History YMMV / TheHunger

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Given the [[ForegoneConclusion nature of the story]] and the relentless unpleasantness of many of the novel's characters, it's a little too easy for the reader to utter the EightDeadlyWords and put the book down.

* SignatureScene: The opening with Music/{{Bauhaus}} performing. The scene of John rapidly aging while waiting in the hospital is also very popular, due in no small part to Dick Smith's incredible make-up work. The sex scene between Sarah and Miriam is also very popular for [[Fanservice obvious reasons]].
* SpiritualAdaptation: The film effectively translated Literature/TheVampireChronicles and its portrayal of vampires to the big screen eleven years before the official film adaptation of ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'' came out. While ''The Hunger'' was adapted from a different novel, director Creator/TonyScott was a huge fan of Creator/AnneRice, and his interest in directing an adaptation of ''Interview'' led Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer to hire him for this film.

* CultClassic

* SignatureScene: The opening with Music/{{Bauhaus}} performing.

* EndingAversion: Most fans disregard the ending where [[spoiler: Sarah turns out to be alive]], feeling the original choice was better. [[spoiler: There Sarah killed herself rather than live as a vampire, and Miriam's victims were allowed some form of rest]]. As it was tacked on by the studio in the hopes of a SequelHook (which of course never materialised), fans pretend it doesn't exist.

* CompleteMonster: Lewis Keseberg is a crude, abusive, boorish, hateful man. He routinely beats his wife, threatens violence toward many of the other main characters, shoots another man’s dog for biting him, abandons the elderly Hardkoop to die, sexually abuses several of the preteen girls in the party, attempts to rape thirteen-year-old Elitha Donner, and [[spoiler: tries to murder Charles Stanton and frame Tamsen Donner for it]]. [[spoiler: To top it all off, it’s revealed that his family is the source of the strange disease that has infected the natives and transformed them into the ''na’it'' that have been stalking the party westward]].
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Given the [[ForegoneConclusion nature of the story]] and the relentless unpleasantness of many of the novel's characters, it's a little too easy for the reader to utter the EightDeadlyWords and put the book down.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Most fans disregard the ending where [[spoiler: Sarah turns out to be alive]], feeling the original choice was better. [[spoiler: There Sarah killed herself rather than live as a vampire, and Miriam's victims were allowed some form of rest]]. As it was tacked on by the studio in the hopes of a SequelHook (which of course never materialised), fans pretend it doesn't exist.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Even those who don't like the movie acknowledge that John's RapidAging (and aging, and aging, and aging...) is a sight to behold, thanks to Dick Smith's makeup work. Between this and Music/DavidBowie's performance, John is something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, as he gets little to do after the first half.

* AlasPoorVillain: While 200 years of lifestyle murder have certainly done nothing to make John endearing - he shows sadistic pleasure at killing his victim in the intro sequence, and generally comes across as selfish and embittered - the more we learn of Miriam's modus operandi, the harder it is not to feel some pity. Judging from her strategies with Sarah - a mixture of seduction, date rape, and of course omitting to tell her the true AndIMustScream price of her immortality - there is no reason to suppose John was not also a perfectly decent guy before she targetted him, and condemned him to eternity as a withered, immobile cadaver. Not to mention David Bowie and the makeup artist completely sell the performance of a once-strong and handsome man reduced to a decrepit husk in the space of one very traumatic day.

* AlasPoorVillain: While 200 years of lifestyle murder have certainly done nothing to make John endearing - he shows sadistic pleasure at killing his victim in the intro sequence, and generally comes across as selfish and embittered - the more we learn of Miriam's modus operandi, the harder it is not to feel some pity. Judging from her strategies with Sarah - a mixture of seduction, date rape, and of course omitting to tell her the true AndIMustScream: price of her immortality - there is no reason to suppose John was not also a perfectly decent guy before she targetted him, and condemned him to eternity as a withered, immobile cadaver. Not to mention David Bowie and the makeup artist completely sell the performance of a once-strong and handsome man reduced to a decrepit husk in the space of one very traumatic day.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Even those who don't like the movie acknowledge that John's RapidAging (and aging, and aging, and aging...) is a sight to behold, thanks to Dick Smith's makeup work. Between this and Music/DavidBowie's performance, John is something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, as he gets little to do after the first half.

