Pig (2010) User Reviews

Well, it was what it claimed to be...almost

[tstrauss · 4/10 · 18 April 2010]

I'm not going to go into elaborate detail about the quality or goings-on of the story, because Adam Mason's press release warned/boasted that the film contained no plot...only brutality, gore & degradation. And it certainly lived up to that. As far as as a review is concerned, I agree completely with pretty much everything Shawn Savage said in his review.

I was pretty bored throughout the proceedings, especially after I noticed the first edit in the supposedly uninterrupted, single-take film. It occurred approx 20 min. into the film...the camera moves in on the truck-bed girl's dress, there's a dissolve (read: cut), and the camera pulls back to continue capturing the goings-on. Not that what Adam Mason & co. pulled off in long takes wasn't sometimes impressive, but if you're going to boast a 70+ minute, uninterrupted take, don't cheat. My opinion is if they decided to allow themselves "hidden" cuts (a la Hitchock's ROPE), they might as well have put some effort into some semblance of a storyline to make the whole thing a bit less monotonous.

I probably would have only given this 2 stars, but the film's score was really quite engaging and well-done throughout, and that's primarily what kept me watching.

Umm.....yeah....

[anguspage12 · 4/10 · 29 April 2010]

So...usually, before I get into what I liked and didn't like about a movie when I review it, I usually give a plot summary to show others what it's about. But, in this case, I cant give one because, frankly, there IS no plot

Now, I have good news and bad news about this film. The good news is that this film goes above and beyond the normal setting for films going "too far". The bad news? There's not much else to this film.

A thing that I have to praise this film for is it's one on-going shot that's used for almost the entire film. If you want to become a director, cinematographer, or pretty much anything else to do with film, you should see this film purely on that.

But, the major down-side to this film is that it's just plain boring at times. I'm not one of these conservative people who will hate this film because "It's too terrible" or "It will corrupt the kids" or anything like that. I mainly don't like it that much because it's just plain boring at times. Your waiting for the film to move on at points, but it never really does.

Maybe that was the director's intentions or the actors intentions (because you can tell that this film is mainly improv), but whatever it is, it's not something that you should really see OTHER than the technical stand-point.

A massive disappointment

[davidgreen9817 · 3/10 · 16 March 2022]

As you will read in many other reviews here, the fact that the film is filmed in one continuous shot is very impressive, and Adam Mason should be applauded for this fact alone. The fact that he was able to get the film to run smoothly and all the special effects still worked is a marvel. However, that's where my appreciation ends. You see, Pig is an incredibly dull and boring film. It was marketed as being this incredibly disturbing and filthy movie with sadistic violence and deplorable scenes throughout. What we get is a whole lot of sub par acting, particularly that of the female antagonist in the movie. The film's portrayal of her being mentally disabled is extremely over the top, annoying, and frankly an offensive portrayal. The hur-dur dialogue and sounds that come out of her mouth are absolutely insufferable. The male antagonist is better, but it's like comparing excrement to expired food. One is clearly better but both are pretty awful. His performance is over the top, and not in a fun way. More of an embarrassingly amateurish way. The film is also an absolute bore, with there not being much of a plot at all outside of the 2 antagonists torturing a few people mentally in physically. Don't get me wrong either, I am a fan of movies such as the Guinea Pig franchise and other extreme cinema but here it is just dull. Nothing you see on screen isn't something you haven't seen before in countless other extreme horror films, or even many mainstream horror films. By nature, the fact that the film is shot in one take means that there are going to be some scenes where the actors do things that allow the special effects or set pieces to be set up while they talk or do something in the forefront. However, as I said before the acting is atrocious so really the only draw for the movie is the torturous acts commuted. And those aren't interesting either. So what we're left with is a movie that was shot in a cool way, but what is happening on screen is mediocre at best and unbearably annoying at its worst. A real shame.

God help me, I tried...

[orokausagi · 1/10 · 25 July 2010]

I really, really did try to like this movie. I really wanted to enjoy this as sheer brutality, something that simply tried to be as vulgar as rating systems would allow. There's just. No. Plot. It's just a bad movie, plain and simple. Sure, it's got all the earmarks of a pretty, technically well-made film, but if you don't have that kind of film school background, it's nothing but torture porn, and within the first 5 minutes, you realize that it's not even torture porn: just sexist, reprehensible and filth. I'm fine with a good bit of Saw or Devil's Rejects fun, but when you're just beating the sh*t out of women for a good hour and a half, it's not fun anymore.

