5. Piggy; movie review

 

PIGGY

Cert 18

100 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence

If ever there was a poster to turn off a potential cinema-goer, here it is.

The title is horrible, the young woman looks at her absolute worst and the blood gives the impression that the movie is going to be nothing but a gore-fest.

However, in my opinion, there is much more to Carlota Pereda's Piggy than meets the eye.

And it is certainly worth waving a flag for its lead actress, Laura Galán, a woman in her mid-30s who somehow carries off portraying a character half her age.

Galán plays Sara, a teenager who works part-time in her parents' butcher's shop and is mercilessly bullied by the perfect-figure local youngsters.

Indeed, there is no let up from her misery because her mother (Carmen Machi) continuously chides her and her overweight father (Julián Valcárcel) does nothing to help.

She is in the abyss until a mysterious and dangerous stranger (Richard Holmes) suddenly appears in their small town.

The nuances of the plot and how Sara copes with surprising and often terrifying twists are key to enjoying the movie.

Pereda also creates menace with an inspired backdrop of a rural town where everyone knows everybody.

Therefore, while smiles are on the surface, resentments and jealousies are bubbling away and when the pressure becomes unbearable, eruptions follow.

Piggy could be described as a thriller or a horror but it also has a foundation in the reality of teenage bullying and body-shaming.

I was interested to read that the highly impressive Galán enjoys using her body in her acting because I was worried she might have been exploited.

Her performance was central to this surprising film's believability.

Reasons to watch: Original and engaging thriller

Reasons to avoid: Very bloody scenes

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Lots of skin but no nudity

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Carlota Pereda's original short film has been selected at more than 300 international film festivals and received more than 90 awards, including the Goya and Forque awards for best short film.

The final word. Carlota Pereda: "Piggy is the story of an outsider that wants to fit in. It’s terrifying because it’s real and relatable because it shows adolescence at its most brutal. Believe me, if you’re an overweight teen, social anxiety can be as paralysing and horrific as murder."

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