Can you guess what this movie is about? You already have all the necessary clues. The title of the movie is Hungry, and there’s a killer hippo on the poster about to chomp two people up. Well, I think you cracked it. Moving on, I have to say that the poster for this movie fucking rocks. It looks like it belongs to the latest AAA summer blockbuster or a hidden Netflix gem. In reality, Hungry is a mid-budget killer animal movie with strong straight-to-DVD 2010s vibes. I would recommend it to the fans of the genre or those looking for something undemanding. Others might find it a bit lacking. The script is barely acceptable, with boring and generic characters. The camerawork could’ve been better, especially in this day and age.
Which comes as a surprise, since the director is James Nunn. His action movies Eliminators and especially One Shot were quite good. And I already recommended his debut, Tower Block. However, this is a movie where a hungry, hungry killer hippopotamus kills people, so there’s that. We will be following a group of tourists on a gator tour in Louisiana swamplands. They’re looking for a particularly big gator, and this quest will lead them away from the main tourist areas. Here, something big is going to hit their rickety little boat. And when I say that boat is rickety, I really mean it. I mean, I’m no boating expert, but that thing looks more like a toy than an actual boat you bring tourists on.
So, when 10000 pound (4.5 tons) hippo hits it from below, it stands no chance. And after that, the fight for survival begins. Despite its generic premise, Hungry still hides a lot of surprises. Surprises that just might tip the scales in its favor. First of all, you simply cannot guess who’s going to die in this movie. Usually, when it comes to these killer animal movies, you can see things coming. Here, after the first kill, all bets are off. Too bad character development was painfully stereotypical. Secondly, the action starts pretty early on. Although we will have to wait a lot to see the main star of the show. We also find ourselves deep in the lush Louisiana swamp, a place that looks ancient and unforgiving.
I mean, you’ve got the elements, and then you have the gators and all other shit that might fuck you up. Even a relatively small wound can easily get infected, and then you’re done. Finally, you’re going to find out about the very real plan to flood the entire USA with thousands of hippos! Yes, the American Hippo Bill was very much a real thing. Just imagine how different everything would’ve looked. Speaking of them, I guess it’s time to talk about the main thing in the killer animal movie: the animal itself. Hungry features a blend of CGI and animatronic hippos, much like the rest of the movies in this genre.
If you’ve seen any of the killer shark or killer crocodile movies, you know what I’m talking about. And the quality of the effects is surprisingly good. Granted, the hippos appear in their full glory in only a few scenes. Probably counting on that Jaws philosophy. However, when they do appear, they look quite realistic and menacing. Despite those cute ear-flexing things they do. And that’s about it when it comes to Hungry. Ultimately, with a better script and more animals besides hippos, this could’ve been a solid six or even a seven. The movie also takes itself too seriously considering the premise. A bit of humor or gratuitous violence or even nudity would’ve been welcome.
After all, if you’re making something like this, an R rating is a must instead of measly 13+, meaning there won’t be almost any graphic stuff. If you’re hungry (pun intended) for more movies like this, I highly suggest you see how it’s done and watch Rogue. This Australian gem features almost exactly the same story but much better characters, special effects, and pretty much everything else. If you’re looking for more strange killer animal movies Slotherhouse (killer sloth) and Zombeavers (killer beaver) might be a good choice. Finally, don’t forget about our Natural Horror Lists featuring all kinds of killer animals. Enjoy.
Director: James Nunn
Writer: James Nunn
Cast: Madison Davenport, Joaquim de Almeida, Michel Curiel, Tracey Bonner, Samantha Coughlan
Fun Facts: Hippos are actually herbivores, not carnivores although they are fiercely territorial, just like the movie suggests.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34494076/
