Hungry Ghosts (TV series)

Hungry Ghosts

Company type	Miniseries
Industry	Television
Founded	August 24, 2020 (2020-08-24)
Headquarters	Melbourne , Australia
Products	Television drama series

Hungry Ghosts is a dramatic horror miniseries from Australia that debuted on SBS and SBS On Demand on 24 August 2020. Helmed by director Shawn Seet, this four-episode series was produced by Stephen Corvini and Timothy Hobart, with Sue Masters and Debbie Lee serving as executive producers. The scriptwriting team features Timothy Hobart, Michelle Lee, Alan Nguyen, Jeremy Nguyen, and John Ridley.

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of modern-day Melbourne, Hungry Ghosts explores the lives of three Vietnamese Australian family generations, all affected by the Vietnam War’s aftermath and haunted by actual spirits. The narrative unfolds when a shattered power amulet unleashes Quang (Vico Thai), a vengeful ghost who wreaks havoc within Vietnamese diasporic communities alongside other supernatural entities. This supernatural turmoil threatens to bring to light long-suppressed fears and hidden family secrets.

The central character, May Le (Catherine Văn-Davies), is a Vietnamese Australian chef grappling with personal tragedy and a fractured relationship with her mother. She uncovers that she has rare supernatural talents crucial for confronting the dark spirits endangering her family.

Le family and friends

• Catherine Văn-Davies as May Le: A chef in training who learns she has powers to fight malevolent ghosts.
• Suzy Wrong as Roxy Ling: May’s closest friend, a trans woman with clairvoyant abilities.
• Susan Ling Young as Stella Le: May’s mother from whom she is estranged.
• Linda Hsia as Phuong Le: May’s grandmother.
  • Ann Truong portraying Young Phuong Le
• Ryan Corr as Ben Williams: A medical intern coping with patient deaths and May’s romantic interest.

Nguyen family

• Ferdinand Hoang as Anh Nguyen: Family patriarch and former ARVN soldier.
  • Koa Nuen as Young Anh
• Gabrielle Chan as Lien Nguyen: Matriarch and Anh’s spouse.
  • Crystal Wang as Young Lien
• Gareth Yuen as Paul Nguyen: Adult son facing difficulties with his father.
  • Cyrus Lee playing Paul at age 4
  • Benjamin Nguyen portraying Paul at age 16
• Justine Clarke as Clare Nguyen: Paul’s wife.
• Christopher Quyen as Daniel Nguyen: Son of Paul and Clare, struggling with his sense of identity.
• Chloe Chung as Holly Nguyen: The youngest child of Paul and Clare.

Tran family

• Lap Phan as Dr. Sang Tran: Emergency department head at a Melbourne hospital.
• Oakley Kwon as Diane Tran: Accomplished woman involved in philanthropic efforts.
• Jillian Nguyen as Sophie Tran: Biomedical student possessed by a malevolent spirit; daughter of refugee parents Sang and Diane.
• HaiHa Le as Tracy Tran: Eldest daughter, high achiever, and mother to six-year-old Ethan.
• Timothy Nguyen as Ethan: Tracy’s son.

Stocktons

• Bryan Brown portrays Neil Stockton, a photographer recognized for his collection of Vietnam War images.
  • Joe Neathway Brown appears as the younger version of Neil.
• Clare Bowen plays Liz Stockton, the daughter of Neil Stockton.

Ghosts

• Vico Thai takes on the role of Quang, a vengeful spirit unleashed from his resting place, wreaking chaos.
• Hoa Xuande is cast as Khoa, Lien's first spouse and an ARVN soldier who died during the Vietnam War.
• Trackie Tran portrays Hoc.
• Yuchen Wang acts as Thao.

Additional Cast

• Susie Porter features as Catherine Taylor, a UN employee afflicted by ghostly possession.
• Max Brown appears as James Hoang.
• Lawrence Mah assumes the role of Thay Duc.
• Joanne Nguyen plays Ngoc.
• Gary Sweet is cast as Hugh.
• Robert Pham portrays Thay Minh.
• Warren Lee acts as Harry Trang.

Production

Principal photography commenced in Melbourne in May 2019. The series is produced by Matchbox Pictures, with Stephen Corvini and Timothy Hobart serving as producers and Shawn Seet directing. Financing was provided by Screen Australia, SBS, and Film Victoria. International distribution rights are managed by NBCUniversal International Distribution.

The production includes a cast comprising more than 30 Asian Australian actors alongside 325 Asian Australian extras, representing a milestone for Australian television.

Reception

Critics responded favorably to the series. Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen from the Guardian gave it a four-star rating out of five, describing it as "unconventional and fascinating." Both Nguyen and Christina Lee of The Conversation observed narrative parallels with the Harry Potter franchise. Lee characterized the series as "engaging" and commended its musical score, although she expressed concerns about the hurried romantic subplot and the significant screen time allocated to Anglo-Australian actors despite the diverse Asian-Australian cast.