It’s a romance that could have begun by answering an ad in the personal section: “Man in wilderness seeks the companionship of a foraging pig.” Somewhere in the woods of Washington State, Robin Feld (Cage) lives a life of mangy-haired seclusion. His sole source of companionship is his pet pig. Unlike most domesticated pets, Pig’s uncanny snout can smell a truffle a mile away, making her equal parts four-legged friend and meal ticket. rich kid in the banana-colored Camaro who appears every Thursday like clockwork to exchange cash for highly-prized fungi. One night, home invaders kidnap Pig and leave Feld battered and bleeding. I know what you’re thinking. Why not simply get another pig? Don’t look for an explanation that isn’t there. Just go with it. to call the film a thriller is a touch misleading. The standard issue revenge drama is a setup for what’s actually a surprisingly touching love story between friends. Without going into detail as to why he went full-recluse, suffice it to say that Feld was a legendary chef, the type who would prepare a meal you would spend a lifetime talking about. Given the at-times ridiculous nature of its subject matter, the film does occasionally stall from taking itself too seriously. But Feld’s adventure following what appears to be Bigfoot with a gaping head wound as he takes a constitutional down the side streets of Portland adds welcome comic relief to what sometimes plays as an overly pious road picture. Perhaps that accounts for Cage’s surprisingly subdued performance. Return his pig and all is forgiven. Mention must also be made of Alex Wolff’s performance as the overconfident daddy’s boy. He either has great taste in scripts, a good agent, or both, because he’s appeared memorably in a string of indie pics (Hereditary, Stella’s Last Weekend, Castle in the Ground). Written by Michael Sarnoski and co-written by Sarnoski and Vanessa Block. (2021) — Scott Marks
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