Pig (2021)

Directed by Michael Sarnoski. Starring Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, David Knell, Nina Belforte, Darius Pierce, Gretchen Corbett. [R]

“They took my pig.” That’s about as articulate as Cage gets here, playing a dirty, asocial recluse (with a reputation, it turns out) whose only companion deep in the Oregon wilderness is a truffle pig. One night, some hooligans show up, bash him good, and abscond with the snorting sweetie, which sends him back to civilization with the reluctant help of his materialistic but inexperienced dealer/supplier (Wolff) to get his pig back. Cage later mumbles a tidal wave monologue, talks to a kid about tannins, and criticizes a chef for selling out, proving there’s far more than meets the eye with him as his past gradually reveals itself, but he’s never more credible or compelling in this sad, meditative drama—John Wick with a piggy instead of a doggy, no action scenes, and a very different sort of solemn catharsis at the end—than when he’s uttering terse mission statement phrases. “They took my pig.” Darn it if it doesn’t break the heart, even for those fellers out there whose breakfast is always bacon and sausage links. Directorial debut for Sarnoski, who also wrote the script (co-story credit to Vanessa Block); Cage was one of the producers.

85/100