Pig

The movie "Pig," written, directed, and produced by Adam Mason, was initially released online for free in 2010, returned to the festival circuit in 2017, and made a recent reappearance online.

"Pig" unapologetically delves into human brutality at its most extreme, akin to films like "August Underground" and "Hate Crime." It showcases raw, well-executed torture that challenges the viewer's endurance with its relentless depiction of violence.

Andrew Howard, who also co-wrote the screenplay, stars as an unnamed man, a deeply disturbed psychopath teetering on the edge of dementia. In a remote part of the U.S., far from civilization, he operates a prison farm where he keeps his victims, primarily women, imprisoned and chained. The gender of his victims is incidental; his primary goal is to exert control and inflict psychological and physical cruelty.

The man is not doing everything on his own; beside him, there is a woman who is equally "retarded" and pregnant. Together, they form a primitive couple revelling in a grotesque playground of torture, rape, mutilation, blasphemy, and cannibalism, subjecting the viewer to an hour and a half of pure visual and aural torment.

From a technical standpoint, "Pig" is impressive, as it is shot almost entirely in a single continuous take, with minimal editing except for the final 10-15 minutes. During this time, a plot twist changes the story's tone, shocking the audience and providing a stark, unsettling reflection on human nature.

Despite the apparent improvisation in some scenes and the sparse narration, the film shows meticulous attention to directorial details and the choice of effects used to portray the pervasive sadism, gore, and blood throughout.