What a damn shame.

Pointless demoralizing hiding behind being art (failling at that)

[jackmeat · 15 October 2015]

My quick rating - 2,4/10. All this is? 69 minutes of watching some supposed psychotic serial killer demoralize some captors in the middle of nowhere. Scenery is great if you want to stare at a mobile home for that long. So terrible acting, pissing on a woman for no reason, cooking with blood, a pregnant captor acting like a two year old....that about sums up this movie. Oh, that other one minute? (yes, the "movie" is only 70 minutes which is hardly categorized as a movie) That other one minute is the only reason this gets a single point since I never saw the ending coming. Beyond that, horrible in every way. They skipped the killing to make it about a serial killer. The one person killed just, died from headbutts. Oops (yeah, he actually says "I didn't mean to kill her") I'd mention poor script, but I doubt there was one.

If you are squeamish bring a barf bag

[mdnobles19 · 1/10 · 17 April 2010]

I hated it with a passion! I mean it tried to be Wolf Creek, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Devil's Rejects and Funny Games which it did kind of surpassed them when it came to disgusting, stomach turning violence and gore but did it ever cross their minds that less is sometimes more when it comes to horror movies. There is no suspense and is an insult to the senses and it crossed the line and it amazes me that some people think this is good and watchable and it makes me want to take a long shower afterwards, maybe that was their goal. I have to give it to Andrew Howard for giving an insane, ballsy, what the heck performance, Rob Zombie would be proud but how could you walk away sane after making this I mean it's like an experiemental film gone horribly wrong. I hate it even more for making no sense out of the crimes and no backstory for any of the characters, it didn't make me care just disgusted and very, very annoyed but the ending was crazy to see what he was and the life he was going back to. Overall sure it had guts plenty of it but no substance and nothing to back it up and it's completely unnecessary and I urge everyone to avoid it!

Boring best describes this "movie."

[johninvirginia2005 · 1/10 · 2 August 2019]

You might like this movie if you like your violence off screen.

Isn't this plagiarism?

[mumzzen · 1/10 · 1 April 2022]

This has more or less the exact same "plot" and has the exact same title as PIG (from 1998) made by Rozz Williams (former singer of Christian Death) and Nico B. ...Sooo...wouldn't this count as plagiarism?? Yeah I can understand this movie having the same title as you can't really copyright a one word title, but for having more or less the same plot ASWELL as having the same title....?? Surely that seems a bit "too much of a coincidence"...No? Did the creator of this movie really hope that no one would take notice?? Well too bad for them because I sure DID take noticed! Horrible! Get your OWN ideas instead of stealing others!

Boring movie

[nofacenoname-20384 · 1/10 · 4 December 2021]

This movie is the definition of a boring movie. Everything happens super slowly. The main actor is looking for something in a boringly slow way, and on it's way, he does some nonsense things that are meant to mean "the modern world is bad and I am good". Terrible movie.

More of an experiment in the technical side of film making.

[Strawberry_Typhoon · 6/10 · 18 April 2010]

Adam Mason's "Pig" premiered free to all tonight, on bloody-disgusting, dreadcentral, and Twitchfilm. Mason was responsible for the mind-f*ck of a film "The Devil's Chair." as well as "Blood River." To call this a film would be liberal usage of the word. It's more of an experiment in the technical side of film making. There is no narrative, no character development, and honestly no purpose to the film. The bulk of the movie(70 minutes) was filmed in one take. If you explain this to the average movie goer, not only will they not care, but they most likely won't even know what you're talking about.

Now that I've explained that this isn't really a movie, but more of a talent showcase, let's delve into what worked for me. Knowing I was viewing one continuous take blew my mind for most of the film. The cinematography is nothing short of amazing after consuming that fact. Even more impressive is how they allow for F/X gags to be set up while the camera is running. A quick re-frame of the shot, allows for the off-screen crew to quickly set up the special effects. Some of the tricks used here were absolutely brilliant. Setting the kill in the bed of a pick-up truck, allows for them to make a quick cut to a wide-shot, while someone crawls on their belly, setting up the effects for the kill.

