Nicholas Cage has done so many oddball indie projects over the past ten years, it’s hard to keep track of them all. But the upcoming “Pig,” directed by first-timer Michael Sarnoski, has arguably generated more buzz than any Cage vehicle since 2018’s “Mandy.” And it looks a good deal more grounded.
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The story is set in Oregon, where a lone truffle hunter (Cage) is forced to confront his past in Portland after his beloved foraging pig is kidnapped. The film has been referred to by various sources as a revenge thriller, probably due to the plot’s similarities with “John Wick.” However, the “R” rating for “Pig” is based on “language and some violence,” which sounds less extreme than the B-movie action focus of most recent Cage movies. Is it possible the actor has returned to doing honest-to-goodness drama? If so, it will be his first non-thriller since 2015’s political drama “The Runner.”
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“Pig” was one of the biggest prizes nabbed by NEON after footage was teased at last year’s Berlin Film Festival. The indie production company is quickly carving out a distinct identity as a home for movies that split the difference between the arthouse and the mainstream (they also distributed Bong Joon Ho’s Best Picture winner “Parasite” in 2019). Sarnoski co-wrote the screenplay with Vanessa Block, another relative industry newcomer.
Cage’s supporting cast includes Alex Wolff (“Hereditary”), Adam Arkin (“A Serious Man”), and Gretchen Corbett (“The Rockford Files”). Arkin hasn’t appeared in a film since 2014’s “Ten Cent Pistol” but has stayed busy acting and directing in television. Corbett, meanwhile, has become something of an institution in Portland. Since 2010, the veteran actress has directed performances at the Portland Center Stage and made appearances in “Shrill” and “Portlandia,” both set in the city. Taken all together, “Pig” seems like a potential Renaissance project for a number of those involved. The movie hits theaters July 16.