Marcell Minaya loves Hunger

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: April 8th, 2009 | 12:00am

Steve McQueen’s visceral first feature, Hunger, is a brutal and unflinching take on the human condition. As the Blanket and No-wash protest consumes the H-Blocks of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland in 1981, IRA member Bobby Sands (portrayed remarkably by Michael Fassbender) leads a hunger strike for the reversal of inmate status for Republican prisoners. Captivating despite dialogue running scarce, Hunger strays from conventional biopic antics, showcasing feeling and emotion that is so palpable it penetrates through the screen. An astonishing debut fueled by powerful filmmaking.

Hunger is currently playing in select cities and available On Demand through IFC In Theatres.

Marcell Minaya is a Venus Zine writer.