* HarsherInHindsight: John's sudden and rapid deterioration over a period of days became a lot harsher after Music/DavidBowie's sudden death. Bowie kept his terminal cancer a secret and was still seen in public apparently healthy only days before his death.

* FairForItsDay: Despite the eventual sex scene being completely gratuitous and shot for the MaleGaze, both Miriam and Sarah are surprisingly deep characters for females in a vampire movie. Both are strong in their own way - Miriam as a powerful seductress and Sarah as a scientist. They're also allowed to be vulnerable and feminine without [[RealWomenDontWearDresses it being shown as a weakness]]. Their lust is also not something [[SlutShaming they are punished for]]. What's more is that the script called for Sarah to be drunk when Miriam seduces her, but Creator/SusanSarandon insisted on it being 100% consensual.

* UnbuiltTrope: As one of the earliest 'angsty vampire' stories, predating ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'' by nearly ten years, it's surprising that despite being {{Jerkass Woobie}}s - the vampires are still shown as evil and are ultimately punished in the story. Bloodlust is used as an analogue for addiction rather than sexual lust.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: The film is best known for the very gratuitous lesbian sex scene between Creator/SusanSarandon and Catherine Deneuve. The TV spin-off was HotterAndSexier for this reason, despite the sex being minimal in the film. The bloodlust is actually paralleled to addiction rather than sexual lust.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Even those who don't like the movie acknowledge that John's RapidAging (and aging, and aging, and aging...) is a sight to behold, thanks to Dick Smith's makeup work. Between this and Music/DavidBowie's performance, John is something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, as he gets little to do after the first half.
* VindicatedByHistory: Somewhat. The film did get some lukewarm reception and praise for Bowie and Deneuve's performances, but was criticized for it's slow pace and plot despite the great atmosphere and visuals. It later on developed a cult following within the goth culture for its dark and gloomy atmosphere. The usage of Music/{{Bauhaus}} especially with the intro worked in its favour.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: The film is best known for the very gratuitous lesbian sex scene between Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve. The TV spin-off was HotterAndSexier for this reason, despite the sex being minimal in the film. The bloodlust is actually paralleled to addiction rather than sexual lust.
* FairForItsDay: Despite the eventual sex scene being completely gratuitous and shot for the MaleGaze, both Miriam and Sarah are surprisingly deep characters for females in a vampire movie. Both are strong in their own way - Miriam as a powerful seductress and Sarah as a scientist. They're also allowed to be vulnerable and feminine without [[RealWomenDontWearDresses it being shown as a weakness]]. Their lust is also not something [[SlutShaming they are punished for]]. What's more is that the script called for Sarah to be drunk when Miriam seduces her, but Susan Sarandon insisted on it being 100% consensual.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: The lesbian scene.

* OneSceneWonder / SignatureScene: The opening with Music/{{Bauhaus}} performing.

* VindicatedByHistory: Somewhat. The film did get some lukewarm reception and praise for Bowie and Deneuve's performances, but was criticized for it's slow pace and plot despite the great atmosphere and visuals. It later on developed a cult following within the goth culture for it's dark and gloomy atmosphere. The usage of Music/{{Bauhaus}} especially with the intro worked in its favor.

* BestKnownForFanservice: The lesbian scene.

* HarsherInHindsight: John's sudden and rapid deterioration over a period of days became a lot harsher after David Bowie's sudden death. Bowie kept his terminal cancer a secret and was still seen in public apparently healthy only days before his death.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Even those who don't like the movie acknowledge that John's RapidAging (and aging, and aging, and aging...) is a sight to behold, thanks to Dick Smith's makeup work. Between this and Music/DavidBowie's performance, John is something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, as he gets little to do after the first half.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Even those who don't like the movie acknowledge that John's RapidAging (and aging, and aging, and aging...) is a sight to behold, thanks to Dick Smith's makeup work. Between this and DavidBowie's performance, John is something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, as he gets little to do after the first half.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: Namely, the sex scene between Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. This is discussed in the documentary ''TheCelluloidCloset''.