Killer Hippos Invade the Swamp in Survival Thriller Hungry Trailer
If you have ever played Hungry Hungry Hippos and thought, “This would be better if it involved actual terror and significantly fewer plastic marbles,” then cinema has finally answered your oddly specific wish. The upcoming creature feature Hungry is stomping its way onto screens on June 23 via Aura Entertainment, bringing with it one of nature’s most deceptively dangerous animals and reminding audiences that hippos are not cuddly water cows, they are absolute nightmares with teeth.
Set in the murky Louisiana swamplands, Hungry follows a group of thrill-seeking tourists who sign up for what they believe is a unique riverboat experience. Naturally, this being a horror film, “unique” quickly translates to “you will regret this immediately.” Lured away from safer waters with the promise of an exclusive adventure, the group soon finds themselves stranded and hunted by a highly aggressive hippopotamus lurking beneath the surface. It is the classic setup. Humans underestimate nature. Nature responds by attempting to eat them.
The film is written and directed by James Nunn, who has been steadily building a reputation in the action and survival space. His previous films include One Shot, a tight, real-time action thriller, and Shark Bait, which, as the title politely suggests, already showed his interest in people being terrorised by very large things in water. With Hungry, Nunn swaps out sharks for something arguably more unpredictable. Real-world hippos are responsible for more human deaths in Africa each year than lions, making them a surprisingly grounded choice for a horror antagonist.
Leading the cast is Madison Davenport, known for her work in It’s What’s Inside and appearances in genre projects that lean into tension and ensemble dynamics. She is joined by Tracey Bonner (Greenland), Michel Curiel from “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jim Meskimen of “Parks and Recreation,” Samantha Coughlan (Arcadian), Olivia Bernstone (Fighting with My Family), River Codack from “Happy Face,” and veteran actor Joaquim de Almeida, whose long career includes Desperado and a wide range of international productions. It is a varied cast that suggests the film will balance character interactions with the inevitable chaos once the hippo decides it has had enough of tourists.
Behind the scenes, the film is backed by solid genre talent. Producer Ben Jacques, who worked on The Strangers: Prey at Night, brings experience in suspense-driven horror, while the effects team adds credibility to the creature itself. Makeup effects are handled by Dan Martin, known for his work on Infinity Pool and Color Out of Space, both of which leaned heavily into unsettling visual design. Special effects are supervised by Kenneth Cassar of Extreme Effects, whose credits include The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Jurassic World: Dominion. Visual effects are provided by Magic Dust VFX, with experience on “True Detective: Night Country” and “One Piece.” In other words, the hippo is not going to look like it wandered in from a 90s CD-ROM game.
Hungry latest in Man vs. Beast genre
What makes Hungry particularly interesting is how it fits into Hollywood’s long-standing fascination with humans being completely outmatched by animals. This is not a new obsession. Films like Jaws set the template decades ago, proving that a single creature, used effectively, can generate relentless tension. Since then, we have seen everything from giant snakes in Anaconda to lions in The Ghost and the Darkness, each exploring that primal fear of being hunted by something stronger, faster, and far less interested in dialogue.
More recently, there has been a noticeable resurgence in this subgenre. Films such as Crawl brought alligators into flooded homes, while projects like Primate have continued the trend of turning the natural world into a hostile, unpredictable force. The appeal is obvious. Strip away the supernatural, and you are left with a threat that feels disturbingly plausible. You cannot negotiate with it, outsmart it easily, or reason with it. You can only run, hide, or hope you are not the slowest person in your group.
That is where Hungry looks to make its mark. By choosing a hippo, a creature that is not often used in horror despite its real-world lethality, the film taps into something fresh while still playing within a familiar framework. It is survival horror at its most straightforward. A hostile environment, a trapped group, and a predator that does not care about your backstory.
Whether Hungry becomes a cult favourite or simply makes audiences think twice about river tours remains to be seen. One thing is certain though. After this, nobody is going to look at a hippo the same way again.
