PIGGY - SPOILER-FREE Review | Sundance 2022
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© Sundance Institute
Directed by: Carlota Pereda
Written by: Carlota Pereda
Starring: Laura Galán
Runtime: 90 min
Synopsis: With the summer sun beating down on her rural Spanish town, Sara (Laura Galán) hides away in her parent’s butcher shop. A teenager whose excess weight makes her the target of incessant bullying, she flees a clique of capricious girls who torment her at the town pool, only to stumble upon them being brutally kidnapped by a stranger, who drives off with them in his van. When the police begin asking questions, Sara keeps quiet. Intrigued by the stranger - an interest that’s mutual - she’s torn between revealing the truth and protecting the man who saved her.
© Sundance Institute
Editor's Note: Original review was written for Filmhounds Magazine. Full article can be found below.
REVIEW SUMMARY
PIGGY is the right type of film to be one of the last movies in an event such as the Sundance Film Festival. Carlota Pereda takes advantage of the terrific lead performance from Laura Galán, and delivers a shocking, violent, frighteningly grounded story about bullying, fat-shaming, and self-acceptance. Despite taking a more revenge-driven approach, the filmmaker beautifully develops the moral concepts at hand. The romantic subplot doesn’t really work, though, and the film would have benefited from a stronger atmosphere. In addition to this, just a couple of impactful dialogues surrounding the main themes would have drastically improved the overall piece. Still, it’s definitely a must-watch.
