While we’re enamoured with competitive cooking shows, food as feature length entertainment has a chequered past. For every Chef there’s a Burnt. But in recent times there’s been the buzz around small screen series like The Bear and big screen offerings like The Menu. And now there’s Hunger, a Thai made feature streaming on Netflix, that falls neatly between the two. 

It follows Aoy, played by Chutimon ‘Aokbab’ Chuengcharoensukying, as she’s headhunted to join the ranks of Chef Paul, played by Nopachai ‘Peter’ Jayanama, the equally feted and feared talent behind Hunger, which caters to the private whims of the rich and powerful of Thai society. 

Aoy leaves behind her family’s street food stall for the promise of status, and to be “special.” Within moments on screen Chef Paul reveals his key ingredients to be menace and arrogance. Having struck and dismissed a chef on “audition” he dresses down his long-suffering sous chef, saying “culinary school grads have no imagination and can’t use fire like stovetop cooks do.” It’s perhaps a line that will cheer some old hands. The prototypical angry chef, he’s also got a side quirk of sniffing everything from dishes to staff. It’s fair to say there’s no HR department at Hunger. 

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Director Sitisiri Mongkolsiri worked with chef Chalee Kader, of Wana Yook and 100 Mahaseth in Bangkok, to bolster the culinary reality. Kader was on set during cooking scenes and worked with cast members to hone their skills. Reportedly, the two leads hit the gym, working with fitness trainers to bulk up for the role. 

With tightly wound lines from Chef Paul like “the real winners are always the ones who hunger the most,” there’s no shortage of dialogue that could come from actual chefs. In fact, there could be a game for your next gathering, spotting the fictional line. But whereas The Menu was a dark comedy with elements of horror and suspense, Hunger is very much a social commentary on class, the culture of money, and fame. Albeit the moments of eating are pretty horrific if you don’t care for the sight and sound of eating with abandon, as Chef Paul designs dishes that force out the animalistic qualities in his diners. It’s pure gluttony in the biblical sense. 

Ultimately the film is about Aoy’s journey but mirrored in that of Chef Paul, who let’s say has some issues. “To me food with love doesn’t exist,” he says. “To be a chef you need drive not love.” I think we can all agree Chef Paul needs a hug, or therapy. 

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