3. Hunger
Steve McQueen brilliantly portrays the 1981 Irish hunger strike of Irish political prisoners in his 2008 debut film. Starring Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands, Hunger takes the viewer through a harrowing portrayal of what the prisoners experienced, culminating in a 20 minute single shot scene where Sands outlines his plans for a hunger strike. Sands literally wastes away onscreen as his strike endures and he eventually dies but afterwards, the prisoners demands are met, showing that his death was not all in vain. Devastatingly shot, Hunger completely overwhelms the viewer with its depiction of both the physical abuse of the prisoners and the mental abuse of the prison guards. While Hunger is depressing, harrowing, and visceral, ultimately the film is a bit inspirational, showing the willpower of a determined individual who placed the success of a worthy ideal above his own life. Visually outstanding and with a brilliant performance from Fassbender, Hunger is depressing but at the same time is also uplifting, and is one of the more affecting movies of recent years.