Review: Peggy

27th April 2019

Peggy is what society would call a typical, stay at home wife. She is a mother to five children yet doesn’t show any signs of it at all. She owns a lovely, tidy house with a pristine garden. She has an attractive and successful husband, who is a wonderful and loving father to their children. She cooks purely organic and vegan food and is completely prim and proper.

For this, everybody hates her. Everyone. Her husband, and presumably her kids included. So, everyone on the street is invited to attend her son’s big birthday – and decide to stick it to her with buying presents they know she will not approve of. But beneath her gorgeous exterior, something dark and psychotic lurks within…

Peggy was a very creative and very funny short to me. The film does a great job of making Peggy detestable with having her do literally nothing throughout the whole film. The way she talks, the way she acts, the way she moves, the way she simply exists is intolerable. I loved hating her. The second the dog is introduced, Peggy becomes something more sinister. But even then, she doesn’t do anything. I’m not saying that to complain. I thought that she was great – the character and the actress playing her.

There was a clever idea on the filmmaker’s part to have Peggy and her lifestyle feel like something from the 1950’s – from the way she dresses to the way she acts socially – almost like she’s a Stepford Wife, but then having everything and everyone around her feel more modern. This is clearly in the 2010’s. It helps to create this separation between Peggy and the world around her. It feels like everyone at the party is against her.

This isn’t like Carrie, where it feels meanspirited and like bullying – you get where they are coming from. We all know those people – we don’t agree with them or are simply envious of them. It leads to some very funny internal monologues. One particular internal monologue about how Peggy looks after five children made me laugh harder than it probably should have.

Peggy Teaser from Justin Miller on Vimeo.

At first, I was a bit torn about how it was shot. It’s light and whimsically shot – feeling a little like a 90’s – 2000’s kid’s films. The colours are bright and the cinematography feels fluid. A part of me wanted the films to feel like one shot in the ‘50’s, with the static camerawork and maybe a grainy feel. But as it went on, I found that the filming done was perfect for the product. It keeps us on the side of the guests, not Peggy, and makes the ending feel parodical.

Without wishing to spoil, I loved the ending. The scene involving the owl had me in stitches. It’s a good show of how important tone is in your film. What happens is, by itself, horrific. It could easily be something in a horror or thriller film, and could be very disturbing. But, executed in this light-hearted and whimsical way, it was hilarious. It’s like the bit from Robocop when ED-209 shoots up that office worker – despite the horror it is simply hilarious, and sticks with you for how much it makes you laugh.

Peggy is certainly worth a watch. If you like your dark comedies then it’s simply a must. I can’t find any fault with it. I am one of those people who laughs at anything in the real world, but can watch a comedy without breaking a smile. So, to say that this film had me laughing as much as it did is a huge compliment from me. Just put it on and enjoy watching a woman that we’ll all love to hate.

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