dir. Carlota Pereda

A young woman named Sara (Laura Galán) is bullied for her weight. Other girls call her “piggy” and it’s made her shy, quiet and suspicious. At the pool one day they nearly drown her before stealing her towel and clothes, but when she’s walking home – cold and embarrassed – Sara sees her bullies kidnapped by a man in a white van, who gives her a towel before driving away. She tells no one, and in their small town as word spreads about the missing girls Sara has to decide how far to extend her lies. 

The film rests on Galán’s excellent performance: Sara is both relatable and complex, not simply reduced to the traits for which she’s bullied. Her interactions with her parents tell the story of a loving family trying their best, but being far from perfect. 

The set design too is beautifully and carefully constructed. Everything of Sara’s that can be pink is, giving her a young and feminine energy but also forcing audiences to recall the titular insult. Similarly the pool where Sara swims and nearly drowns is lovely but lonely, a large public space that – when the water is dark and no one’s around – emits an eerie feeling before the kidnapping takes place. 

With themes that could be divisive Piggy is a unique horror story that will no doubt generate plenty of post-film conversations in 2022 and beyond.

Ariel Powers-Schaub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Piggy has its UK Premiere on 29th August 2022 at FrightFest. It will be released in UK cinemas in October 2022 by Vertigo.