The Hunger

A woman who has lived for centuries promised her lover immortality. When he begins ageing rapidly over a few days, she seeks out a doctor researching ageing. The film barely uses the word vampire. The narrative builds its fear less on teeth and blood than on abandonment and the body giving way, which makes the makeup sequences its most disturbing passages. It is Tony Scott's first film, and the visual language he brought from advertising is visible throughout. Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon lead. The Bauhaus performance in the opening became famous on its own. Who it's for: those who like films where style runs ahead of story. Who it's not for: viewers waiting for the narrative to resolve; the ending in particular has struck many as unfinished.