"Piggy," a cinematic experiment released in 2022, moulds itself into a complex tale that unnerves and intrigues in equal measure. Through the lens of Sara, the film explores the sweltering heat of vengeance and the chilling shadows of justice, merging the two until indistinguishable. The picturesque facade of a quaint village belies the rife cruelty bubbling under the surface, a setting that seems all too idyllic for such dark undertones.
A character like Sara, marred by the incessant taunting from her peers, is an archetype most can empathize with. The onslaught of bullying she endures is depicted with a vivid brutality that calls to question the perverted catharsis of retribution. As viewers, we're dragged into this summer hellscape where the humidity of discomfort sticks to our skin - it's hard to watch, yet impossible to look away.
When an enigmatic stranger enters the picture and flips the narrative on its head by abducting Sara's abusers, one can't help but grapple with the twisted sensation of relief. This instills a base feeling of satisfaction, though it's quickly tainted by the film's persistence on showing the cruel reality behind such acts. The silence pact struck with the perpetrator casts Sara into an abyss of complexity, her silent compliance painting her simultaneously as a victim and an accomplice.
As the narrative unravels and the town finds itself entangled in the aftermath of the stranger's actions, "Piggy" expertly dwells on societal reactions to violence and vengeance. The community's suspicion, the spread of rumors, the interrogation of the innocent – all serve as poignant commentary on societal bloodlust for scapegoats and secrets.
Now, despite the gripping promise of the storyline, "Piggy" doesn't consistently deliver. It dances the line of psychological thriller and art-house cinema and sometimes trips over its own feet. The pacing stumbles, sometimes lingering too long in moments of introspection, dulling the sharpness of its edge. This isn't helped by instances where the imagery, though often raw and powerful, tends to belabor the point, muddling the narrative flow.
Yet, one cannot dismiss the film's efforts to evoke emotion – the anxiety, the suffocation, and Sara's crippling guilt are conveyed with a visceral intimacy. The villain, shrouded in mystery, serves not just as the executor of kidnap and possible murder but also as an unwitting liberator in Sara's constrained existence. It is within this dichotomy the film finds its darkest allure.
The cinematography should be commended for capturing this bleak rural landscape, providing a tangible backdrop to the village’s own unraveling. Characters are shown in a light that is equally unforgiving and humanizing – providing the cast ample ground to showcase their talents, and it is in their performances the movie finds solid grounding.
In balancing the score, "Piggy" sits at a 6 out of 10. It's a film that reaches well and broadly with its themes but doesn't quite hold firm to the landing. For some, the discomfort induced by the film's thematic cruelty may be an insurmountable barrier, but for others, the emotional and psychological journey is one worth taking. Intriguingly unsettling, "Piggy" is an 'ok, not bad' piece that prods at the psyche and stays with you perhaps a little longer than expected, like the memory of a summer you can’t quite shake.
