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Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon, Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham ... see more see more... , Laine Megaw , Frank McCusker , Karen Hassan

The final months of Bobby Sands, the Irish Republican Army activist who protested his treatment at the hands of British prison guards with a hunger strike, are chronicled in this historical drama, the... read more read more... first feature film from artist-turned-filmmaker Steve McQueen. Davey Gillen (Brian Milligan) is an IRA volunteer who is sentenced to Belfast's infamous Maze prison, where he shares a cell with fellow IRA member Gerry Campbell (Liam McMahon). Like most of the IRA volunteers behind bars, Gillen and Campbell are subjected to frequent violence by the guards, who in turn live with the constant threat of assassination at the hands of Republicans during their off-hours. Campbell and Gillen are taking part in a protest in which they and their fellow IRA inmates are refusing to wear standard prison-issue uniforms as a protest against Britain's refusal to recognize them as political prisoners, a move that is complicating their efforts to pass information among the other prisoners. As the protest fails to get results, one IRA member behind bars, Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), decides to take a different tack and begins a hunger strike, refusing to eat until Irish officials are willing to acknowledge the IRA as a legitimate political organization. However, while Sands' protest gains the attention both inside prison walls and in the international news, not everyone believes what he's doing is right, and Sands finds himself verbally sparring with a priest (Liam Cunningham) who questions the ethics and effectiveness of the strike. Hunger received its world premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the Un Certain Regard program. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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78% liked it

69,376 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

114 critics

R, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Steve McQueen (III)

Release Date: March 20, 2009

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DVD Release Date: February 16, 2010

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Flixster Reviews (1,787)

  • allan913
    April 29, 2012
    allan913
    Director, Steve McQueen crafts an astonishing and disturbing directional debut. A superb and brutal cinematic statement that is a must see. A no-holds barred drama on abuse that shakes you and pulls no punches. It`s a gritty, real, intense, mature and powerful work of art. A mast... read moreerpeice. A jaw-dropping and utterly haunting movie that hits you like you wouldnt believe. A shocking and also beautiful piece of film. An emotionally devestating and gut-wrenching experiance. Michael Fassbender gives an extroadinary performance, its a breakthrough for him. A real deal tour de force performance that is truly unforgettable. Fassbender embodies that characters heart and mind as well as the pyhsical tormant. Liam Cunningham is brilliant. A triumph for both the director (McQueen) and star (Fassbender), who i believe will have a promising future. It`s one of the most intense and eye-opening films i have ever seen.
  • blacksheepboy
    April 22, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    Steve McQueen's debut is gripping and intense, and he displays a lot of control for a first film, creating some amazing long shots. A disturbing story showing all the horrific impact of a hunger strike, though I don't like how the plot is suddenly deviated from Davey Gillen to Bo... read morebby Sands.
  • paulkoh110
    April 15, 2012
    paulkoh110
    An explosive piece of cinema, Director Steve Mcqueen brings out the rawness of Michael Fassbender. Truly something beautiful and committing for the cast of the film
  • MidnightMadwoman
    March 23, 2012
    MidnightMadwoman
    I really don't see what all the fuss was about. Most people call it intense, but a brutal film can only be intense if we first care about the people in the pressure cooker. And I for one don't. I found this movie really indulgent, spending tons of time showing inconsequential thi... read morengs for vast stretches of time and very seldom actually allowing you to connect with any of the characters. It was half an hour before we even see Bobby or hear his voice. Why do we need to see five minutes of a guard brushing waste down a hallway? Why are we spending so much time watching these nameless Irish guys wallow in filth? Why do we care about them? The only scene worth watching is the twenty-five minutes Bobby spends speaking to the parish priest he's known all his life. That's the only time we get to really see him or connect with him. The scene itself is very powerful and raw, but if it weren't in the film at all, all this would be is be sad footage of obstinate, brutalized prisoners, one in particular, that lead a miserable existence before they wither away and die. This is a borderline torture porn snuff film. I really have no problem with that for the most part, as long as what I'm watching allows me to relate or sympathize with the characters suffering. Looking back, I can't think of a single reason to recommend this movie to anyone else. Watch the suffering of a bunch of people you don't care about! Does that fill you with the desire to run out and rent this?
  • axadntpron
    December 19, 2011
    axadntpron
    A powerful and stirring debut film. An exquisite exercise in atmosphere. Fassbender's dedication is stunning. While I would have liked to know more about what made Bobby Sands do the things that he did rather than just seeing his final days, I cannot fault the film too much.
    I'm... read more excited to see where McQueen goes from here. I have a feeling he will become a very heavy hitter.
  • fb1216165431
    October 3, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Hunger is a vivid and brilliant archetype of determination with a political purpose, chronicling the life of Bobby Sands, "leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status." Significant and motivated, Hu... read morenger is a self-inflicted brutal proposal of the uncompromising human spirit underlined by a brilliant performance by Michael Fassbender.
  • stevenecarrier
    September 12, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    "Hunger" is a stunning achievement. What makes Steve McQueen's film so immediate is the way he delivers this powerful story (based on true events but is in no way a biography). McQueen reminds the viewer that 'battles' can be beautiful for what they symbolize, therefore the uglie... read morest of images can still have an aesthetic resonance. I also appreciated that the film keeps an emotional distance from the characters. This cold approach is exactly correct because neither the government nor the inmates are acting in acceptable ways. It's in that no-answer dynamic where the films moral quandary lays- and where it's most important questions are asked by the viewer. Michael Fassbender is incredible here, as well as the rest of the cast. There is very little dialogue in this film (expect for the centerpiece debate between Bobby Sands and the priest- which is as wordy and complex as the films wordless and powerful beginning and ending). The images speak volumes and McQueen knows exactly how to deliver them- and keeps them in your brain. "Hunger" is an outstanding film about humanity and it's many sides.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    August 21, 2011
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    A fierce cinematic statement that pulls no punches. HUNGER is one of the great film debuts, telling a brutal human story with honesty and intensity while keeping an open and level-headed view about potentially touchy subject matter. Fassbender gives an astounding career best, hig... read morehly physical performance. Everything about this one is stellar. A must-see.
  • matertenebraum
    February 10, 2011
    matertenebraum
    #15: Hunger
    Video artist Steve McQueen?s first movie, the tale of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, was far more powerful than anyone had expected. With its unflinching portrayal of the squalid conditions in the Maze prison, Hunger is not an easy watch, but Michael Fassbender?s fe... read morerociously committed performance deserves a wider audience.
    Best bit: The conversation between Sands and a priest, filmed in an astonishing, unbroken 17 minute take.

