Pig (2021)

Directed by: Michael Sarnoski | 92 minutes | drama, thriller | Actors: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Cassandra Violet, Julia Bray, Elijah Ungvary, Beth Harper, Brian Sutherland, David Shaughnessy, Gretchen Corbett, Sean Tarjyoto, Darius Pierce, Kevin Michael Moore, Tom Walton, Davis King, Nina Belforte, David Knell , Adam Arkin, Dana Millican, Dalene Young, October Moore

Nicolas Cage is known as an eccentric. The best man seems to be an avid collector of all kinds of expensive knick-knacks and that hobby has put him in debt. In recent years, to accommodate his creditors, Cage took on just about every project offered to him. The quality of his work deteriorated enormously and Cage soon became the main supplier of streaming services. Every month there seemed to be a B-movie with the fallen star coming out. While the general public seemed to forget Cage, a group of loyal fans continued to follow him. Cage is a great actor, but knows how to hide it well. When he tries his best, he can single-handedly take downright mediocre movies to the next level. Now take ‘Pig’. This movie was made for Cage!

In ‘Pig’, Cage plays Rob. This man lives like a hermit in a deserted forest and isolates himself from society with his truffle pig. His only contact with the outside world is Amir (Alex Wolff). This fast boy comes by every week to pick up truffles from Rob. There is no question of a band, because the taciturn Rob does not communicate. When at some point Rob’s pig is kidnapped, the hermit goes in search of his pet. Unwillingly, he drags Amir with him.

Cage is phenomenal in this movie. He doesn’t lapse into mannerisms (his sudden and grotesque outbursts of rage are legendary and are also known as ‘Cage rage’. He doesn’t perform this trick in this film) and puts on a layered role. It’s hard to see another actor in this role. The fairytale setting in combination with Cage’s play – a man looking for his piglet in the big city – works wonderfully well. The American manages to make the strange situation work. The great strength of ‘Pig’ is its unpredictability. You never know which way the movie will go.

What starts as a brooding thriller turns into a drama, and then turns into a fight movie. If you think you are going to watch a fierce fight scene, a philosophical worry follows from nowhere. And it works! The acting, soundtrack and atmosphere setting ensure that you are never bored. Cage puts himself back on the map as a character actor in one fell swoop.