Parents' Guide to Piggy

This is a disturbing, powerful, and unforgettable mix of coming-of-age trauma and serial killer horror. Piggy is likely to be a difficult watch for those who were bullied while growing up, as the lead character, Sara, is pretty much in a perpetual state of trauma -- first at the hands of all the popular teens in her town (and there don't seem to be any other kind), and then by witnessing a serial killer getting a kind of revenge on her tormentors that leads to a disturbing bond borne out of the trauma. As the coming-of-age horror becomes the blood and gore of horror movie violence, it renders the choice Sara must ultimately make that much more powerful, with an ending that should inspire spirited discussion.

As Sara, Laura Galán turns in an incredible performance as the bullied young teen facing the betrayal of a former friend, nonstop merciless bullying on all fronts (verbal, physical, social media), and an indifferent community and family, all without any way to work through it. There's really only one scene where Sara isn't tormented, where she smiles and almost lets her guard down -- given the chance to smoke weed with a popular boy who wants her to go to the police with what she knows. Both characters drop their guard for a brief moment before the community swoops in and they go back to the roles they play in their teen cliques. It's a beautiful contrast that offsets the traumas that happen before and after, and while there are some similarities to the 2001 classic French movie Fat Girl, Piggy stands on its own in its intensity and empathy.