Pig (2021) Movie Review ‘Excellent Thriller’

Pig – Masterful Movie

Director: Michael Sarnoski

Writer: Vanessa Block, Michael Sarnoski (Screenplay)

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, Cassandra Violet, Julia Bray, Elijah Ungvary

Plot: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.

Tagline – We don’t get a lot of things to really care about.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Pig starts when a truffle hunter Rob (Cage) spends his time alone with his pig in Oregon, known for being one of the best in the business. When the pig is taken from him during the night, he turns to his one connection to the big city, Amir (Wolff) a young man he has been supplying truffles for.

As the pair head into the big city, Amir learns about Rob’s past and what he once stood for in the city of Portland, as they search for the people who took Rob’s pig.

Thoughts on Pig

Characters & Performances – Rob is the lone truffle hunter, living in the woods with his pig, with his only connection to the outside world, being the man, he supplies. He keeps to himself, until someone steals his pig. Rob returns to the world he once left for answers, a journey that will show him in a different life, holding back a side to him nobody was expecting to see. Nicolas Cage does an excellent job in this film, taking his characters from the quiet, to the planning, determined and one that can’t be dealt with. Amir is the man seeing Rob for his supply, a young arrogant man who knows he needs Rob to remain on top of the industry. He helps Rob search for answers revealing more about himself along the way. Alex Wolff continues to shine in his young career, full embracing this figure. When it comes to the supporting cast, each character we meet has a connection to the life Rob once had.

Story – The story here follows a truffle hunter that has his prized pig stolen, forcing him to return to his previous life in search for answers. This is a story that is set up like a revenge thriller, only for everything to play out in a much calmer, more intriguing way. The unexpected journey Rob goes on, shows plenty of twists along the way, from a world his younger friend Amir never knew about in a city, he believed he once thought he knew everything about. Pig is a story they will give us plenty, despite never hitting the intensity you would have imagined it to.

Themes – Pig is a thriller that will follow a man that will need to return to his previous life to find his believed pig. The locations will give us the change that Rob has been through, from the once star attraction position in the big city, to the isolated empty shack Rob lives in now.

Final Thoughts – Pig is an excellent thriller constantly brimming with tension.