Chickenhead (1986): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1986, Chickenhead is a drama film directed by Gábor Zsámbéki.

What it’s about. It is a tragedy, set among low-lifes on the outskirts of Budapest. Dramatic Exchange describes it as "Widely considered to be the most important Hungarian play of the last 20 years". The odd title of the play refers in the first instance to the chicken heads that an old woman feeds to her cat. However, it can also be taken to refer more broadly to the obtuse behaviour of the main characters in the play. The play is an odd mixture of pathos and nihilism, written against the bleak background of Stalinist totalitarianism from which Hungary was emerging. As with much modern drama, there is no hero in the play. The only noble behaviour that one can find belongs to one of the characters in the past, when he was a child, but he is no longer as he was. The hint that what once existed might be achieved again is the only faint ray of hope in a very bleak view of the human condition.

Who’s in it. Chickenhead stars Hilda Gobbi as Vénasszony, Zoltán Papp as Tanár, Erika Bodnár as Nő and Vajda László as Apa, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Chickenhead page.

If you liked it. Fans of Chickenhead tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.