The title is an obvious nod to the popular tabletop game, and while Hungry doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it is a mid-tier thriller. The narrative centers around a diverse group of holidaymakers who book a routine alligator-watching flatboat tour through the Louisiana bayou. There were some familiar faces amongst the cast, such as Madison Davenport, who I haven’t seen since the television version of From Dusk Till Dawn, as well as Joaquim de Almeida, who serves as the primary human catalyst for the film’s deadly events. Following watching the film, I did find myself having to research the overall likelihood of an African hippopotamus in the Louisiana bayou. Not so much because I consider the idea a legitimate threat, but more so because I wanted to identify just how out-of-left-field the premise of the film was overall. Based on my research, I was correct to surmise that the idea was out of left field, but not quite as much as I thought it was. Because on the one had there are no wild hippos in the bayous of Louisiana or anywhere else in the United States, but the idea of hippos in the bayou does comes from a real historical proposal.
Apparently in 1910, a U.S. Congressman introduced what is known as the “American Hippo Bill,” in which the plan aimed to solve two problems: a meat shortage and clogged waterways, by importing hippos so they could eat invasive hyacinth plants that were obstructing Southern rivers. Following that, it was proposed that the hippos could then be hunted for meat (which allegedly some joked would be like “lake cow bacon”) with famous figures like former President Theodore Roosevelt supporting the idea. However, Congress never passed the bill.
“It’s not hunting us because it’s hungry … it’s doing it because we’re in its space!”
Granted, that quote is counterproductive to the film’s title, but as we’ve already assessed, the title was likely to draw a parallel to the popular game more than to suggest actual motive for the creature in this feature. In my opinion, being territorial is a more grounded and realistic plot for the creature stalking. After all, I’m sure there was much easier prey for the creature to go after. Speaking of stalking, that is a recurring them on both sides of the film, as it was big part of de Almeida’s motivation. It is only when Walker pays the boat captain under the table to venture off the beaten path into restricted “Gatorland” territory that the tour takes a deadly turn. Ironically, he got more than he bargained for. Instead of finding massive alligators, they found that area’s usual predators bitten cleanly in half. Not long after that, their boat is capsized and quickly destroyed by an apex predator completely foreign to the swamp: a giant, hyper-aggressive, and highly territorial hippopotamus. Now stranded in deep mud and shallow waters, the survivors are forced to scramble into trees while being systematically stalked and hunted. Ironic indeed.
Credit where credit is due, I applaud the film using a non-traditional creature. My knowledge of hippos is limited, so in some ways, this also offered a learning experience. The genre is flooded with animal attacks that feature sharks or gators. Hungry successfully capitalizes on the real-world terrifying nature of hippos—their jaw strength, speed, and aggressive territorial behavior. I also enjoyed the deviation in creature motivation. Rather than killing for food, this monster killed out of sheer malice and territorial domination. However, the film is not a complete home run. The pacing was a bit slow, and I was not enamored with the filler content. A majority of the second act is spent on the characters just hanging out in trees making small talk, arguing, or wallowing in self-blame, which considerably erodes the movie’s pacing. I would have also preferred it if we kept things in a nighttime setting, because those scenes made the creature more imposing through the use of shadows. In contrast, the creature’s glossy appearance in the daytime shots robbed it of its mystique.
As I said, the film is not reinventing the wheel, but I found it to be an entertaining experience. Not sure I’d watch it again, but I don’t regret watching it in the first place. The film hits all the high notes of its genre and has a pun for a title. Not sure you can ask for more than that.
