The Hungry Ghosts (2009)

14% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(38 ratings)

The Tibetans describe a type of hell in which souls with tiny mouths are afflicted with enormous, insatiable bellies. These inhabitants are considered 'the hungry ghosts.' Michael Imperioli's directorial debut THE HUNGRY GHOSTS portrays an eclectic group of New Yorkers in search of spiritual and… More The Tibetans describe a type of hell in which souls with tiny mouths are afflicted with enormous, insatiable bellies. These inhabitants are considered 'the hungry ghosts.' Michael Imperioli's directorial debut THE HUNGRY GHOSTS portrays an eclectic group of New Yorkers in search of spiritual and emotional fulfillment. Frank (Steven R. Schirripa, The Sopranos, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) a late-night radio host, is trapped in a tenuous relationship with his son, Matthew (Emory Cohen in his screen debut.), as a result of Frank's drug addition and gambling problems. When Matthew storms out of a therapy session with his father, he becomes lost in the labyrinth of New York City. With Matthew missing, Frank is forced to confront his ex-wife, Sharon (Sharon Angela, The Sopranos, Tony & Tina's Wedding), over his fractured relationship with his son. While searching for his son, Frank meets Nadia (Aunjanue Ellis, Ray, True Blood.) Nadia recently left her destructive, alcoholic lover Gus (Nick Sandow, Connie & Carla, Third Watch) and is trying to get her life back on track. She turns to spirituality to help her find peace as Gus aggressively tries to win her back. THE HUNGRY GHOSTS deals with the intersection of several perishing lives stuck in a cycle they wish to escape, capturing the zeitgeist of our post-millennium New York City, in which the desperation of the West collides with the religious teachings of the East. -- (C) Virgil

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Michael Imperioli
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Oct 1, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Nov 2, 2010
Studio: Virgil Pictures

Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
An earnest effort that too often betrays its good intentions with an overly heavy hand.
Mike Hale, New York Times
An ensemble drama that applies the Crash formula to New York and steeps it in Eastern religion, therapeutics and addiction while exhibiting a giggly suburban take on Manhattan kink.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
The Hungry Ghosts is vanity cinema at its most tedious.
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
A choppy bumper-car ride of scenes, full of keyed-in performers, runs of vernacular dialogue, and narrative blindsides.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
I get it, but I don't buy it.
Simon Abrams, Slant Magazine
The authenticity of Imperioli's understanding of spiritual revolution makes the screenplay, which unevenly vacillates between displays of schmaltzy sentiment and inept skid row melodrama, almost bearable.
Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
Thirty-six hours. Multiple characters. Interlocking narratives. Michael Imperioli's Manhattan-set film-directing debut hits plenty of familiar notes, almost all of them off-key.