Grave

We have all seen the umpteen coming-of-age or sexual awakening story, but when is the last time you saw a becoming-a-cannibal story? This is one incredibly muscular piece of filmmaking, marrying visual poetry with slow-burn horror into one potent and delectable dish. Debut writer-director Julia Ducournau knows exactly what she wanted to do and did it, and the resultant film is a different breed of horror with no cheap jump scares and with the camera never flinching from all body and animal horror.

During a screening at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, some viewers received emergency medical services after allegedly fainting from the film's graphic scenes. IMHO, this notoriety does it a huge disservice. Perhaps the viewers went into the cinema with an empty stomach or have a weak disposition for copious blood and body horror because Raw is never tacky or cheesy in its depiction of its terror. Ducournau knows the medium well and employs a plethora of aesthetics to drive the terror home. The cinematography is fluid and complicit in the sinister going-ons; it somehow manages to glide seamlessly to places we don't want to go (under the bed covers, in a toilet where blue and yellow collide) and see stuff that we don't want to see (rashes on young flesh). I am never ever going to forget a scene in which a poor horse get tranquillised, a mouth restraint slapped on it, gets tied up and turned upside down in a harness. It was spine-chilling and my mind kept whispering prayers that it will be fine. The takes are long and languid, but purposeful and place us in the thick of things. It felt like I was given full access to an accident site and I was led to study in closed-up the twisted metal and the mangled bodies. I couldn't look away even though I wanted to. The shots are superbly lighted, disconcerting and symbolically rich. Ogle in amazement as the camera follows Justine in the first night of hazing to a make-shift discotheque that resembles hell itself.

IMHO the genius of this lean and mean film is that it manages to make us feel for Justine. We feel the revolting disgust churning inside her as she, a lifelong virginal vegetarian, is forced to swallow a raw offal from a rabbit. The angry crimnson rash that flares up all over her is a manifestation of her disgust, but soon it awakens her cannibalistic core. In Garance Marillier, Ducournau has found the perfect Justine. Her transformation arc is magnificent and her multi-layered performance is career-defining. I still cannot forget the scene of her jiving sexily in front of the mirror, becoming aware of herself sexually. She exudes an animalistic energy so thick and heavy, she fused the scenes together in absolute dread. Her eventual deflowering scene, coupled with the birth of her cannibalistic leanings, is presented in total nerve-wrecking literalness.

Raw isn't for everybody. I wouldn't even say a horror fan will like it. It has an art-house feel to it that may turn some people away. But it is a bold film, sublimely realised, erotic, feral, primal and it will play on your senses long after it is over.

What a disgusting way to spend an hour and a half. Raw is one of those things that's disgusting and grotesque, but so intriguing that you can't look away.

All the acting seems good, and the characters are interesting enough. The movie takes a bit of time to really pick up, and some scenes can seem pointless (like a lot of the hazing rituals) but from there I had my eyes glued to the screen. The themes this movie has about human instinct is so terrifying and horrid, but is so entertaining because of the way the main character turns from a normal girl into something much different. A lot of people are critiquing the ending of this movie too, but I loved it!

Overall, this movie is definitely worth a watch. It's not like a masterpiece or breaking new grounds or anything, but it's so messed up and so disgusting that it keeps you entertained it's whole runtime.

Say hello to the most shocking film of 2016.

Julia Ducournau's Raw, is one that pushes the limits of twisted bodily desires as its brand of horror. It then features visuals that are not meant for the weak & squeamish, as its discomforting scenes effectively gets under your skin & lingers, until the credits roll. What sets this film apart however, is that it veers away from the usual brainless violence cannibal films are known for. Rather, if one can get past Raw's provocative imageries, there is a beautifully realized coming of age story that touches on belonging & sexuality. This is where Ducournau's screenplay deserves its flowers, & where lead actress Garance Marillier shines. The former's uncanny marriage of adolescence & literal hunger for flesh is an achievement, producing a one of a kind harrowing fairytale. Marillier on the other hand, was superb, convincing as a character that regresses from innocence to something unexplainable.

Make no mistake, Raw is a difficult watch. But if you are an aficionado of watchable horror that comes with self discovery as its premise, it is definitely highly recommended. Just probably lay low on the movie snacks. 7/10.

I heard the hype. How this film was "so horrific" that people left midway through the film after being so repulsed, they were physically ill. I went in with the - negative - expectation that this was going to be a gore fest. SPOILER: it's not. What we have here is a particularly grisly, but effective coming of age story, a genre the French have a penchant for. For a film about cannibalism, it's surprisingly subtle and is generally a slow burn that builds tension well. I found the performances uniformly strong, especially from Garance Millier. Her transformation from shy and socially awkward to animalistic and unhinged is a joy to watch. The atmosphere is well developed, especially those incredibly effective party scenes that perfectly capture what it's like at a wild college party. And I have to say, for such a twisted film, it's surprisingly sexy. Again, thank the French.

No, it's not for the faint of heart and yes, some of the imagery is quite brutal. It could've have fleshed out - heh - some of the relationships between certain characters better, but overall, I'd recommend this to people with open minds and strong stomachs.

Its easy to understand the pull of the full. You want to watch a film about a girl who becomes a cannibal.. the film is very well crafted and full of interesting images. The acting is very good and the camera work solid. But somewhere during the film you begin to question the purpose of this film- it is neither full-blown horror nor is it a deep character study of a girl who is grappling with the cannibal inside her. I say give me Hannibal Lector anytime!