by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Have you ever experienced serious bullying before? I have certainly experienced my fair share of bullying. Being a fat kid sure opens you up to all kinds of fun growing up. But it could have been worse. Case in point… Piggy. This new Spanish flick is quite the damnation of bullying, as it focuses on a young woman who is plus-sized and the horrible twist of fate that results from her being bullied by her classmates. This is quite the twisted take on the classic bullying tale.
What twisted elements does writer-director Carlota Pereda have up her sleeve? The film takes time to set up the life that our protagonist, Sara (Laura Galán), lives. There is plenty of drama in the film from the bullying done by Sara’s classmates, but also the horrible things that happen at home. Pereda’s work soars in one fateful scene at a watering hole. This is the peak of Sara’s abuse at the hands of her bullies, but things take a shocking turn. One mysterious gentleman takes these young women, but leaves Sara. The scene is strikingly shot, and tension is mounting. We can see all the fear and sadness on Galán’s face. We fear what Sara’s fate will be, just like the rest of the young women at that pool.
Where else does this story take Sara and the audience? The film turns into quite the cat-and-mouse game. Sara lives her life in fear and guilt as the one who was let go. She slowly pieces things together to find those young women who have turned her life into a mess. But every step Sara (and the audience) takes, this man is one step behind. This tension is a flying black cloud looming over the film. Things slowly build to an unexpected and shocking conclusion. This is not the kind of flick that you might have expected.
How do all the players play out in this horror flick? Starting with Sara’s peers, there are a few different perspectives that Piggy offers up. There are the catty bullies that just want to hurt her. They are biting and cruel in their savagery. But then there is one who is hard to deal with. She is a young woman who seems like she wants to be Sara’s friend… in private. But out in public, she goes along with the peer pressure. This just makes it that much harder for her. But her family might be even worse. Her mother is cruel and judgmental, as she harshly berates her daughter. Her father is a giant mass who is distant, but equally as cruel as the mother. These might be a collection of archetypes in such a story, but they are still quite impactful.
But what does this twisted story even mean? There are plenty of ways to cope with the trauma of bullying, but this film sure takes it to a much darker place. It might take the messaging to extremes, but at least we follow Sara on a journey to take control of her own narrative. This control might lead to some buckets of blood in this horror flick, but it is still exciting and thrilling. Sara must overcome so much from her peers and her family, and the film offers up such an impactful conclusion.
Is Piggy the kind of ride you want to take? It is certainly a hard watch. The bullying is intense, and the abuse of these young women is harsh. The payoff is grotesque and bloody. The themes are rich and poignant, and will challenge you as an audience member. Even though this is tough to process, the journey is still worth the time.
Score: 7/10
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