At 16 years old, Justine had her life all mapped out. A strict vegetarian, her dream was to follow in her family’s footsteps by becoming a vet. But after a week at veterinary school — where she was subjected to a series of gruesome hazing rituals during which she was forced to eat raw meat — her world gets turned upside down.
Directed by rising star Julia Ducournau, Raw is as much a coming-of-age tale as it is a horror story about cannibalism. It deals with a variety of complex subjects, including sex, identity, body image, adulthood, conformity, rivalry, and desire. Visceral, erotic, and exquisitely shot, it follows the life of a young student, played by hot-new-face, Garance Marillier, who undergoes a journey of self-discovery and sexual awakening, all the while developing a taste for, well, human flesh.
Read: 10 films we’re looking forward to in 2017.
Despite a few people fainting in the audience when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film has been heralded for its insightful and beautifully realized exploration of what it means to be a women on the cusp of adulthood (who just so happens to also be a cannibal). Take a sneak peek at the trailer below.
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock