In the wilderness of Connemara, Co. Galway, seven friends head off for a weekend break to celebrate the first year anniversary of death of their close friend. The Pigman Murders is a found footage survival/slasher horror written and directed by Stephen Patrick Kenny.
One of the group is a cameraman and he is documenting the trip for the deceased friend’s family, interviewing the friends individually away from the group like a sort of bereavement reality TV show.
What sets The Pigman Murders apart from other entries in the found-footage genre is the quality of the acting. The group of friends is very believable as they descend into the wilds for a boozy and tense reunion. As well as having a good time together old wounds are opened and the cracks in friendships start to appear.
The landscape too is a big part of the film’s sense of menace. It is beautiful and barren the sort of place where only something bad could happen. Much of the tension in the first half of the film comes from the group themselves. There is a deep sense of unease in the group dynamic; it feels like things could kick off at any minute. When out trekking the group come across a bloodied man who has been attacked thing really start to fall apart. He warns of masked men hunting in the area so the group set about surviving the weekend.
I really enjoyed The Pigman Murders. It has a lot going for it, great cast, location and whilst I didn’t find it that scary the atmosphere and sense of menace more than makes up for it. There is also a great scene of suspense which was very well crafted and hard to find in most found-footage efforts.
A sequel is already in production ‘The Pigman Murders 2: Lost Footage’ and I look forward to it.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Found footage slasher set in In the wilderness of Connemara, Co. Galway. Seven friends head off for a weekend break to celebrate the first year anniversary of death of their close friend but unknown to them there are masked men roaming the countryside armed with very big knives.