This isn't a movie to be enjoyed. In fact, I wouldn't recommend viewing this film to anyone unless they are not only an aspiring film maker, but interested in film making as an art form. It's hard to watch, and not because of the subject matter. While our main character prepares his "meal" the camera lingers on him, with his captive struggling in the background. This goes on for what seems like forever. A lot of the time, it made me feel like I was stoned. I knew something should be going on on the screen, but I felt so disoriented that I couldn't tell if I was missing something, or if that was just the way the movie made me feel. The acting is decent, considering there's not much coherent dialog, and that this is mostly happening in real time. The setting is believable, all-be-it a little bland. The music gets a tad annoying, with the same song being played in the back ground over and over.

If you're interested in becoming a film maker, and marvel at the technical aspects of a film, you may want to endure this experiment. You'll definitely be in for something original. But please, don't go into the flick expecting an enjoyable movie, because aside from marveling at the talent behind the camera, there's nothing to like here. Watch if you dare, and remember you've been warned.

http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

Pig.

[ocosis · 4/10 · 5 December 2021]

A psychopath's idea of fun is to torture and kill people on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Seemingly filmed in one take, Pig is pretty much just torture, killing and degradation, with a slight twist at the end. Grim, mean spirited stuff. But effective. .

Visceral, brutal, and brilliant

[Denatir · 8/10 · 30 April 2010]

It's been said in other reviews, but I'll try to put my spin on the whole PIG experience. Make no mistake, it IS an experience and definitely not for the soft hearted.

First of all, Howard's performance was nothing short of superb. He carries the film with an insanity that is both hard to watch and tough to turn away from. I also feel that not enough has been said about Black's performance. She plays deftly around Howard and does it disturbingly well.

Almost the whole film is done in a real time constant, which was definitely brave of both the filmmakers and the cast. They do it exceedingly well and since the film does not look away, it makes it very tough for the audience to be able to look away. The feel of the movie (and it's been said in other reviews) is a continuous dread of what might come next and therefore keeps attention even during the "slow" parts. You never know when the characters are going to suddenly be set off.

PIG is visceral, brutal, brilliant, disturbing and worth the watch.

Grimy hicksploitation lunacy

[jeffers_13 · 7/10 · 19 April 2010]

A hypnotic headmashing experiment in single camera nastiness, PIG certainly lived up to and also confounded my expectations. I was expecting a standard redneck slasher film, which in essence it is, but the totally unhinged performances and the atmosphere of inescapable dread really hooked me in, and made me feel I needed a shower after it was over. Extremely technically impressive, almost completely improvised, and bringing to mind other experimental fare like the August Underground series, PIG is practically a video diary of murder, degradation, and crack-smoking madness. As unsettlingly brilliant as Andrew Howard's performance is, a few moments of pitch-black humour dot the proceedings, adding an interesting edge to an otherwise fairly archetypal character. The music can get slightly tiresome, I'd have liked to see it with no score at all except the radio excerpts. It's certainly a slog, but an admirable and affecting one.

What Did I Just Watch.

[DarkSpotOn · 2/10 · 29 June 2022]

How am I supposed to rate this thing? I am going to say this is not a movie, this is mental insanity, a test, and I have survived. When I saw this film for the first time clips from it, I believed this was at least going to be decent, but no. Oh god No. There's no way in hell that this thing is decent, no.

The only positive I can give this thing is sometimes a tiny bit interesting but tame gore effects, everything else is a zero. There's no plot, even if there's no plot there are films like The Butcher and Guinea Pig that even without a plot, make you kinda care for our victims, here you really can't do that. The wife character is probably the most annoying, and to listen to her for an hour, will make you pissed, and just wish to break something.

The film is simple as it is, an insane couple, torturing three young people. While that may sound interesting to some no. Here it was made in a way that you cant care for anyone, and pray to God that the thing ends. Just imagine if August Underground was at a farm, and the whole movie is only at the farm.

Good Lord this was terrible, there was nothing to like here. And it's just the worst version of August Underground. I haven't been disturbed or upset in this movie at all, Halloween original was more disturbing than this thing was, simply because you had a plot and characters to care about, here it's brought to a negative zero.

