Joe Grode is a Los Angeles–based writer, director, and producer whose work blends genre spectacle with emotional complexity. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he crafts films that twist the familiar into something bold, absurd, yet deeply human. His recent short, Mukbang, turns digital obsession into horror, exploring the grotesque hunger behind internet fame. Over the past decade, mukbang videos, and the influencers who create them, have become deeply embedded in the cultural zeitgeist of social media. What began as simple videos of people filming themselves eating quickly exploded, reaching massive audiences across the world. Now one of the largest genres online, mukbang content ranges from casual meals to extreme feats of consumption, with some creators reaching unprecedented view counts. Viewers are drawn to these videos for many reasons: some find a sense of companionship while eating along, others are captivated by the spectacle of excess, watching someone devour copious amounts of food or unfamiliar, exotic dishes. This film was inspired in part by mukbang influencer Nikocado Avocado, who amassed millions of subscribers and became notorious for gaining hundreds of pounds through increasingly extreme content. In some cases, mukbang influencers have even died. The idea of consuming oneself in pursuit of destruction and fame is inherently dystopian, and it’s something I felt compelled to explore. At its core, this film reflects my generation (Gen Z) distorted hunger for constant entertainment and the corresponding willingness of creators to sacrifice their health, identity, and sanity to satisfy that demand. Read less