Saw this last at ParaCinema Film Fest (Derby UK). I swear there was a wringer in the auditorium and that I had been pulled through it! Probably the most emotional (sad) I've been made to feel by any film, certainly in the horror genre.

This is a film that deserves to be seen on a big screen, and to be able to absorb the story and be taken with it.

Lead female actor gave a simply magnificent performance. Very powerful story and motivation.

Well filmed, yes. Subtitles for foreign language, fine.

Just amazing, powerful, and a must see if you want an intelligent and daring film to watch. 10/10.

Overweight teen Sara (Laura Galán) is mercilessly bullied by her peers, the cool girls of the town, who call her Piggy and make rude posts about her on social media. After another cruel incident at the local swimming pool, Sara is left to walk home in just her swimming costume; on the way, she witnesses her tormentors being abducted by a man in a van. The man sees Sara; angry and scared, Sara does nothing as the man drives away.

Over the course of the next few days, during which Sara keeps quiet about what she has seen, several dead bodies are discovered. The man who Sara saw is a serial killer, and he has developed an attachment for her, drawing her into his twisted world.

I wasn't expecting to like this film as much as I did, but thanks to a bold central performance from Galán and some nice touches of humour, I found this potentially harrowing tale of intolerance and cruelty surprisingly entertaining. Writer/director Carlota Pereda expanded this from her earlier short, and occasionally it does feel a bit stretched out, but she keep things brisk, introducing interesting themes along the way, including an element of romance and the possibility for revenge for Sara when she discovers two of her bullies tied up in the killer's lair.

The final act is satisfyingly taut and bloody, as Sara is forced to make some difficult decisions and act with an uncharacteristic ferocity.

7.5/10, rounded up to 8.

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"PIGGY is the right type of film to be one of the last movies in an event such as the Sundance Film Festival. Carlota Pereda takes advantage of the terrific lead performance from Laura Galán, and delivers a shocking, violent, frighteningly grounded story about bullying, fat-shaming, and self-acceptance.

Despite taking a more revenge-driven approach, the filmmaker beautifully develops the moral concepts at hand. The romantic subplot doesn't really work, though, and the film would have benefited from a stronger atmosphere. In addition to this, just a couple of impactful dialogues surrounding the main themes would have drastically improved the overall piece.

Still, it's definitely a must-watch."

Rating: B+