Directed by Michael Sarnosk
Written by Michael Sarnosk and Vanessa Block
Starring Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin
Rated R for some language and violence
Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes
In theaters July 16

by Emily Maesar, Staff Writer

There’s certainly a parallel to draw between Michael Sarnoski’s Pig and Chad Stahelski’s John Wick. No doubt that when people saw the trailer for the former, they thought very strongly of the latter. I know I did. And I think that’s fair… to an extent. 

At its core, the plot of Pig is very similar to John Wick. It’s about a man searching through his old life in response to something terrible happening to a beloved animal companion that was given to him by his late wife. However, the nitty-gritty of Pig is much more emotionally complex than John Wick. I love that story and its sequels, but Sarnoski’s Pig is a different beast altogether. And I’m very grateful for that.

Rob (Nicolas Cage) has been living out in the wild mountains of Oregon for what seems like a while, with only his truffle pig to keep him company. He sells (or trades, it seems like) those truffles for supplies and general goods to Amir (Alex Wolff). Amir is a speciality ingredient salesman, just like his father, selling to high class restaurants in the city. All-in-all, Rob’s life is pretty relaxed - albeit quite isolated. Until one night he’s attacked and his truffle pig is stolen.

Since the pig was his last connection to his dead wife, Rob goes on a mission to find out who took her and try to get her back. He enlists Amir, who ends up taking him to Portland, where Rob tugs at elements of his former life he’d long since buried in an effort to salvage the new life he’s built. 

Now, there’s a fair amount of action and suspense in the film, but where it separates itself from the pure thriller and revenge films that came before it is in the resolution. Pig is not, in any conceivable way, an “action” film. There is not a bloody and violence final solution to Rob’s problems that he must decide he’s willing to participate in. Which isn’t to say that the violence doesn’t exist, but it’s not the ultimate resolution to all of Rob’s problems in the same way it is to John Wick’s.

And, to that end, something that I found myself really appreciating about Pig was how little it explained itself. It’s a double edged sword, of course, and there remains a plotline I would have loved just a little more information and background about. However, I think that the script really did a supremely excellent job at balancing what was needed to tell the full story and how smart the audience is. Sarnoski isn’t playing around, using the minimal dialogue and powerful emotional range of the three main actors to give us a full look at the world - without a lot of bland exposition.  

I think Pig is a wonderful exploration of broken men, through the very particular lens of the culinary world. It’s about how similar events can destroy people in different ways, and I think it’s a really remarkable piece of filmmaking.