Hen is a film that follows the events and narrative surrounding – you guessed it – a hen. What came first, the chicken or the egg? In this films case it’s the egg. I mean the opening shot literally shows said Hen getting pushed out of its mother’s vent… so yeah. This project is at least not like anything I’ve ever seen before.

Following the adventures of a chicken who escapes from a factory farm, the story focuses on a hen’s time while living at a rundown seafood restaurant and being held captive/cared for by an old man – it’s a complicated relationship.

Despite being a predominantly Greek language film, you could honestly watch the it without subtitles due to the lack of Greek spoken, as unalike what the Disney cartoons would lead you to believe – Chickens can’t actually talk – well at least not to us.

Though I can’t say the story is as wholesome as your classic animal following films, with Hen’s story much harsher than the world familiar to the likes of Garfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Sticking the film into a genre is pretty difficult. Hen seems to move through phases like a teenage boy, swaying from adventure, to comedy, to drama, to crime, all the while leaving the viewing experience a little confusing tonally.

This perhaps comes to a head most significantly in the film’s later parts where it displays themes such as smuggling and gang violence. Something that’s pretty hard to take as seriously as the subject manner would deserve, given the fact that just seconds earlier we spend our time watching the hen turn into a chicken carousel, stuck spinning around on a fan.

Presumably a commentary on how humans are detached from the treatment of animals – such as in factory farms seen at the start of the film. This would be an interesting idea worth exploring, yet the film seems to only tease it and leaves us to colour in the page without giving us any numbers.

While it may not be eggcellent as a full picture, the film has its moments and is overall pretty impressive. Most notably all animals used for the film are real animal actors – no CGI. Well for the most part, least I hope given that Pablo gets absolutely smacked by a car after chasing that poor hen. It means you can watch the film knowing that indeed you are seeing real chicken sex, and don’t worry if you miss it the first time, it happens at least 3 more times.

Just like your egg in the morning, the film’s got some cracks in it. Yet still, it’s a unique project and at points a charming watch that there’s enjoyment to find within – I just wish it the film knew what its point was. 

In a lesson in Greek; Είμαι αλλεργικός στα αυγά, οπότε έχω μια μυστική δυσανεξία προς τις κότες, καθώς αυτό σήμαινε ότι όταν ήμουν παιδί δεν μπορούσα να φάω τούρτα γενεθλίων. Επομένως, μην εμπιστεύεστε τη γνώμη μου, δείτε την ταινία για να σχηματίσετε τη δική σας κρίση.

Verdict:

Screener Provided by GFF 27 & Images Courtesy of Canal

Neil Highlands Singer

Hi, I’m Neil Singer, Culture Editor and second year student, studying media and journalism, and social policy. In my spare time I play for Strathclyde Lacrosse and watch a lot of films. If your reading this then that probably means you’ve looked at my article, so thankyou! You must be one very cool individual.