The latest creature feature gives hippos a terrifying turn in Hungry, a monster flick that does quite well for its smaller budget/story, but still feels like it misses the mark.
Hungry (2026)
Directed By: James Nunn
Written By: James Nunn
Starring: Madison Davenport, Tracey Bonner, Samantha Coughlan, Michel Curiel, Jim Meskimen
Release Date: June 3rd (Theaters), June 23, 2026 (VOD)
Hippos, in reality, are pretty terrifying creatures. They’re strong, have no real natural predators, and are far more dangerous than they look (don’t let those cute zoo babies fool you). Some movies have played at this aspect in select scenes, but Hungry puts them in the spotlight.
While the title is, obviously, a fun reference to the board game this isn’t some strange attempt to adapt the game. So yeah, it’s not one of those goofy horror flicks like the Poohniverse ones, and is a more straightforward creature feature.
The focus is on a group of different vacationers in Louisiana find themselves on a boat tour through the bayou that’s gone horribly wrong.From the business woman trying to get a fun pic for her kids, to the family out for touristy fun, and even the young women trying to put their troubles aside for a time, all of those gathered have their reasons for taking the adventure.
Sistine (Madison Davenport), who serves as the “main character” here and is our primary focal point for a majority of the action, is hoping to forget her worries for a bit. Struggling with the death of her mother, after a long illness, she’s looking for motivation…or maybe assurance that she’s not letting everyone down.
Unfortunately, their boat captain has taken them off course and they stumble into the hippo’s territory (yes, they do explain how a hippo is in Louisiana) with no support or help on the way. As such, these disparate people find themselves stranded and having to rely on each other if they want to survive.
That’s honestly about all there is to the story. The characters are introduced rather quickly, given some backstory, and things turn bad relatively quickly for them. The film doesn’t mess around and makes the most of its brisk 90-minute run time. Which, in this kind of creature feature is for the best.
Don’t get me wrong, I was fairly impressed with how well it manages to establish the backgrounds on these characters, most of whom you know will end up a Hippo fodder. It’s not super deep or anything, but hooks you just enough to make you care. In turn, this steps up the tension when the blood starts flowing…something sorely lacking from other recent creature features I’ve watched (looking at you Thrash).
The hippo itself is used pretty effectively, and the filmmakers know to use it sparingly in order to make their lower budget work for them. As such, the CG hippo looks nice and not at all like the wonky Syfy Channel movie monsters we’ve gotten over the years. This also helps add to the level of tension and genuine sense of danger.
All in all, aside from some really dumb character decisions and maybe one or two iffy sequences, Hungry is a decent creature feature flick. And that’s about it. It’s passable, and manages to be just a the overt goofiness of other monster movies on its level. It even manages some genuine surprises with some of the kills. But it doesn’t try to do much more than that.
There’s nothing here that breaks from the norm in this genre. Even as it handles aspects of it solidly enough, there are any number of monster flicks that have done the same thing to greater effect. Nothing in particular really stands out about it, aside from the fact that it manages to be better than made-for-TV movies.
I know that sounds kind of harsh, which I’m not trying to do as there are some good bones here. It just needed a little more. As it stands, I don’t think you’ll feel like you’re wasting money if you check it out, but it might also be a better selection for a bored on the weekend and pop it on the TV kinda flick.
