Piggy – Film Review

Writer/ Director – Carlota Pereda
Stars – Laura Galán, Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi

It would be fair to say that Sara (Laura Galán) is having a difficult adolescence. She’s an overweight teen who is the butt of the jokes for the cool kids in her area. We meet her mid-summer when she works in the family butcher shop. One lunchtime, she goes for a swim in her local swimming pool. The other teenagers find her there and after teasing her, they steal her clothes and run off. Sara has to walk home in her swimwear. While on her way home, she witnesses something bizarre and quite gruesome!

This is a new Spanish thriller/ horror film that is quite different from what went before. We see the world through Sara’s eyes, as she battles against her overbearing mother and the various school ‘friends’ who make her life a living hell. Add to the complexity a random serial killer and you can see how things get complicated. It’s part teen drama, part horror film and these two are unusual bedfellows but somehow it holds together.

There are more than a few plot holes in the script, so you just have to sit back and accept the madness for what it is. It’s beautifully shot with rich colours and Laura Galán is impressive as the struggling teen at the centre of it all. If you’re a fan of the horror genre, this is a nice step away from the predictable and rigid world of Hollywood, that will keep you entertained throughout.