PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Piglady is a 2023 slasher film from filmmakers Adam Fair and Lyon Mitchell. The film is based on true events, inspired by the Susan Monica murders that took place in Oregon in 2012 and 2013, where a woman fed her murdered farmhands to her pigs.
Synopsis:
Inspired by true events. Filmed at the murder scene. A group of friends, while on a Christmas vacation to a cabin in Southern Oregon, learn of a rumor of an antisocial woman who allegedly murders people and feeds her victims to pigs.
Piglady was directed by Adam Fair (Son of a Preacher 2019) from a script co-written by Fair and Producer Alex C. Johnson (We Are Nameless 2017). Fair and Johnson also star as Hunter and Caleb Jones, respectively. Other cast members include Karri Davis (Chasing Molly 2019), Alicia Karami (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood 2019), Liam Samuel Watkins (Bigfoot vs. DB Cooper 2014), Lazarus Tate (Stage Fright TV series), Shyvhan Storm (as Shyvhan Gonzales: Soul Ties 2022), Geno Romo (Millionaire Man 2017), and newcomer Sandra Dee Tryon as Piglady. The film comes to us through Preacher Boys Productions.
As I mentioned above, Piglady is inspired by true events. Back in 2014, an Oregonian pig farmer named Susan Monica was found to have murdered two men—handymen who worked on her farm—and fed them to her pigs. It’s not clear if she made them a piggy breakfast to get rid of the bodies or if it was because her pigs were hungry. She did admit that the second guy, Robert Haney, was still alive when the pigs started eating him. Supposedly she shot him to put him out of his misery. She wasn’t clear how Steve Delicino actually died, but he was definitely eaten.
Strangely enough, after I watched this screener, I happened upon an episode of Signs of a Psychopath where psychiatrists analyzed Monica’s video confession. She is one messed up lady. She ended up getting convicted and is now serving 2 consecutive 25-year sentences for her crimes.
In Piglady, a hulking, intimidating pig farmer living on her own is confronted with the son of the man who has been trying to buy her property and seeks revenge. The film’s plot follows said son, Hunter (Fair), an angry, gun-toting alpha male dating Brittany (Karami) who, unbeknownst to him, is actually pregnant. Along with them are Tony (Qatkins) and Adrianna (Davis), friends of Brittany’s. They’ve decided to stay at Hunter’s dad’s cabin in Oregon, but when the Piglady meets them and finds out who they are, the shit hits the fan.
What Works In Piglady
I love that Piglady took a gruesome true story and twisted it up into a slasher nightmare. Truth is often stranger than fiction, and there are so many messed up stories out there.
One interesting tidbit about this film is that it was mostly filmed on the property alongside Susan Monica’s farm. Now that’s dedication to a project. I also thought it was a good idea to show the Piglady mostly from the neck down. You never really get to see her face. She becomes this force, superhuman, that can’t be stopped. She is brutal and kills everyone—and everything—in her path. She’s violent and full of rage. What a great character.
**Trigger Warning – the dog dies**
I can’t imagine how hard it was to film pigs, but seeing them everywhere was pretty cool.
I have to mention Liam Samuel Watkins and his portrayal of Tony. He is such a natural actor and was totally believable in his role. I’m excited to see him in more things. Fair’s Hunter was an asshole in the beginning, but by the end, he was less so, and I felt like that attitude should have been continued throughout the runtime. Both Alicia Karami and Kerri Davis were great with what they had been given.
What Doesn’t Work in Piglady
I’m just going to come right out and say it… pigs aren’t scary. Especially these pigs. They didn’t chase anyone down. There weren’t any closeups of them chowing down on screaming humans, blood dripping from their snouts. They didn’t even squeal. They just lumbered around and, once in awhile, bent their heads down to eat something. It could have been anything. They were sadly underused. It would have been cool if the bodies were never found because they were eaten by the pigs and the Piglady’s guilt was never proven or something.
There’s also some pretty cringy, awkward, unneeded dialogue. So much of these conversations are just people saying words at each other to fill time. I wish there had been more about Brittany being pregnant or Adrianna being a vegan. It was mentioned often enough but nothing ever came of it.
If you’re looking for a slash happy cabin in the woods horror flick, and you just happen to be afraid of pigs, you should give Piglady a chance. The film releases on digital on August 22, 2023.
