Review of Raw (2017) by Kevin P — 11 Jan 2018

Strengths: Not many films stick with you the way Raw does. There are so many scenes that had something about them to make them stand out. You'll find yourself still pondering them days later. I came in completely unfamiliar with the cast. Now, I'm dying to see something new from Garance Marillier (Justine). She was a great lead and delivered the goods in a demanding role. Justin explores her sexuality, must adapt to living on her own, has to deal with her raucous upperclassmen, must live up to lofty expectations and deal with the flesh-eating temptation that has taken control. I loved that this didn't rely on jump scares, like other modern horror films. It did a great job making my squirm and cringe, while surprising me consistently. I also have to commend Ducournau's direction. The tone is perfectly set and the images depicted are unsettling in the best possible way.

Weaknesses: The early portion of the film wasn't super interesting. It takes a while to get into the meat, pun intended, of the story. Once Justine gets the allergic reaction to the meat, things pick up. I wasn't fond to Alexia (Ella Rumpf). The actress did well, but the character didn't click with me. For example, when she embarrasses her sister on video, it felt out of character for her. She does some strange things, but was usually there for Justine. Also, though the twist at the end made sense, it was a bit too predictable. I expected it after seeing that Alexia suffered from the same thing as Justine.

Overall: A completely unsettling movie. There were more than a few scenes that were hard to watch, yet they leave the mark they're supposed to. Not many movies can blend this kind of gross-out horror with a compelling coming of age story. A great film if you don't mind watching something in another language.