RAW (aka GRAVE)
Starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella. Written and directed by Julia Ducournau. (2016)
If you do not like reading subtitles please move along, but if you like really weird French movies with minimal dialogue, this may be up your alley.
Justine (Garance Marillier) is being taken to Veterinarian College by her parents, along the way they stop off for a bite at a cafeteria and Justine, the sworn vegetarian, orders some mashed potatoes. When she discovers a chunk of meat in the spuds her mom goes off, “What if you were allergic?” Justine attempts to shrug it off but the irate mom goes to file her complaint with the establishment. The seed of this movie has been planted and it grows in a really weird way.
When they arrive at the school they are supposed to meet Justine’s sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf), who is also attending the college as had both of their parents, but she is a no show so Justine is left in an abandoned parking lot to fend of herself. She finds her room to find Adrien (Rabah Nait Oufella), her male roommate despite her requesting a female roomie… but it’s okay, he’s gay.
Now everyone has heard of hazing at a college but I never really related such going on at a Veterinarian school… well, guess again. Newbies are awaken from sleep, their belongings, as well as their beds, are tossed out the windows. They are then taken to a basement and led on their hands and knees to some wild party where Justine finally meets up with her sister, who really proves to be no help in the continual harassment by the “elders” of the school. The next day Justine is forced to eat raw chicken liver in part of the initiation. When she declares she is a vegetarian and asks for reinforcement from her sister to verify, the sister declares that she ate it her first year here and shoves a piece of meat in Justine’s mouth. Suddenly Justine has strange cravings for meat. She begins by stealing burgers from the cafeteria but things soon escalate to where human flesh is on the menu. And it turns out that sis has the same affliction.
Starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella. Written and directed by Julia Ducournau. (2016)
If you do not like reading subtitles please move along, but if you like really weird French movies with minimal dialogue, this may be up your alley.
Justine (Garance Marillier) is being taken to Veterinarian College by her parents, along the way they stop off for a bite at a cafeteria and Justine, the sworn vegetarian, orders some mashed potatoes. When she discovers a chunk of meat in the spuds her mom goes off, “What if you were allergic?” Justine attempts to shrug it off but the irate mom goes to file her complaint with the establishment. The seed of this movie has been planted and it grows in a really weird way.
When they arrive at the school they are supposed to meet Justine’s sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf), who is also attending the college as had both of their parents, but she is a no show so Justine is left in an abandoned parking lot to fend of herself. She finds her room to find Adrien (Rabah Nait Oufella), her male roommate despite her requesting a female roomie… but it’s okay, he’s gay.
Now everyone has heard of hazing at a college but I never really related such going on at a Veterinarian school… well, guess again. Newbies are awaken from sleep, their belongings, as well as their beds, are tossed out the windows. They are then taken to a basement and led on their hands and knees to some wild party where Justine finally meets up with her sister, who really proves to be no help in the continual harassment by the “elders” of the school. The next day Justine is forced to eat raw chicken liver in part of the initiation. When she declares she is a vegetarian and asks for reinforcement from her sister to verify, the sister declares that she ate it her first year here and shoves a piece of meat in Justine’s mouth. Suddenly Justine has strange cravings for meat. She begins by stealing burgers from the cafeteria but things soon escalate to where human flesh is on the menu. And it turns out that sis has the same affliction.
Alexia initiates Justine with her first taste of meat.
This film is really weird. Many scenes are so strange that you only scratch your head and then justify it by saying “it’s French.” Like in a hazing incident the entire freshman class is doused with animal blood. They then spend the entire day going to class blood stained and gross. Never seen such severe hazing that is completely ignored by faculty. And what is with a male roommate who justifies being with this eighteen year old girl by claiming “I’m gay.” Okay, he is gay as Justine walks into the room once while he is getting a head job by another male student, but, he is obviously bi as he soon beds down Justine as well. Not sure if in the USA you can claim the “I’m gay” moniker to get a female roommate… I think you have to use “I’m transgender.”
