A medical breakthrough sees digestive tract illnesses essentially cured by replacing the defective human ones with those of a pig donor. The trial patient is healthier than ever, but yet suffers from an intense appetite. This live-saving procedure becomes more popular when a pop star undergoes it for non-medical reasons, and the media contribute to this being a life-style choice that many follow. However, the darker world of the procedure starts to manifest itself.
There is a lot in this film, and not all of it is necessarily successful, even if mostly it is. In terms of the delivery, we have a mix of the film being focused on one person, but then also free to explore the wider world as events unfold; it is a bit awkward between these two approaches, and neither one totally comes off as a whole, but they overlap reasonably well. The content of the film satirizes our consumerist culture, driven by media sensationalism and the need to consume whatever we are given and told is the new hot thing. I think I am better at this now that I am older, but certainly it is a trait I recognize in myself too easily. The film expands this into the other role of media and reaction in people – which is fear. This it does with familiar images of division, riots, and protests – the suggestion is a world in turmoil, but the suggestion is that the more it is covered, the more it is the case. It is relevant as we see protests and divisions along racial lines in the US, but also as we see the media's coverage of ISIS in the UK – with such a tiny number or people from here moving to Turkey to try to join the fight, but yet the coverage suggests we will all be murdered in our beds.
Technically it is well made, and the news footage etc feels very real. The attempts at narrative and the focus on the central (?) character don't totally work, but as a bigger picture satire it does have some smarts to it, and links an absurd situation into our very tangible reality – and to be honest, outside of the pig-specifics, it doesn't feel too far-fetched.
