Review: Raw (2016)

Justine, a young vegetarian has arrived at a school to begin training as a vet. However during a hazing ritual, she is forced to eat a piece of meat...and discovers a taste for it...

Raw is not actually an easy film to categorise. While there are horrific things in here, I don't think you can say it is a horror film, though it is a disturbing film certainly. It's also a coming of age tale too, though perhaps not your usual one. It's brutal and bloody and gory in places, but it's also in some ways touching too.

This is all down to writer and director Julia Ducournau. In lesser hands, the film could easily have slipped into a straight up, full-on gory cannibal film. But Ducournau resists this. Instead she is more interested in the bond between Justine and her sister Alexia and the gay roommate she gets, Adrien, especially when Justine struggles with her growing need for flesh.

It's in these scenes that actress Garance Marillier is sensational. It's a stunning, brave performance and Marillier really throws herself into the role. There are terrific performances from Ella Rumpf as Alexia and Rabah Nait Oufella as Adrien, but this film totally belongs to Marillier.

What makes the film so much more than it could have been too at some brilliant decisions made by Ducournau as director. The freshmen are forced to move on all fours by the bullying seniors during the ritual, mimicking the way animals move and are treated at times. The use of sound, especially in the scenes of partying and clubbing as we watch Justine, either sitting on a counter, grinning manically or making her way through a crowd is both creepy and disturbing at times too.

The complex relationship between Justine and Alexia is very well done, as is the one with their parents, which does play into the end of the film in a surprising yet clever way.

In screening  there has been talk, especially of one in Toronto where an ambulance was called to about the graphic content. I'm not sure is this was unnecessary hype, or actually happened but it is understandable. If you don't like graphic and bloody gore, this film will not be for you. But if you think that is all this film is about, again this film is not for you. As I said, there is a lot more going on here than you may think and the film was so much better for it.

It's a brilliant film, which I saw at FrightFest and was one of the highlights there. It's a film I would highly recommend if you can, if you pardon the pun, stomach it.

Either way, it isn't one you'll forget anytime soon after!

Rating 4/5