Watch Pig Hunt

In the 2008 horror movie Pig Hunt, a group of young punks from the Bay Area set out on a hunting trip in the remote Northern California wilderness. The opening credits montage - which includes scenes of drugs, sex, and violence - establishes that these are not your typical good ol' boys out for a weekend of sport. In fact, our ostensible protagonist, John (Travis Aaron Wade) is introduced in the midst of a drug deal that goes very sour.

But the real star of this show is not the motley crew of humans, but the monstrous, rampaging boar that they encounter in the woods. The titular pig is a giant, ferocious beast, with razor-sharp tusks and a seemingly supernatural ability to evade capture or destruction. While we get brief glimpses of the pig's lurid origin story - it was bred by a cult leader with a penchant for envisioning a new order of man-pig hybrids - the creature's true nature and motivations are left mostly unexplained. Perhaps this is for the best; as with any good monster movie, the pig is all the scarier for being both unknown and unstoppable.

The bulk of the film follows John and his cohorts - including his estranged father, brother, and some sketchy friends - as they navigate the rough terrain and each other's conflicting personalities, all while trying to outwit and kill the pig. The hunt takes them through a variety of landscapes, from dense forests to open fields to spooky, abandoned buildings, and each setting is shot with a palpable sense of unease. A recurring motif in the film is the use of birds as a warning sign for danger - a flock of crows taking flight is often our first indication that the pig is near.

While the pig is undeniably the main attraction, the human characters are given enough time and development that we care about their fates. John is particularly well-realized, thanks in large part to Travis Aaron Wade's committed performance. John is haunted by his past, both as a drug dealer and as a soldier in Iraq, and his struggles with addiction, PTSD, and familial strife are all woven into the plot in organic ways. His relationships with his father (Howard Johnson Jr.) and brother (Jason Foster) are particularly fraught, and their dynamic lends the film some unexpected moments of pathos.

There are no shortage of tense, bloody action sequences throughout Pig Hunt - this is a movie that delivers on the promise of its title. The pig attacks are both horrifying and creatively staged, with director James Isaac (who previously helmed the underrated cult classic Jason X) using a mix of practical effects and CGI to create a monster that feels alternately realistic and fantastical. Though some scenes border on gratuitous - particularly a long, gruesome set-piece involving a meth-addicted cannibal family - the violence generally feels earned, thanks to the investment we have in the characters and the palpable sense of danger.

The film's soundtrack, which includes an eclectic mix of country, rock, and electronic music, helps to set the mood throughout. There are a few standout tracks, including a haunting rendition of "Will the Circle be Unbroken" and a thumping instrumental piece called "Pig Hunt." The score, by composer Andreas Weidinger, is suitably atmospheric, with eerie electronic tones underscoring key moments.

Pig Hunt may not reinvent the creature feature wheel, but it's an effective and enjoyable entry in the genre. The film strikes a nice balance between horror, action, and drama, with solid performances, tense set-pieces, and a memorable monster. The ending is satisfying without being too neat or predictable, leaving the door open for the pig to return if the filmmakers so desire (unlikely, given the film's lackluster box office and critical reception). For fans of killer animal movies, Pig Hunt is a must-see - just make sure to bring a strong stomach and a willingness to suspend disbelief.

Pig Hunt is a 2008 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.7.