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[fearsmagazine]

PIG KILLER - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Breaking Glass Pictures

SYNOPSIS: “Based on the terrifying true story of Robert 'Willy' Pickton, the pig farmer turned prolific lady killer whose horrific crimes shocked the world. With his herculean hog, Balthazar, by his side, Willy and his menagerie of colorful cohorts terrorized Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for almost two decades until his 2002 arrest that uncovered the most bizarre series of murders that included rape, torture, slaughter, and dismemberment of almost fifty womenCanada has ever seen.” - Publicity Materials

REVIEW: Chad Ferrin’s film can be hit or miss. For me, I found PIG KILLER a big miss.

It’s not the cast, which feels like the line-up for a genre convention, but some of the production values and the script.

I’m not sure if the script is fully to blame or if some of it might also be the directing. This is a fictionalized account of true events and it feels like some of the time it's venturing into dark comedy. At its best it feels awkward and at its worst uncomfortable. I didn’t find anything in the least bit funny, or remotely so. There are many off color comments, and this is a serial killer film so I get it. However, they attempt to backpedal on some of their remarks, for example about the Asian remarks, which feels kind of compounded by Bai Ling’s cliched and outdated performance. Then there are the scenes between Ginger Lynn and Jake Busey. Again, I get it but there is just something about the execution that feels like sophomoric exploitation.

In terms of the production values, the thing that annoyed me the most was the excessive use of Gerard McMahon’s songs. There are 22 songs by him in the film, plus there is a line in the film about him playing Piggy’s Powwow. As mayhem is breaking out on the farm McMahon and his band are performing. Some of the songs are poorly edited into the film and a few times simply cut off. It’s not that I don’t like his music, it just feels like a square peg shoved into a round hole here and does not feel to fit the 2002 period of the story. But hey, who knows what they were listening to in Canada back then.

I get putting a scene in the credits or at the end of the credits to give the audience a bit extra. However, there is a five minute scene at the end of the credits that should have been edited into the main body of the narrative. It feels like an important scene to the story and not something I would consider a bonus scene. It’s the only time actor James Russo shows up in the film. During most of the scene Busey is eating, scraping a disposal plate with a plastic fork that is maddening and I can’t see what purpose it serves to the scene.

PIG KILLER is one of filmmaker Chad Ferrin’s s;pectacular train wrecks. There are numerous elements that make this an off-putting viewing experience, but like a glorious traffic accident we can’t help but slow down and stare in horror. As a die-hard horror/gore fan there was nothing likable for me here. From the language to the gore and nudity, this is an adult film. You’ve been warned.

CAST: Jake Busey, Kate Patel, Bai Ling, Ginger Lynn, Michael Paré, James Russo, Gerard McMahon, and Lew Temple. CREW: Director/Screenplay/Producer - Chad Ferrin; Producers - Robert Miano & Robert Rhine; Cinematographer/Visual Effects - Jeff Billings; Score - G Tom Mac (Gerard McMahon); Editor- Jahad Ferif; Production Designer - Matt Rumer; Costume Designer - Viktoriia Vlasenko; Special Effects Makeup - Kurt Bonzel, Jake Porath, Angie Shell; Special Effects & Gore Designer - Joe Castro. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/T6Hrat-l4Yo?si=_YqvgYarziI-e9ou RELEASE DATE: In theaters Nov. 17th , and also available on Blu-ray & digital Nov. 21st, 2023.

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri