It should be no surprise to know that we here at Flixist love us some Nic Cage. Even when the man is off his game and takes any job thrown his way, the man will put such passion into his work that you can’t help but admire it. When Pig was announced a few years ago, we were all excited to see what was in store. Pig sounded like a slam dunk no matter how you sliced it, but most of us went into the film with the expectation that we were going to get an over-the-top thrill ride. Instead, we got an extremely contemplative and somber film about love, legacy, and dreams, one that more people should have seen. Fitting then that it should win our 2021 Golden Cage for Most Underrated Movie.
I raved about Pig in my original review and nearly half a year later, I still consider it one of the best movies of 2021. The film didn’t get a major marketing push, leaving it to word of mouth to generate interest. Even then, the film was a niche success, not even making back its meager $5 million budget. However, those who saw it raved about it, not only for Cage’s performance but for its director, Michael Sarnoski. Not only did he direct the film, but he also wrote the screenplay for it, making this a truly impressive debut.
Pig was also just a genuinely surprising movie to watch scene to scene. Sometimes there’s a simple scene where you watch Cage and his pig wander the woods. Then you may have an underground chef fighting ring. That could then be followed up by watching Cage clinically dissect and destroy a chef’s soul before cutting to a classic Cage freakout. I can’t say I ever knew what to expect coming from Pig, but I was gripped all throughout.
I can’t think of another movie that deserves to win the 2021 Golden Cage for Most Underrated Movie. Like that underground chef fight club, you need to know a guy in order to find out about Pig. Its immaculate construction and delectable execution make it one of the best films of last year and a movie that you should have seen back when it was released. Like a lot of our prior winners, it may not take home every award known to man, but it’s at least taking home our award, which is all that matters at the end of the day.
