Piglady

Me and my friend watched this film together in late 2023, and we still speak about it now, a year later. It is so bad that I can't forget it. The acting is terrible and the plot makes almost no sense. It's the most generic spree/serial killer plot of a horror movie, but amped up with... pigs?

My favourite part of the entire movie, however, is the fact that this town seems to have two police officers, and BOTH of them are wearing sheriff jackets. Every single time I remember this I laugh out loud. One of those horror films that just does not pay attention to the small details, and hopes it can win you over with the gore- which is just... not great either.

I'll try not to spoil. It's a classic slasher with some pretty creepy elements. The Halloween / Christmas theme is cool and I liked the setting and ending with it snowing. I thought that was clever a "white Christmas." I also like the paying homage to Halloween and the elements of the good ole slasher flicks, when I first saw it pop on on Vudu I have to admit I was a bit swayed by the negative votes but I'm glad I ignored them and rented it anyway. It has its charm and deserves some attention and better rating than it currently has. Definitely better than expected.

I'm not disappointed.

It's a solid movie. Some good gore. A good mix of characters. The acting is believable for the most part, Nothing took me totally out of the moment and at times I was yelling at the TV. Chicks were hot. Got to see some boobies. And I was satisfied seeing the pigs munching on people. There is a comedic aspect with the pigs though. Pigs are funny animals and seeing their heads flop around did give me a laugh all the while being terrifying at the same time. I think it deserves a solid 7. And the Piglady creeping in the window. That's a terrifyingly great shot. Classic horror right there and the pigs lurking in the dark behind her.

The "Piglady" in this film, is based on convicted killer Susan Monica, who killed two of her farm hands on her farm in Oregon...and fed them to her pigs.

In at least one of the cases...she claimed that her pigs had attacked one of the men...and, having disemboweled him...she shot him to ease his suffering.

Though, she also stated that she did not value human life.

And expressed that she liked animals more than she did people.

This film boasts being based on this story.

And is, apparently, shot on the actual farm where the murders took place.

It is, however, of the homemade horror type quality.

And takes the story on which it is based...and turns it into a slasher.

With the Piglady's targets being a group of young Californian adults, who have gone to the cabin of one of their parents for Christmas.

Which just so happens to be on the property next to the Piglady.

Who holds a grudge against them, because the father of the one guy keeps trying to buy her land off her.

Which she is adamant...is not for sale.

Unfortunately, their attempt to spin the slasher angle in with the "based on a true story" bit just doesn't work.

They just don't meld well together...and, as such, it comes off incredibly forced.

Not to mention...the pigs come off as having almost supernatural abilities.

Which requires an absolute suspension of disbelief, to come off anything less than absurd.

There's also way too much of a focus on character development.

With the horror seeming to play second fiddle to it.

There are actually some decent special effects though...in the parts that are more horror oriented.

But the writing is lackluster.

And the acting is pretty mediocre.

So it never really goes beyond being mid.

And even then...it's on the lower side of that spectrum.

It's not overtly horrible, or unwatchable, though.

Just relatively forgettable.

Anyone familiar with Gravitas releases will have come to expect this going in, however.

So it's not really surprising.

But it's quite obvious all the other early reviewers of this film are paid shills.

Because they are rating this way too high.

In my honest opinion...it ranks about a 2 out of 10.

Key points:

Based on a true story. Filmed where the murders happened.

Original take on the slasher genre. First movie I've seen with female villain and first with pigs being used on command.

Some flaws in the script and acting. No major plot holes. Leaves a lot of questions.

Overall, an entertaining and suspenseful film.

Piglady is a 2023 horror film about a group of friends who go on a Christmas vacation to a remote cabin in Oregon. They soon discover that the area is haunted / stalked by a mysterious woman (ambiguous gender) who is said to have killed and mutilated several people. The film is "loosely" based on the true story of Susan Monica, a woman who was convicted of murdering four people in Oregon in the early 2010's.

Piglady is an original take on the slasher genre. The film does not only rely on jump scares or gore to scare its audience. Instead, it creates a sense of suspense and dread by building tension and atmosphere. The film is also notable for its strong female characters. The lead characters are all women who are strong, independent, and resourceful.

However, the film is not without its flaws. The script is a bit uneven, and some of the acting is subpar. The film also drags in a few places. Overall, Piglady is an entertaining and suspenseful film, but it is not without its flaws.

Strengths:

Original take on the slasher genre.

Strong female characters.

Suspenseful and atmospheric.

True story filmed on the location.

Fantastic special effects / props

Weaknesses:

Uneven script.

Some subpar acting.

Slow pacing in a few places.

Overall:

Piglady is a flawed film, but it is also an entertaining and suspenseful one. Fans of the slasher genre will likely enjoy the film, but it may not be for everyone. I would recommend the film to fans of the genre who are looking for something a bit different.

I give it a 6/10 but rated it higher because it has a unique charm about it. It's quite funny in spots. And it's a directorial debut and all things considered it produced quite well considering it was a crowdfunded moving raising my rating to a 8/10

It's a fun movie produced with a low budget and considering the coordination required to make a movie and doing so at night with real pigs, I have to give it props.

So we spend 80% of the movie getting to know the most uninteresting, unlikable and boring characters you'll ever see. Some of the transition shots are just so terribly done, I thought the movie may have been edited on an iPhone. Same with the quality. The movie relies heavily on shadows and the dark because their special effects are truly terrible, so much so that most of the kill shots are done with the kill being hidden via camera angle + lack of lighting, and the audience just seeing a bunch of random blood splatter or the aftermath shot. It is filled with bad movie cliches that continue to amplify the films lack of uniqueness. Would've been better if they'd stuck true to the real story. The people who made this movie did not have enough creativity to make it appealing or interesting, and I can only believe the good reviews have been paid for because there is no way anyone is watching this and thinking it was even close to decent. I haven't even touched on the bad acting or the fact that they, multiple times, give the audience exposition on whatever information the audience needs to know instead of creating the scene itself (like the literal resolution of the movie), but that's just beating the dead horse at this point. I only finished it so I could write this review honestly.