Um…
From the folks at Wikipedia:
Raw (French: Grave) is a 2016 coming-of-age body horror drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau, and starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, and Rabah Nait Oufella.[5][6][7][8] The plot follows a young vegetarian‘s first year at veterinary school, where she tastes meat for the first time and develops a craving for human flesh.
The film premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on 14 May 2016 and was theatrically released in the United States on 10 March 2017 by Focus World, and in France on 15 March 2017 by Wild Bunch. The film received critical acclaim, with praise for Ducournau’s direction and screenplay, though was met with some controversy for its graphic content.
The Rev-iew:
Last night, I took advantage of Alamo Drafthouse Cedars “Terror Tuesday” as recommended by an old friend and Alamo staff member. As with almost every film I see there, I was only accompanied by about three or four people. I don’t know how they stay in business, but I personally enjoy it. No one sitting in my row or behind me means I can take notes during the film.
I didn’t.
I forgot I even had a stylus on my phone.
Actually, I forgot quite a few things during this film. That should tell you everything you need to know.
This is the same director as Titaine. I own that film on a friend’s recommendation but have never watched it. I think it was one of those pandemic dares. Now, I’m scared because Raw is that director’s freshman film. What kind of freaky French rabbit-hole have I stumbled upon?
First of all, the film is subtitled. That’s not a problem for me but it’s a problem for many.
Next, it’s French. Their lifestyle is a bit of a shock for the more conservative, American viewer.
Finally, this film came out nearly a decade ago with a small American theatrical run back in 2017. If you still want to see this film un-spoiled, stop reading now. You’ve had almost ten years.
I went into this film knowing nothing other than it was a French Body Horror piece. I dig foreign horror art films; that’s exactly what I got. No surprises.
So, our main character wants to be invisible, but she comes from a family of wealthy, “can I speak to your manager,” vegetarians. Apparently, they’re legacies at this prestigious FU French Hogwarts of veterinary schools. I wasn’t aware that France was in need of so many veterinarians in 2016.
Seriously, the set pieces look like they were filmed in an abandoned Russian complex only explored by YouTube thrill-seekers in ski masks. Every frame feels cold, filthy, and uneasy. I’ve never been to France, but that’s the vibe I got from the film.
When she gets to school, it’s weeks upon weeks of hazing and partying. As an initiation, she must eat a piece of animal flesh. Being a life-long vegetarian, she protests, but her older sister – who is also attending Horror Hogwarts like their own Weasley family cannibal – insists it’s tradition. Our main character gets horribly ill, and things begin to change. When she reveals it to her older sister, we discover that her addiction hits a little close to home.
I’m still speechless twelve hours later.
I spent the entire film cringing in my seat, and not just from the special effects. This film is very “handsy”, even between family members. As mentioned above, the French culture has a completely different set of boundaries when compared to the United States. If you’re on the spectrum at all, this movie will make you want to curl up into a ball and die.
Seeing this film in an empty theater made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I like movies that make me “feel”, and this succeeds. I just wasn’t a fan of “those” feelings.
Gore doesn’t bother me; I condone as much as can fit on film, but I prefer it to be a tad over the top for comedic purposes. Horror is funny to me most times when the fake blood factor is cranked up to eleven as in the Terrifier series. This is NOT that kind of movie.
The special effects are subtle and realistic. Disturbingly realistic. There are several scenes filmed inside the veternary school that were done during actual schoolastic instruction. They seriously gag a horse with a ventalation tube and lift him upside down with a crane. According to last night’s host, the animal cadavers are real.
The best way I can describe watching this film would be…
Imagine being locked in a grocery store butcher shop overnight against your will.
To boot, the film is highly sexualized, and not in a pleasurable way. Trust me, you’ll get no body horror relief from the bow-chica-wow-wow scenes because they’re also quite triggering. It just all felt rather “forced”, and I’m not a sexual fuddy-duddy. I mean I’m old, but I’m not that old. I don’t mean “forced” as in shoving it down our throats for no reason; it’s validated. It’s just uncomfortably violent; animalistic almost.
To rate this film would depend on the type of person you are. If you can appreciate a debut foreign art piece from a director who enjoys a bit of the old-fashioned macabre with implied underage sexuality, incest and down-right in-your-face cannibalism, then this is a five star film.
If you can’t stomach any of the above for ninety minutes? Zero.
I applaud the direction, editing, and special effects. This movie made me feel things, but they’re not things I normally like to feel. I would only watch this film again on a dare if a guest had never seen it. That means it’s purchase-worthy, because I’m a freak who collects obscure art.
This is the movie you put on at a party to see whose date will vomit first.
Personally, the film did what it set out to do, and it did so in a way unlike most I’ve seen before. That doesn’t mean I liked it.
3/5
Next Terror Tuesday? Spree (2020) 9.9.25 @ 930pm
The Gonzo Wolf 
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