The ONLY reason why this thing has a 2 and not a 1 from me, is because I had to suffer myself to watch Begotten and Gummo, which are the two worst films I have ever had to watch. I said if I had Begotten disk, I would of broken, and burned it with love.

Also, nothing is explained here. Did you get this insane bald guy, just hunting down young people and torturing them with his wife, why? Nothing is explained and nothing goes nowhere. If you for whatever reason want to watch this, just know that you will be hoping for the film to end, and wish you have not lost your 1 hour and 30 minutes on this thing.

An extremely nasty yet impressive endurance test

[CashBailey · 7/10 · 18 April 2010]

PIG is not a movie you're likely to put on for the family after a big Christmas lunch, but as an exercise in unrelenting brutality it's certainly worth checking out for any fan of extreme cinema.

Even at only a little longer than an hour PIG seems a bit too padded. If this was a 60-minute MASTERS OF HORROR episode it would have easily been the best one, but a certain numbness sets in to the viewer around 45-minutes in after such a protracted exhibition of frenzy, brutality and madness.

Technically the film's much-ballyhooed 'single take' technique is certainly daring. And the performances are committed, if not always entirely successful in some instances.

All-in-all this isn't a perfect film. But Adam Mason and his team have gone and done a left-of-field experiment in grueling extremity. And for a vast majority of its run time it most certainly succeeds.

Old school Video Nasty fun!

[alan-1276 · 9/10 · 22 April 2010]

Let's get things straight right away, PIG is a deeply unpleasant and offensive film – not just in a grotesque visual manner but as an endurance test of cinematic tolerance for the viewer. In its simplest terms PIG is a 90 minute snapshot into the life of a brutally deviant trailer trash serial killer – little to no dialogue, the most minimal of plot structure but for the mature horror film fan a deeply gratifying film experience.

In the lead role Andrew Howard manages to maintain a believable level of depraved intensity with even the odd moment that looks like his own psyche is being deranged by the role he's portraying whilst his shadow 'retard' sister adds to the visual and aural assault on viewers.

Don't be under any illusion, PIG is a challenging film experience and most definitely not one for a mainstream multiplex film fan - well the film (welcomingly) has no moral value whatsoever and is pure 1980's vintage video nasty fare, reminiscent of the final 'family dinner' reel of Texas Chainsaw Massacre but with PIG kicking in from the opening scene and rolling with that intensity throughout the entire film (which in itself might be testing for even some horror fans but for this old genre buff was a welcome challenge to behold).

Filmmaker Adam Mason has proved yet again that he's one of the finest talents from the Britsploitation scene, with PIG he's produced a film that's part old school classic exploitation cinema (James Ferman era BBFC would have positively imploded on viewing this one, be under no doubts this would have been banned outright back in the day) and part challenging modern improv horror theatre.

Destined to become a horror film festival favourite – excellent.

Hard going at times, but ultimately worth the effort.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 26 May 2011]

Synopsis: a psycho and his retarded, pregnant sister abduct, torture, kill, and eat people for kicks.

Pig has quite rightly received kudos for it's bravura improvisational performances, its no-holds barred extreme content, and director Adam Mason's bold approach (which must have required meticulous planning and impeccable timing, particularly for what must surely be the longest single shot in cinema history); however, alongside this praise, criticism has also been levelled at the film for being a laborious, drawn out and ultimately pointless project devoid of a plot.

Not really fair, says I....

Admittedly, for most of the running time, Pig appears to be nothing more than a catalogue of gut-wrenching atrocities—rape, murder, torture, dismemberment, and cannibalism—all shown in unflinching detail for the delectation of its gore-hungry audience, and it is true that matters become rather tedious at times, but Mason has a trick up his sleeve: a sucker-punch of an ending that made me re-assess all that had gone before...

Having given it some thought, I now believe the film to be a well executed metaphor for the whole extreme horror movie experience, with Andrew Howard's psycho nut-job representing the viewer, who happily wallows in violence and absolute depravity for an hour and a half before casually assuming a more socially acceptable persona and returning to the normality of everyday life. Mason is holding up a mirror to his audience and revealing to us the dark side of our very own nature—the deviant part of our psyche that, like the film's killer (well, maybe not EXACTLY like the killer), we may even keep hidden from our nearest and dearest.

