4/5 stars
Thai model turned actress Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, also known as Aokbab, continues to prove herself one of Asia’s finest young performers with her portrayal of a street cook turned celebrity chef in Sitisiri Mongkolsiri’s new drama Hunger.
While the plot, in which Aoy (Chutimon) is plucked from obscurity to train under a notoriously intimidating master chef, offers few surprises on its way to a wholly predictable outcome, her effortless charisma in front of the camera, coupled with the director’s flair for extravagant set pieces, guarantee a thoroughly palatable experience.Aoy is first introduced cooking simple pad see ew fried noodles at her family’s modest street-side restaurant. She is approached by Tone (Gunn Svasti Na Ayudhya), a sous chef working at Hunger, an elite establishment run by culinary maestro Chef Paul (Nopachai Chaiyanam).
She is invited to audition for a fry chef position and lands the gig after creating a simple fried rice dish. Soon she comes to discover, however, that her new boss is arrogant, vindictive and egotistical, and cooks not out of love but rather a desire to be loved.
Nevertheless, Aoy also wants to be special, even if it means walking away from her family’s business.
Aligning with recent hits like Mark Mylod’s comedy horror The Menu and Ruben Östlund’s dramedy Triangle of Sadness, the message of Hunger is abundantly clear: Chef Paul’s uber-rich clients may be the only people who can afford one of his bespoke fine-dining experiences, but they are incapable of truly appreciating the simple pleasures of great food.Whether they be officials, socialites, tech billionaires or celebrities, their interest lies solely in bragging, selfies and social media interaction.
Sitisiri’s background working in the horror genre percolates to the surface in his grotesque depictions of these monstrous caricatures of wealth and privilege as they tear into Paul’s gastronomic works of art.
The young chefs who’ve made Bangkok one of Asia’s best dining destinations
Juxtaposed against images of Bangkok’s poor and destitute citizens feasting on modest meals, and the heartwarming home-cooked dishes served up by Aoy’s father, the depictions further illustrate the director’s disdain for the 1 per cent.
While the script offers little in the way of groundbreaking insight into the human condition – that is, until it ends on a note of surprising ambiguity not witnessed up to that point – Chutimon delivers another captivating performance of controlled understatement.
Conveying more emotion in a single silent scowl than many actresses of her generation could manage in a lengthy histrionic monologue, the 27-year-old proves once again to be in a league of her own.
Hunger will begin streaming on Netflix on April 8.
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