Film Review: Squealer | HNN

Release Date:                       In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand on November 3rd

Genre:                                  Thriller/Horror

Rating:                                 R for Strong Violence and Gore, Drug Use, Graphic Nudity,
Some Sexual Material and Language Throughout

Runtime:                              100 minutes 
Distributor:                            Lionsgate

Director:                                Andy Armstrong
Written By:                            Danielle Burgio, Andy Armstrong 

Cast:                                      Wes Chatham, Kate Moennig, Danielle Burgio, with Theo Rossi
and Tyrese Gibson                                                    

Executive Producers:
Barry Brooker, Stan Wertlieb, Josh Spector, Cameron Goodrich, Shaun Sanghani,
Lee Broda, Danielle Burgio, Andy Armstrong, Daniel Cummings 

Producers:  Rob Goodrich, Jason Armstrong

SYNOPSIS:

Tyrese Gibson (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Theo Rossi (“Sons of Anarchy”) star in this terrifying thriller inspired by real events. When young women start disappearing in a small town, a police officer and a street-smart social worker follow clues to a remote pig farm, where they discover the local butcher has been bringing his work home. Enter the world of a serial killer and experience for yourself the bloodcurdling horror of a film that’s bound to take your breath away.

Filmmaker Andy Armstrong has designed, coordinated and directed some of the largest and most spectacular action sequences that exist in cinema history.  Andy’s notable credits include: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 AND 2, THE GREEN HORNET, THOR, HOFFA, STARGATE, PLANET OF THE APES, GALAXY QUEST, CATWOMAN, I ROBOT, CHARLIE’S ANGELS, STARGATE, THE FIRM, as well as many TV series episodes for Jerry Bruckheimer TV and Warner Brothers TV.

Andy and his brother Vic created Armstrong Action, which now consists of 3 generations of family, making it the largest privately owned Stunt and Action Facility Company in the World. Andy is a published author of several action books and has lectured on the art of action movie making in colleges and film schools. He is a multiple award winner and a proud member of SAG, DGA, BAFTA and is one of the founding members of both the Taurus World Stunt Awards & Foundation.

Review: Squealer

Cast:                                      Wes Chatham, Kate Moennig, Danielle Burgio, with Theo Rossi
and Tyrese Gibson

Executive Producers:
Barry Brooker, Stan Wertlieb, Josh Spector, Cameron Goodrich, Shaun Sanghani,
Lee Broda, Danielle Burgio, Andy Armstrong, Daniel Cummings

Producers:  Rob Goodrich, Jason Armstrong

SYNOPSIS:

Tyrese Gibson (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Theo Rossi (“Sons of Anarchy”) star in this terrifying thriller inspired by real events. When young women start disappearing in a small town, a police officer and a street-smart social worker follow clues to a remote pig farm, where they discover the local butcher has been bringing his work home. Enter the world of a serial killer and experience for yourself the bloodcurdling horror of a film that’s bound to take your breath away.

Filmmaker Andy Armstrong has designed, coordinated and directed some of the largest and most spectacular action sequences that exist in cinema history.  Andy’s notable credits include: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 AND 2, THE GREEN HORNET, THOR, HOFFA, STARGATE, PLANET OF THE APES, GALAXY QUEST, CATWOMAN, I ROBOT, CHARLIE’S ANGELS, STARGATE, THE FIRM, as well as many TV series episodes for Jerry Bruckheimer TV and Warner Brothers TV.

Andy and his brother Vic created Armstrong Action, which now consists of 3 generations of family, making it the largest privately owned Stunt and Action Facility Company in the World. Andy is a published author of several action books and has lectured on the art of action movie making in colleges and film schools. He is a multiple award winner and a proud member of SAG, DGA, BAFTA and is one of the founding members of both the Taurus World Stunt Awards & Foundation.

Review:

Directed by Andy Armstrong, and written by Armstrong and Danielle Burgio, Squealer stars Wes Chatham, Theo Rossi, Kate Moenning, Tyrese Gibson, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Danielle Burgio, who co-wrote the film.

The film opens with pigs, pigs squealing, pigs on an old run-down farm, and woman being hurled out of a front door. The real people, the serial killers and people who just kill to kill are beyond creepy. She is running for her life, she’s naked and of course the man that’s chasing her isn’t running. While this woman is running for her life, the man that was following her didn’t quite catch up to the woman.

This is such an eerie feeling. Some times women don’t always feel safe. People will say oh, your crazy but some times it is indeed not safe. So, always be safe out there.

We meet Lisa portrayed by Danielle Burgio. I was able to talk to Danielle and the director Andy about Squealer. We also meet Jack portrayed by Wes Chatham; he is a tad bit of a douche to quote Lucifer Morningstar. Tyrese Gibson portrays Paul. He’s questioning the couple who brought the woman running from the farm in. Paul calls her a “lost cause” and sort of treats her as if she’s nothing.

That’s one thing about Squealer that I do appreciate. The way it was written outside the box, outside of the lack of acknowledgement for the characters. Kate Moening also appears in Squealer as Earline. Kate Moening is an incredible actor. Kate has appeared in everything from Everybody’s Fun, Dexter, and The L Word.

I would imagine it’s difficult making a film that’s based on a true story. Ronnie Gene Blevins portrays the “Squealer,” and he does an incredible job. The stereotypes are sort of there with the women in the film but they do acknowledge the fact that society is quick to point fingers, and just shrug shit off, as nothing.

“Oh, she was a drug addict,” “she wanted attention,” “She just ran away.” Let’s take a moment to talk safety and villains or bad guys. People often look at villains as the bad guys who you can simply point out. The Squealer, and serial killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy… They seemed like citizens who were just living life with some problems. In reality they were horrific killers that blended in with society for a while.

Robert Pickton was a Canadian serial killer. He was known as “The Pig Farmer Killer” or the “Butcher.” He worked for his family’s pig farm. He was murdering women, and cannibalism. I was trying to yell at the laptop, TYRESE, please don’t eat the sausage. Oh man. Mason Molina portrays the young version of the Squealer.

We meet Theo Rossi’s character, who gets out of an SUV with a bow and arrow. When I spoke with Danielle and Andy about the film, they said they tried to pull the major pieces that were important to make this film. Lisa does a deep dive, and realizes how many women are missing. She is fighting hard to find information, and help people.

The doctor who seems to be a pretty good friend to Lisa, tells her there is smell that came from a farm. Lisa continues her search, and meanwhile, Theo Rossi’s character is visiting the Squealer. So, it makes you wonder when you read articles about what’s found in the food we eat. Especially after watching this movie, and all the True Crime stuff that has come out over the years.

There may be two big differences with the bad guys, there are some that don’t want to get dirty, and some that spend time chopping people into pieces, and it doesn’t faze them. “If the place is too clean, the meat doesn’t taste as good.” This man said this with the most nonchalant look on his face. He is completely unfazed, and he has no regard. Ronnie Gene Blevins portrays the Squealer with a calmness. Welp! WELP, you will never guess who is working on the farm.

Earline (Kate Moening) is helping at the farm; she was also at the bar the night Lisa was questioning other women about the disappearance of other women. I want to say that Earline is the one helping to lure the girls to the farm. We shall see. Lisa wound up at the bar looking for Earline.

This film is beautifully shot, there is a beauty to the darkness. All this man wants to do is make sausage sandwiches. So, the girls come into the room, and this man is unrolling plastic. Not Dexter Morgan light plastic, but tarp plastic. As soon as they saw the plastic, they should have hauled ass. The Squealer has some brutal flashbacks, and it just gets worse.

I would recommend watching Squealer.