Loved it.

[Black1969 · 7/10 · 9 August 2010]

I knew what I was getting myself into before I started to watch this movie and so should anyone else, so I'm not going to even mention the violent content. It's a movie about a crazed killer, what do you think is going to happen!? In fact, I think Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a lot more graphic gore than Pig does. Perhaps what a lot of people have a problem with is that the main character is almost likable. Sure he's a sick twisted maniac, but thanks to Andrew Howard's fine acting he gradually becomes a 3 dimensional character that you begin to see is much more than just a brainless psycho. Every now and then there are glimpses of an almost regular guy here. A regular guy that just happens to be a blood thirsty animal. I should also say that ALL the acting is first class considering the subject matter and the fact that there's not much actual dialogue.

The single shot technique works extremely well. It gives us a sense of time and a good layout of his home and surroundings. This in itself is very impressive and should be applauded. The music is sometimes annoying and unnecessary, but it's not a major flaw. I also love the talk radio in the background, almost like a commentary on what we are witnessing.

All in all, a fantastic effort. Adam Mason is a director to be taken seriously. He is pushing the boundaries without relying on excess gore and expensive effects. He obviously has an excellent sense of nail biting tension without forgetting to deliver us interesting characters that force us to react to them.

I'll finish off by saying, the ending of Pig is genius!!

Adam Mason, I salute you.

"I never put a screwdriver up someone's ass before.."

[m_e_m_n_o_c_h · 8/10 · 29 April 2010]

I watched the film for free on FearNet, and I must say I had a good time watching it. The cinematography was great, especially considering that it was mostly done in one take. Just imagining how difficult it would be to set up the FX (no CGI here) while still rolling still boggles me.

I admit the acting and dialogue wasn't the greatest, but really, how many horror movies can you think of that excel in these categories? True horror fans have adapted to overlook these things and see films as the whole. We can laugh when the dialogue doesn't make sense.

I loved the Public Radio background and am wondering if this is an actual radio program or made up for the film (probably the latter).. I mean, it sounded authentic enough.

I can definitely tell this film was fun to work on; wish I could have been there. If you're like me and aspire to see a wide variety of horror films and not just the crap that makes it to theaters, give this one a look.

Unpleasant but worth a look

[martymartini · 7/10 · 19 April 2010]

Worth a look for fans of extreme cinema, Pig is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience and as such isn't for everyone. Much less a narrative film than a technical experiment, as there isn't any story to speak of, think of it as a gory experimental film and you're not too far off the mark. Boasts a great, demented performance by the lead actor and contains some genuinely disturbing moments that are unfortunately offset by long stretches where not much is happening but crazy shenanigans that don't amount to much and a fairly annoying, overused score. Still, Adam Mason is definitely a talented director and unlike so many other horror movies, Pig isn't cookie-cutter formula film-making and deserves to be seen... But again, not by everyone.

Insane

[TheKillingJoke1991 · 6/10 · 18 April 2010]

First of all, the film isn't THAT gory. A film like The Devil's Rejects ( to which the film is compared to ) has more blood in it. Nevertheless, this film is just lunatic as hell. People are beaten, raped, urinated on, spit on,... and just plain humiliated. Andrew Howard gives a crazy performance and does an amazing job ! It's an unique technical experiment, the music and sound effects are disquieting and the atmosphere is pretty good. It does drag from time to time, but the pure insanity makes up for it. The ending really was a WTF-moment. Adam Mason really is a talented guy who knows to pull of grueling horror movies. This wild and gritty ride proves that again.

Insane...absolutely insane!

[kalebson1234 · 8/10 · 20 April 2010]

Pig is very hard to sum up in a paragraph, that is certain. I have to admit that I went into this knowing nothing of what to expect. I was very pleased (not sure "pleased" is the best word) with what I saw. This was simply a disgusting bunch of fun rolled into a little over 90 minutes. I don't know for sure if I actually blinked while viewing this or not in fear that I would miss something. If you are looking for a fun time definitely take a stab at PIG. You will not be disappointed. For those of you that are squeamish..tread the other direction, because this movie is as sick as it gets. Glad to see someone making a movie that really pushes the boundaries to the extreme. Granted this film is not for everyone as many will say its boring, no plot or senseless but I feel that is what was intended. Any B Movie liver will want to watch this many times. Great time!!!

