A goofy, creature-feature premise with a few suspense beats and some amusingly absurd dialogue, but the film seems to underdeliver on the hippo mayhem and play things too straight for its own good. It’s the kind of movie that can be fun as a late-night watch if you’re in the mood for a disposable survival thriller,… Read more
Hungry
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Thriller · Horror
Wed · 1h 33m
Director: James Nunn
Starring: Madison Davenport, Tracey Bonner, Joaquim de Almeida
Overview
A group of holidaymakers must fight for their lives against a rampaging hippo on the loose after becoming lost in the Louisiana swamplands.
Director
James Nunn
Cast
Madison Davenport, Tracey Bonner, Joaquim de Almeida
Curator Review
Verdict
A goofy, creature-feature premise with a few suspense beats and some amusingly absurd dialogue, but the film seems to underdeliver on the hippo mayhem and play things too straight for its own good. It’s the kind of movie that can be fun as a late-night watch if you’re in the mood for a disposable survival thriller, but not one to seek out for strong scares or creature-action payoff.
Best for
fans of creature features and animal-attack thrillers
viewers who enjoy B-movie premises played semi-seriously
audiences looking for a light, trashy survival watch
people curious about the novelty of a killer-hippo movie
Skip if
you want intense horror or graphic creature carnage
you’re expecting a clever satire or full-on comedy
you need polished writing and fully developed characters
you dislike PG-13-style restraint in a monster movie
Overview
HUNGRY has the kind of premise that sells itself in a single sentence: holidaymakers, Louisiana swampland, and a rampaging hippo. That’s enough to spark curiosity, and the film apparently knows it, leaning on the absurdity of the setup and a few decent suspense sequences to keep things moving.
Worth noting
The problem is that it sounds more entertaining in concept than in execution. The most common complaint is restraint: not enough creature mayhem, not enough escalation, and not enough confidence in the inherent silliness of the idea. When a movie about a killer hippo plays too cautiously, the result can feel oddly undercooked.
Bottom line
Still, there’s a certain appeal to a survival-thriller that commits to a ridiculous animal threat and lets a group dynamic do the work. If you’re in the mood for a modest, disposable genre watch, it may scratch the itch. If you want a genuinely wild monster movie, this looks more like a near-miss than a must-see.
Top Letterboxd reviews
cob (1★) · 133 likes
the hippo is pretty cool for the two times you get to see it
matt lynch (3★) · 119 likes
"The only good hippo is a dead hippo!" -- actual dialogue.
Horror Syndrome (1★) · 93 likes
Doesn't even attempt to respect the Hungry Hungry Hippos lore at all.
rikstelling (2★) · 79 likes
I heard Moo Deng was a diva on set during filming.
Wexlley (1★) · 76 likes
The film's premise is interesting but poorly developed. Ranked 2026
Themes
survival, creature feature, animal attack, holiday gone wrong, swamp isolation, group under pressure, nature as threat, absurd premise played straight