Despite Alexia being a lousy sister, Justine still seems to end up in her company. In one of the rare moments when Justine and Alexia are getting along they are sitting in a parking lot talking when Alexia gets up and pulls down her pants to show her sister how to pee while standing. You know, typical parking lot talk between girls. Justine pulls down her pants and unsuccessfully attempts the skill. Once again, you have to say you are in France because even if you are covered in animal blood or your own piss, running to take a shower immediately never seems to cross anyone’s mind. After the peeing contest they go to Alexia’s room where Alexia tells Justine that she needs a Brazilian. Not knowing what that is Justine is soon flat on her back with her legs spread as Alexia starts coating her bikini line with wax ripping out hair. Is this typical sister camaraderie? It gets worse… After dabbing more wax on it gets stuck, she can’t pull it off so Alexia grabs the biggest pair of scissors I have ever seen to cut it off. Justine freaks yelling “it’s my pussy” and jerks away causing Alexia to cut off her finger. Alexia passes out and Justine calls 911 (actually 112 in France), and they tell her to put it on ice. But strange feelings come over Justine as she stares at the finger and soon she begins eating the digit.
Despite Alexia being a lousy sister, Justine still seems to end up in her company. In one of the rare moments when Justine and Alexia are getting along they are sitting in a parking lot talking when Alexia gets up and pulls down her pants to show her sister how to pee while standing. You know, typical parking lot talk between girls. Justine pulls down her pants and unsuccessfully attempts the skill. Once again, you have to say you are in France because even if you are covered in animal blood or your own piss, running to take a shower immediately never seems to cross anyone’s mind. After the peeing contest they go to Alexia’s room where Alexia tells Justine that she needs a Brazilian. Not knowing what that is Justine is soon flat on her back with her legs spread as Alexia starts coating her bikini line with wax ripping out hair. Is this typical sister camaraderie? It gets worse… After dabbing more wax on it gets stuck, she can’t pull it off so Alexia grabs the biggest pair of scissors I have ever seen to cut it off. Justine freaks yelling “it’s my pussy” and jerks away causing Alexia to cut off her finger. Alexia passes out and Justine calls 911 (actually 112 in France), and they tell her to put it on ice. But strange feelings come over Justine as she stares at the finger and soon she begins eating the digit.
Sisters bonding with some scissoring... Yikes!
Other strange scenes happen when Justine gets drunk and Alexia takes her to the morgue (not sure why there is a human morgue in this school but maybe I missed something). The next day Justine finds that Alexia has posted a video of Justine crawling around on the morgue floor will Alexia dangle a dead mans arm over her as Justine attempts to bite it. Ah, sisterly love. This results into a major fight between the two siblings which ends in them taking bites out of each other. The movie climax’s when Justine wakes up after making love to Adrien (yeah, the gay guy) and is startled to find something that will end her college life for good.
Originally called GRAVE, RAW is a much more suiting title. This movie is so weird in its feel and delivery they you can’t stop watching it, despite that the storyline is really simplistic and the whole thing wraps up in a story from the dad.
People were supposedly so startled by the showing of RAW at a Toronto Film Fest that they fainted, but nothing in the movie is that gruesome. Nonetheless the movie is entertaining and is not like most of the cookie cutter horror films you see. Supposedly shot on 3.8 million dollar budget, it has great acting (although I think people would be a bit more disturbed about things they seem to be… but they are French!) and has a really eerie feel. I would recommend it and give 4 out of 5 coffins. I saw this on Netflix so be sure to check it out.
Originally called GRAVE, RAW is a much more suiting title. This movie is so weird in its feel and delivery they you can’t stop watching it, despite that the storyline is really simplistic and the whole thing wraps up in a story from the dad.
People were supposedly so startled by the showing of RAW at a Toronto Film Fest that they fainted, but nothing in the movie is that gruesome. Nonetheless the movie is entertaining and is not like most of the cookie cutter horror films you see. Supposedly shot on 3.8 million dollar budget, it has great acting (although I think people would be a bit more disturbed about things they seem to be… but they are French!) and has a really eerie feel. I would recommend it and give 4 out of 5 coffins. I saw this on Netflix so be sure to check it out.
Justine just needs that taste of blood where ever she can get it! Hey, it's okay, he's gay!