    The movie is a timely piece of film-making in this era of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. I have to admit my prejudice for the film because of my past as one of the prisoners depicted in the film. Long Kesh - or the Maze as the British infamously renamed it - was the Abu Ghraib of its day. One stark difference though: unlike Abu Ghraib, no one has ever been charged with the horror and relentless torture inflicted upon naked, defenceless prisoners in Long Kesh. The film is uncompromising in its examination of the events leading up to and beyond the Hunger Strike. Michael Fassbender is frighteningly real. But I will leave it up to the words of Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian to sum it up: 'Hunger is raw, powerful film-making and an urgent reminder of this uniquely ugly, tragic and dysfunctional period in British and Irish history...'
  • jamers2011
    February 5, 2011
    jamers2011
    Great! This is an extremely difficult film to watch. It's so realistic to how the prisoners were probably treated. The brutality of the beatings almost makes you want to turn your head, but the scenes are so artfully portrayed that the audience is still taken in! The cinematograp... read morehy also influences the realism of this film. The scenery and appearance of the film is brilliant. I also love the tone of this film; it's so dark, tragic, and real. Also the performances are great all around, especially Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands.

    The thing that really holds this film back is the lack of emotion. To me, most of the film was flat emotion wise. The story and tone were both deep and very strong, but when there's no emotion, the whole film cannot soar. It's sad that the characters weren't developed more because this film could have been monumental, but instead it's only great.

    However there are one scene that I absolutely loved. The scene with prisoners being beaten on one side of the screen and a guard crying on the other side, is a brilliant shot. A beautiful scene. Had this film been as emotional and touching as that scene, this film could have been something special!

    I still think this is a movie everyone should check out. It's very good! I recommend it to everyone!

View All Hunger Reviews

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
April 17, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Midway through the movie there's an epic 24-minute scene...in the claustrophobic cell block the protesters have already internalized their cause so deeply that the world of words seems distant and inc... Full Review

Michael Phillips
April 17, 2009
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

It's a strength of this carefully composed, almost obsessively controlled picture that it has no interest in the conventional biographical focus on a subject. Full Review

Steven Rea
April 16, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Hunger is daunting and powerful work. Full Review

Roger Ebert
April 16, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Hunger 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. Full Review

Liam Lacey
April 10, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Hunger -- the disturbing, provocative, brilliant feature debut from British director Steve McQueen -- does for modern film what Caravaggio did to Renaissance painting. Full Review

Peter Howell
April 10, 2009
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Relying on images more than words, it's a plea for humanity in times of insanity. Full Review

Colin Covert
April 9, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

This is strong stuff, a tour of hell on Earth presented in scenes of unbearable tension and pulse-spiking violence. Hunger ends as something else, though, in a vision of transcendence and grace. Full Review

Reyhan Harmanci
April 3, 2009
Reyhan Harmanci, San Francisco Chronicle

It's horrific. But Hunger displays uncommon intelligence and visual panache, transcending the goal of making the situation seem real. It feels more than real. It's art. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
April 2, 2009
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

McQueen has taken the raw materials of filmmaking and committed an act of great art. Full Review

Peter Rainer
March 30, 2009
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

In the end, it is not Bobby Sands but Michael Fassbender we are looking at, and this realization takes us out of the movie just as surely as (for me) De Niro's fattening up did in Raging Bull. Full Review

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