Most critics like Pig, and nearly all of them make the same point first: it is not the revenge thriller its premise suggests. The praise clusters around Nicolas Cage, whose quiet, restrained performance is named as the film’s chief strength in review after review, with a restaurant confrontation with a former protégé singled out more than any other scene. Michael Sarnoski’s direction and the film’s patient treatment of grief draw steady approval, and several reviews note Alex Wolff’s rapport with Cage.
The reservations are about pace and tone. A few critics find the film too quiet or too morose to be distinctive, and one or two feel the philosophising outruns the story. The spread is narrow, and even the middling reviews call it moving. The one dissent comes from The New Yorker, which finds the storytelling blunt and the symbolism heavy, and credits Cage alone with lifting it. The Hollywood Reporter finds the screenplay uneven.
A
The AV Club
13 July 2021 · Mike D'Angelo
90*
The review finds Pig unexpectedly profound and magnificent, far richer than its revenge-thriller premise suggests. It especially praises Nicolas Cage’s raw, restrained performance and Michael Sarnoski’s confident storytelling and visual choices.
Ebiri finds Pig a compassionate, expectation-defying fable rather than a conventional revenge thriller. He praises Cage’s haunted performance, especially in a restaurant confrontation that turns into a meditation on meaning and connection.
The review is positive about the film’s thoughtful approach to grief and its refusal to become a conventional revenge story. It singles out Nicolas Cage’s restrained performance as a particular strength.
Rothkopf finds the film a fascinating, delicate drama and praises its quiet path toward redemption. He singles out Nicolas Cage’s unusually restrained, deeply felt performance.
Murray finds “Pig” a moving, melancholy character study rather than the action thriller its premise suggests. He praises Nicolas Cage’s riveting monologues and the film’s serious, beautiful treatment of loss.
Newland finds the film deeply moving and praises its deft shift from revenge thriller to meditation on grief. She singles out Nicolas Cage’s restrained, heartbreaking performance and the screenplay’s economical storytelling.
The review praises the film as an unexpectedly touching character study and a showcase for Nicolas Cage. It singles out Cage’s earnest, melancholic performance and the film’s ability to make its unusual premise feel grounded.
The review calls the film an outstanding, moving debut that defies revenge-thriller expectations. It especially praises the natural tenderness and magnetic rapport between Nicolas Cage and Alex Wolff.
The review finds the slow-burn thriller deeply affecting and calls Cage close to magnificent. It singles out his performance as the film’s chief strength.
Lattanzio praises the film as a patient, soulful change of pace from Nicolas Cage’s typical revenge roles. He singles out Alex Wolff’s performance and the film’s calm, character-focused approach.
Bowen finds the film cumulatively moving despite its excessive moroseness. He praises its subdued treatment of grief and its critique of the rarefication of food.
The critic praises the film’s audacious shift from revenge-thriller expectations to contemplative drama, though its philosophising and Cage’s deliberately minimal performance can feel excessive. The forest cinematography is singled out for its painterly quality.
Staunton describes the film as a slow-burning drama that avoids action-packed showdowns. He praises its mournful, thought-provoking portrait of a man haunted by his past.
The critic finds the film moving and effective, though too quiet to be truly distinctive. He praises Nicolas Cage’s unusually restrained, soulful performance.
Linden finds the film gutsy but uneven, with its mystery and screenplay failing to fully deliver. She praises Nicolas Cage’s restrained performance and the film’s quietly affecting final scene.
Brody finds the film painfully ordinary, criticizing its portentous symbolism and blunt, unconvincing storytelling. He says Nicolas Cage’s weary, mournful performance is the film’s sole redeeming feature, briefly lifting it into the extraordinary.
Worthington calls the film a surprising, deeply affecting achievement and one of Nicolas Cage’s best works in years. He especially praises Cage’s restrained performance and the film’s melancholy exploration of love, creativity, and commerce.
Goldberg finds Pig a melancholy, affecting drama rather than the expected revenge-driven Cage vehicle. He praises Cage’s restrained performance and Sarnoski’s expressive cinematography, especially its doorframe motif.
The critic finds Pig existential, funny and uplifting rather than a conventional revenge story. Nicolas Cage’s restrained performance and Rob’s restaurant monologue stand out as especially brilliant.
Evangelista finds the film haunting and beautiful, praising its existential meditation on loneliness. He singles out Nicolas Cage’s nuanced, soulful performance as one of the best of his career.
Oller finds Pig a compassionate, emotionally thorough drama about loss, praising its restraint and measured storytelling. He singles out Nicolas Cage’s quiet, wounded performance as especially affecting.
Anderson calls Pig an impressive, sincere debut and a welcome return to form for Nicolas Cage. He particularly praises Michael Sarnoski’s empathetic direction and Cage’s restrained, nuanced performance.
The critic finds the film flavorful, fascinating, and unexpectedly poignant, praising its layered storytelling and craft. Nicolas Cage’s restrained performance and the film’s evocative use of food are particular strengths.
The critic finds Pig an intimate, affecting drama rather than the action film its premise suggests. They praise Nicolas Cage’s fully realized, poignant performance and the film’s restrained warmth.
The review calls the film a late-career peak for Cage and urges readers to seek it out. It especially praises a restaurant scene where Rob confronts a former protégé with the gulf between his ambitions and his current work.
The review finds Pig a surprisingly sad and satirical alternative to the revenge thriller its premise suggests. It singles out Nicolas Cage’s soulful, restrained performance as especially memorable.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
