Cinema Review: Raw


Posted April 3, 2017 in Cinema Reviews

Raw

Director: Julia Ducournau

Talent: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella

Release Date: 7th April

 

On her first week in veterinary school, Justine (Marillier) is forced to eat a raw rabbit liver as part of the vicious hazing program perpetrated by the older students. A lifelong vegetarian, Justine is deeply affected by this experience, and as she deals with her budding sexual desire, she must also contend with an overwhelming hunger for human flesh.

Audacious and idiosyncratic, Raw is a promising debut by writer/director Julia Ducournau, who establishes from the opening frames a palpable sense of dread that only increases as the film progresses, and effectively blends the overt genre elements—there is a lot of gore—with the more quotidian terrors afflicting her protagonist.

Newcomer Garance Marillier is simply wonderful in the role, effortlessly conveying her character’s transformation from shy introvert to feral predator while always maintaining the audience’s sympathy, and though the film does begin to unravel somewhat in its final act, her performance and her director’s verve and brio more than make up for any shortcomings. Delectable.

Words – Felipe Deakin

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