Have you ever had a movie that you’ve heard so much about, but you wind up missing it in theaters and decide to just watch it at home? Of course you have! It happens to all of us. For me, the latest example is Pig.
Not too long ago, I finally got to watch Nickel Boys, and even more recently, I got to watch the Nicolas Cage movie. That said, while Nickel Boys was everything that I could have hoped for, Pig…well, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this movie.
Actually, that’s not quite true, because like most audience members who saw it, I loved it. But, it’s WHY I loved it that really makes me second-guess myself. So, sit with me for a while, little piggy, and I’ll explain it to you.
Oh, and MAJOR spoilers up ahead. You’ve been warned.
First Off, I Don’t Know Why, But I Thought This Was Going To Be A Horror Movie
I love Nicolas Cage! I know a lot of people think he “sucks,” mostly because they’re probably thinking of the more, let’s just call them “Cagier” Nicolas Cage movies, but I love those, too! In fact, I’ve never watched a Nicolas Cage movie that I didn’t love.
Just think, the man has done romantic comedies, action movies, cartoons, and plenty of dramas. One of my FAVORITE genres for Nicolas Cage is horror, as he just does such a magnificent job at being creepy, or being in creepy situations. I’m talking about films like Longlegs, which my colleague, Alexandra Ramos, called one of the best movies of last year, and Mandy, which I thought was one of the best movies of 2018.
So, when I heard the plot of Pig being a movie about Cage rescuing a kidnapped hog, I naturally thought, “Oh, this must be a movie where Nic hacks people into pieces to get his pig back!” In my mind, I made Pig out to be this brutal, bloodsoaked horror movie where Cage is covered in other people’s viscera, and doing a lot of screaming (Possibly in tighty whiteys, a la Mandy).
But no, not at all. In fact, Pig is an introspective drama about a loner truffle-hunter who is not only searching for his pig, but also himself. And, can I just tell you that this threw me off completely? About 30 minutes in, I came to the realization that “Oh, this isn’t a horror movie at all. It’s a drama!”
So, it was because of my one silly self, but I thought this would be a completely different movie, but, do you know what? I’m all the better for it. Because the story is so damn good, which I’ll get into next.
The Story, On The Surface, Seemed Silly, But As It Started Moving, I Found MYSELF Moved
Once I realized that this wasn’t a horror movie, I paused the film and read the description, but it still sounded kind of silly. I mean, a pig in a metropolitan area? What is this? Babe: Pig in the City.
But, Pig turned out to be a really deep and dark film, and by the end of it, I found myself surprisingly moved, almost to the point of tears.
Cage’s truffle-hunting character, Robin, used to be a prominent chef, but he became a recluse after the death of his wife. Now, he lives alone in the forest with his pig and is visited every so often by an ingredient supplier named Amir (played by Hereditary’s Alex Wolff).
When Robin’s pig is taken, he goes into the city, and we learn all about his backstory, which is intertwined with Amir’s. Throughout the film, we learn a number of things about Rob’s former profession and how he tried to escape it, but his past was inescapable. People remember, especially if you’re known for doing something great.
By the end, which I’ll get into more detail later, I was emotionally wrecked, which really surprised me since I went into this movie thinking Cage would be laughing his head off by the end of it, not nearly crying.
This Might Be One Of My Favorite Nicolas Cage Performances
As I said earlier, a lot of people think Cage is a “bad” actor, and even the man himself admits that he’s taken on crummy roles in the past. But, whenever I hear people say that “Nicolas Cage sucks,” I always have to remind them that he won a freaking Oscar for acting.
Some people already know this, but a lot of people don’t. That is until, of course, I show them his acceptance speech for Leaving Las Vegas, to which they’re like, “Then why is he in such bad movies?” to which I usually retort, “But he’s good in them!”
“Good” acting is purely subjective, of course (which might be why Robert Pattinson is quite possibly my all-time favorite actor), but when Cage is actually in a “good” movie, he will always knock it out of the park, which is what he does here. He simply knocks it out of the park.
Robin “Rob” Feld is a complex character who blossoms throughout the story. At first, he’s stoic, and he remains that way throughout the story. However, even though he doesn’t talk much, you see the depths of his character unfold throughout the film.
For example, when he’s willing to participate in getting beaten up just to acquire some information as to the whereabouts of his pig, that speaks volumes. When he cooks a meal for his “enemy,” it also speaks volumes. It’s all these subtle actions and more that make Robin one of Cage’s most complex characters ever.
The Ending Truly Got Me
I once wrote an article about 12 great old movies that don’t get talked about enough, and one of the movies on that list was L’avenntura.
I only bring this movie up (I’m actually about to spoil TWO movies now) because at the end of L’avenntura, which starts out about a woman who’s gone missing, the woman is never found.
Upon rewatching it, you realize that the film, which translates to “The Adventure” in Italian, isn’t really about the missing woman. It’s about the feeling of isolation and disillusionment. In that way, you learn to appreciate the movie more for what it truly is, rather than being upset at the lack of a payoff.
The same could be said of Pig, since in the end, Robin never recovers the missing animal. In fact, the pig dies, and Robin returns to where he started and is left all alone, save for his memories of his dead wife.
As you could imagine, this truly got me, as I definitely wasn’t expecting such a morose or “unsatisfying” ending. I think that’s what makes the film so special, as it left me thinking about the entire journey all the way through, which I’ll talk about next.
I Am Hesitant To Recommend Pig To Anybody, Since I Think Going Into It Blind (Or With Other Expectations) Is Crucial
I’m really hesitant about whether I should recommend it or not, because I’m worried that if I do, I might give too much away about the journey.
If I tell somebody that it’s a drama, they might go into it expecting it to be dramatic, but that kind of thinking is what threw me off when I found out for myself that it wasn’t a horror movie, like I thought. That made me appreciate it more. If I tell them not to get their hopes up for the ending, then they’ll be thinking about what could happen rather than focusing on how the events play out on their own, which I also loved about it.
I think this is a movie that is best to go into completely blind, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody, even though it’s great. I want them to have a similar experience as I had in being completely enraptured by the story and performances.
So, Pig is good, and I don’t have to wonder anymore about why so many loved it. I better understand its appeal now that I’ve actually watched and written about it!