Raw
2017 · Directed by Julia Ducournau
Original language: French
- horror
- drama
The story
Stringent vegetarian Justine encounters a decadent, merciless, and dangerously seductive world during her first week at veterinary school. Desperate to fit in, she strays from her principles and eats raw meat for the first time. She soon experiences terrible and unexpected consequences as her true self begins to emerge.
What it’s like
Cold, clinical blues and fluorescent whites give way to warm, sweat-slicked reds in this French coming-of-age horror, shot with a restless handheld camera that stays close to its young protagonist's face and body. Veterinary-school corridors, dorm rooms and student parties feel crowded and overheated, with a pounding electronic score that drops into uneasy silence before each eruption. Its vibe is feverish and unsettling, a slow-burn dread tilting into visceral body horror, best suited to a late night alone or a bold double feature rather than casual viewing. Pacing is patient, building through awkward hazing rituals and sisterly tension toward a sharp, bloody turn. The emotional register is anxious and raw, following a repressed young woman who slowly discovers a wilder, hungrier self and the bond she shares with her older sister. Intensity is high: graphic gore, cannibalism, nudity, explicit sex and brutal hazing scenes, with the violence landing as messy and physical rather than stylised. It is for viewers who want horror that doubles as a sharp study of desire, belonging and identity, and who can tolerate their stomach being tested.
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