Great.

[soulwheat · 10/10 · 20 April 2010]

Pig is the kind of movie that you put on when you have buddies over to see them squirm and mutter obscenities under their breath. This is not a movie to be 'liked.' The movie is an hour and a half of pure brutality. As the film progresses, the twisted mind of the male lead becomes more and more apparent, as his mentally disabled 'wife' is introduced, as well as multiple other things he does to his prisoners.

The effects are amazing, considering they were all done on-the-spot, just out of frame. The gore, for what it's worth, looks great.

Words cannot do this movie justice. If you think you can stomach the unabridged carnage this movie portrays, please do yourself a favor and watch it.

Adam Mason's Pig is an experiment in terror and psychosis

[DMentDCinema · 10/10 · 13 March 2011]

In Mason's latest film, "Pig", which he wrote, produced and directed, Mason has ventured into unchartered territory with both his filming technique as well as with his content. More on that subject later.

"Pig is not for the faint of heart, and has been described as gruesome, brutal, unsettling, violent, savage and a despicable experience. The film was shot completely in secret from fans and followers alike, and stars frequent Mason collaborator Andrew Howard, as an lunatic leading a family of psychopaths who inflict unspeakable evils on a group of hapless, captured victims" And that perfectly sums this film up. At first, this may sound like yet another "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" rip-off, but it most assuredly is nothing of the kind. Mason takes the theme of the crazed group of people abducting and torturing innocents that we first became familiar with in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and takes it to an all new, and extremely disturbing level!

Where "Chainsaw" had the look and feel of a documentary, "Pig" gives the viewer the sense that they are actually there, face to face with these maniacs, as they commit their atrocities. And these heinous acts are far more evil, twisted and sadistic than anything that the Sawyer family ever even dreamed of committing.

Welsh actor Andrew Howard (who you can next see in the remake, yes, another remake, of the classic exploitation film, "I Spit On Your Grave".), who stars as the lead character, (Note: none of the characters in this film, with one exception, have been given a specific name, however Howard's character refers to himself as "Daddy" often) is terrifyingly fantastic in the role. Watching him in action in this film truly feels like you are watching an authentic madman at work. Howard commits these horrendously violent and sadistic acts on his victims with such glee and a childlike joy that it is truly hard to watch at times, yet you find yourself unable to look away.

Getting back to the previously mentioned innovative factor to this film, the first hour and 26 minutes (as I counted) "Pig" is filmed in one take (A take is a single continuous recorded performance), with the remainder of the 1 hour and 34 minute film being comprised of multiple takes. This means that the actors (especially Howard who is on scene throughout most of the film) were able to continue filming without any mistakes, breaks,etc, for the entire hour and 26 minutes. A very innovative and impressive feat. It's hard enough to imagine a filmmaker, his actors and entire crew, being able to shoot such a long take without any errors or accidents, and given the fact that this is such a brutal and chaotic film, it is all the more unfathomable. Much respect is due to Mason, Howard and the entire production crew for being able to pull this off so perfectly.

Horror is meant to horrify. To disgust. To repulse. With "Pig", Adam Mason has delivered on all counts. The film is shocking from start to finish. With an ending that is guaranteed to be 100% unpredictable!

Pig Review

[patientpsychoa · 9/10 · 19 April 2010]

While Pig is more an experiment in art and film-making it doesn't take away from the fact that it is still a fine example of a genre film. Pig takes place in the sweltering desert and really has no drawn out plot. More just a desert maniac murdering people but cmon do you really need more than that. It follows in the foot steps of former desert dwellers like The Hills Have Eyes on up to the more recent Wolf Creek and The Devil's Rejects. Pig isn't a movie I'd recommend to the casual movie goer that's used to the quick cuts and gross amounts of CGI considering that the whole movie is one complete shot with no edits. It could be quiet trying for someone who's not used to long extended shots. Pig makes for an interesting watch to see just how the whole thing will play out and it does a pretty decent job. My only real complaint is the lack of gore for this type of movie but given the fact that it was shot in one take it makes it a bit more understandable that there wasn't more. I suggest if your a big horror fan or have a strong interest in film-making then I say you should seek Pig out.