• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Movie Review – A Taste of Hunger (2021)

February 3, 2022 by Robert Kojder

A Taste of Hunger, 2021.

Directed by Christoffer Boe.
Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Charlie Gustafsson, Katrine Greis-Rosenthal, Dag Malmberg, Nicolas Bro, Flora Augusta, August Vinkel, Maj-Britt Mathiesen, Rasmus Hammerich, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, and Louise Skov.

SYNOPSIS:

A couple sacrifice everything to achieve the highest possible accolade in the culinary world – a Michelin star.

Can you have it all without the hypothetical “all” falling apart? That’s what’s on the mind of director co-writer and director Christoffer Boe (collaborating with Tobias Lindholm) with A Taste of Hunger, which could be a disappointment for some expecting a full-on restaurant drama with an insightful look into the culinary world.

At most, there are some mouthwatering, up-close meal preparation scenes at a moment where Carsten (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau putting intense work capturing the character’s obsessively ambitious traits) eviscerates an employee, subsequently firing him for screwing up. He takes this world seriously and isn’t afraid to scold his young children even if they so much as knock a bottle of sauce over in the kitchen. Dedication to his work comes at the expense of being a gentle and properly caring father and an attentive husband to Maggie (a terrific Katrine Greis-Rosenthal making the most of some of the cliché scenarios her character is thrust into).

Instead, A Taste of Hunger is a family drama comprised of an urgent present-day situation where Carsten is having his staff prepare a meal for a Michelin member in hopes of his establishment receiving a coveted honorary star, so deep into catering to the dining hotshot that he is oblivious to a letter directed at his attention consisting of one line that states Maggie is in love with another man. When the meal is incorrectly prepared, Maggie sets out on an odyssey into the night, searching for the food expert to plead forgiveness and re-invite him to the restaurant. However, she is also aware that someone is trying to spill the beans on her affair, using the time away from the restaurant to confront the slimy Frederik (Charlie Gustafsson playing a despicable man to great effectiveness even while working from an underwritten part) about their falling out.

As such, flashbacks also unfold touching on several key events ranging from how Carsten and Maggie met, hitting it off talking about food and their drive in life, to creating their restaurant while trying to reassure two children that they will come first, family gatherings filled with tension, and of course, the inevitable collapse of this family dynamic. To the film’s credit, it’s always well-acted (while appropriately drowning in moody lighting) and surprisingly gives more time to Maggie. However, it is disappointing that the role basically comes down to being blackmailed. There’s a chance it would work better if the film spent more time exploring Frederik in the past, but as is, characters feel underdeveloped.

Still, as wobbly written, the point is gotten across. Even when A Taste of Hunger feels manufactured with forced drama and trauma, the central couple of Carsten and Maggie do feel flawed and real and believably portrayed. There’s also a tiny shift in the third act giving their daughter Chloe (Flora Augusta) some important beats that not only work but feel like they should have been further expanded on. Once A Taste for Hunger reaches the end of its journey in flashbacks, the drama that remains is far more raw and gripping. Oddly enough, the story ties everything up a little too neatly for such a bleak series of mistakes and decisions rather than continue with that momentum. While good and eminently watchable, one could say the movie itself went through a few errors in preparation. It’s not worthy of a Michelin star

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★  / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

 

Filed Under: Movies, Reviews, Robert Kojder Tagged With: A Taste of Hunger, August Vinkel, Charlie Gustafsson, Christoffer Boe, Dag Malmberg, Flora Augusta, Katrine Greis-Rosenthal, Louise Skov, Maj-Britt Mathiesen, Nicolas Bro, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Rasmus Hammerich, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina

About Robert Kojder

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

From Hated to Loved: Did These Movies Deserve Reappraisal?

Ten Action Sequels The World Needs To See

10 Great Action Movies from 1995

18 Incredible 21st Century Films You May Have Missed

The Essential Horror-Comedy Movies of the 21st Century

Ten Essential Films of the 1950s

Ten Great Love Letters to Cinema

The 10 Best Villains in Sylvester Stallone Movies

10 Great Cult 80s Movies You Need To See

All This Has Happened Before: Remembering Battlestar Galactica

Top Stories:

Comic Book Review – Rick and Morty vs. The Universe #1

Movie Review – Saint Clare (2025)

18 Incredible 21st Century Films You May Have Missed

Feel the Heat: 10 Uncomfortably Hot and Sweaty Films

10 Great 1980s Sci-Fi Adventure Movies

James Gunn’s Superman soars with $217 million worldwide box office opening

Movie Review – Eddington (2025)

Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Red Shirts #1

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Out for Vengeance: Ten Essential Revenge Movies

Dust in the Eye: Ten Tear-Jerking Moments in Action Movies

The Cinematic Crossovers We Need To See

Underrated Modern Horror Gems That Deserve More Love

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket