mark R

@RT11934059 01/27/2025

An incredible piece. An insight into an extremely dark, troubled and violent part of our history.

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S R

@ScottR 01/27/2025

Saw it since it was on the SnS22 and BBF list and I was hoping that Fassbender would make it more promising. However, I was let down by the painful portrayal of the IRA's prison movement that was meant to be that way, but then I felt it lessened its potential impact and audience. Despite the one long scene of dialogue between him and the Priest, this movie was a chore. SLC library DVD.

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Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 03/25/2024

Not much reason for anyone with an outsider perspective to care about any aspect of this or to sympathize or empathize with anyone in it. I thought it was a mess with no flow other than the shock and awe of brutality and morbidity. Smart squeegee scene though, completing the transition from disgusting prison brutality to disgusting hospital morbidity, I guess that's why it got all the high reviews.

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Hunger: Trailer 1

1:33

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Synopsis

Focusing on the 1981 hunger strikes by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. Bobby Sands is one of a group of prisoners who first "took to the blanket" with a "dirty protest" in pursuit of their claims for recognition as political prisoners. Sands then became the first one of the group to embark on a hunger strike that was to end in his death.

Director: Steve McQueen
Screenwriter: Steve McQueen, Enda Walsh
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Film 4, Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen
Genre: Drama, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 20, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $154.1K
Runtime: 1h 32m