The Hunger is a 1983 erotic horror film directed by Tony Scott in his directorial debut, starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. An international co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom, the film is a loose adaptation of the 1981 novel of the same name by Whitley Strieber, with a screenplay by Ivan Davis and Michael Thomas. Its plot concerns a love triangle between a doctor who specialises in sleep and ageing research (Sarandon) and a vampire couple. The film's special effects were handled by make-up effects artist Dick Smith.