There are monster movies… and then there are movies that understand the monster is only half the equation.
HUNGRY knows exactly what makes its concept work. Director/writer James Nunn weaponizes audience expectations from the outset, turning one of nature’s deadliest animals into the source of a tense, darkly entertaining survival thriller that gleefully plays with the disconnect between childhood perception and brutal reality. Because let’s be honest. Most people hear “hippopotamus” and think:
cute zoo animals,
wiggly ears,
Disney ballets,
or the world-famous Fiona at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Not aquatic murder tanks with tusks.
That delayed realization becomes the film’s greatest strength.
Set in the Louisiana bayou, the story follows a mismatched collection of thrill-seeking tourists lured onto a riverboat excursion promising encounters with massive crocodiles hidden deep within the swamplands. Naturally, things go spectacularly wrong once a ravenous hippopotamus begins hunting them beneath the murky water. And smartly, Nunn resists showing the creature too early.
For much of the film, the terror comes from absence. Ripples. Movement beneath the waterline. Sudden disappearances. A body yanked under. The uncertainty builds scene by scene as the audience waits for the inevitable reveal. By the time the hippo finally emerges in full force, roughly an hour into the film, complete with massive tusks and terrifying force, the payoff lands with genuine shock value precisely because Nunn has spent so long conditioning viewers to imagine something almost absurdly harmless.
Instead, the hippo becomes nightmare fuel.
Visually, the film thrives in the swamp atmosphere. Cinematographer Job Reineke creates a strong visual grammar built around murky water, underwater uncertainty, heavy shadows, and environmental claustrophobia. The bayou setting feels oppressive and unstable even before the attacks begin. While some additional grime in the water might have heightened the authenticity even further, the underwater photography remains highly effective throughout, particularly during sequences involving submerged searches beneath the boat and the fiery reflections dancing across the water during nighttime chaos. Amazingly, a 50’x50′ water tank built on the island of Malta makes a superbly authentic Louisiana bayou thanks to production designer Charlo Dalli and his team.
Nunn and Reineke — reteaming after earlier collaborations, including One More Shot — demonstrate a confident understanding of spatial geography and tension building. One standout sequence involving tourist Sistene navigating beneath the boat toward a tracker system (that needs to be activated to, hopefully, give someone a clue that these folks are alive and out there lost), while flames illuminate the surrounding water, is particularly well executed, balancing suspense, visual coherence, and escalating panic.
Production designer Charlo Dalli also deserves considerable credit for the wonderfully textured Broussard Hippo Farm setting. The cages, industrial structures, cluttered workspaces, and deteriorating infrastructure give the film a tactile realism that greatly enhances the immersion.
Performance-wise, the film assembles an engaging ensemble led by Madison Davenport as Sistene. Davenport gives the film its emotional center, charting Sistene’s evolution from a defeated young woman burdened by debt, caregiving responsibilities, and low self-worth into a capable survivor whose seemingly unrelated life skills become essential in a fight for survival. Davenport grounds the increasingly chaotic events with sincerity and emotional credibility, and by the end of the film, Sistene emerges as the clear anchor for what absolutely should become a sequel.
Because yes — more HUNGRY, please.
Jim Meskimen brings authenticity and quiet emotional resonance to retired FDNY first responder Tim, while Joaquim de Almeida delivers welcome gravitas as Rodrigo, whose museum-like obsession with the hippos and crocodiles gives the film some of its strongest world-building. His scenes add texture and mythology to the story while reinforcing the larger thematic idea that humans fundamentally misunderstand the creatures they attempt to control.
And then there’s Dee.
Played with aggressively aggravating perfection by Tracey Bonner, Dee may very well inspire audiences everywhere to spend the entire film waiting for a hippo to eat her. From the moment she stumbles aboard in stiletto heels, dragging luggage and complaining endlessly, Dee becomes the walking embodiment of “please let nature handle this.” That Nunn delays her fate for so long almost becomes its own running joke.
Editor Richard Blackburn takes a somewhat more measured approach to pacing than expected, given the material. Rather than pushing constant razor-wire tension, Blackburn allows scenes to breathe, building suspense through anticipation and environmental dread rather than nonstop chaos. The film’s biggest jolts often come through sudden attacks and expertly timed jump scares. While a slightly sharper editorial edge may have intensified some sequences further, the slower-burn approach ultimately complements the lurking, underwater threat effectively.
What makes HUNGRY especially entertaining is that beneath the creature-feature setup lies a surprisingly thoughtful understanding of animal behavior. The film gradually reveals that the hippos’ aggression is not random carnage but protective instinct tied to a trapped baby hippo and generational trauma associated with human captivity and exploitation. That added layer gives the climax unexpected emotional texture without ever sacrificing the film’s pulpy entertainment value.
And yes… by the end, you may find yourself wanting to immediately watch adorable Fiona the hippo videos afterward just to emotionally recover.
With HUNGRY, James Nunn delivers a clever, atmospheric, highly entertaining survival thriller that understands exactly how to manipulate audience assumptions while delivering plenty of swamp-soaked mayhem along the way.
The only real problem? You may leave still hungry for more. Bring on the next feast!
Written and Directed by James Nunn
Cast: Madison Davenport, Joaquim de Almeida, Olivia Bernstone, Tracey Bonner, Michel Curiel, Jim Meskimen, Samantha Coughlan, and River Codack
by debbie elias, 05/11/2026
HUNGRY is in theatres June 3, 2026 and will release on VOD on June 23, 2026.
