by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned fairytale? These stories have meaning, but wrap it in a fun and usually fantasy package. You cannot just go out there and beat your audience over the head with the messages that you want to portray. That makes them come off as preachy and clunky. But the magic of a fairytale is you can present serious ideas through metaphor and imagery that makes it easier to digest, while also giving the audience a chance to be entertained.
But do these stories just need to be for adults? Co-writer and director Aik Karapetian proves soundly that this is not the case with their latest effort Squeal. A lonely man ventures out into the woods of Eastern Europe in search of his biological father. But fate has another plan when he finds a pig, and soon his story begins to parallel the life and experience of this livestock. This is where Karapetian leverages the fairytale structure. This is less fantastical than most, but our wanderer, Samuel (Kevin Janssens), becomes a human pig. Imprisoned on a farm, the father wants to sell him off, but the daughter, Kirke (Laura Silina), falls for the human squealer.
But how does Karapetian leverage this approach to tell their story? Honestly, one of the film’s biggest flaws is the old school approach to telling the story. Film used to be filled with voiceover telling the audience exactly how to feel at any given moment. Even worse, the narration would spell out how our characters are feeling. The problem with that is it is condescending to the audience and treats them like they cannot figure it out. The actors’ performances are also neutralized by overdone voiceover. Squeal falls into this trap. The final moments of the film set up a natural parallel between this pig and Samuel, but the film obnoxiously spells it all out, which takes away from the moment. The messaging and parallels can also be overdone and way too blunt.
Does the story still work nonetheless? This tale delivers quite a bit of thrills along the way. There is a bit of mystery towards the beginning, as Samuel finds this pig and then continues through the woods. But once he is captured and placed into his own version of captivity, that is where the real fun begins. There is some poignant chemistry between Samuel and the young farm girl as they start to develop a strange connection with each other. But there is plenty of tension as a neighboring farm hand is extremely jealous and wants his chance with her. Like actual livestock, there begins to be a fight over ownership that leads to violence and scares. Even if it is a bit blunt, this fairytale is an engaging journey.
Is Squeal just strange enough to be a must-watch film? This unique tale takes a clever concept and delivers an enjoyable ride, despite over-explaining and simplification. You will feel some things and wonder what will happen next. This is not the most impressive adult fairytale around (that would be Pan’s Labyrinth, of course), but it is worth your time.
Score: 7/10
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