Overview
In Justine’s family everyone is a vet and a vegetarian. At 16, she’s a gifted teen ready to take on her first year in vet school, where her older sister also studies. There, she gets no time to settle: hazing starts right away. Justine is forced to eat raw meat for the first time in her life. Unexpected consequences emerge as her true self begins to form.
Review
Julia Ducournau has quickly catapulted herself to one of my favorite directors. She takes the weird and dark and magnifies it in her filmmaking. Titane (2021) was surreal and really out there and Raw was extremely dark and more horror-centric. I’m partial to Raw because it was a coming-of-age horror story with characters you cared about, and the film kept you on the edge as you witness the looming changes taking place in the lead character (Justine) played wonderfully by Garance Marillier.
Not only was the acting superb, the cinematography was stunning. The film’s exploration of complex themes such as identity, sexuality, and family dynamics added depth to the story. The storyline takes place in the late-teen years, a college setting, and the chaos of the changing landscape in Justine’s life really flows very well with the change that takes place as she discovers her darker needs.
This is a movie I will return to and watch multiple times as I anxiously await the next film to drop from Ducournau from A24.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)
