Hunger (2023)–Parasite Anyone?
This Thai thriller features a beautiful young woman, Aoy, and a terrifying megalomaniac celebrity chef Paul. Aoy stir-fries noodles in her family’s noodle shop as a fast-food cook alongside her brother and her parents. In contrast, Chef Paul berates his staff mercilessly. In an upscale restaurant environment, Chef Paul is a culinary darling among the very wealthy.
Invited to join Chef Paul, the perfectionist, Aoy is thrilled at the opportunity. Hunger soon reveals sadism and disturbing egomania in the rarified and unsavory restaurant industry. But the young noodle-fryer refuses to give up, even after she is put through, literally, a trial by fire. Motivated by a hunger driving her ambition to be a chef to the very best foodies, the young woman endures and prevails.
As the chef sneers at his young protegée, he offers advice in a condescending putdown: “The poor eat to end their hunger. But when you have more than enough to eat, your hunger doesn’t end.” The students under the tutelage of the tyrannical chef all have the same insatiable hunger he has to be the most in-demand.
For the foodie, chef wannabe and all others who love intense dramatic thrillers, Hunger is for you! Plus the viewer gets treated to the Thai Bangkok scenery and glimpses of the very wealthy, echoing the Korean blockbuster, “Parasite”. Fine acting, cinematography, and a satisfying ending. What a surprise “under the radar” foreign film!
Availability: Netflix