Newly released on blu-ray this week is Julia Ducournau's French cannibalistic horror Raw. As young student Justine (Garance Marillier) attends her first week of veterinary school, she encounters a series of cruel initiations enacted by the older students - including her older sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf) - from having their dormitories raided and mattresses tossed out of the windows to being doused in blood for their class photo and forced to eat raw meat in the form of a piece of rabbit kidney. A lifelong vegetarian, this first taste of flesh opens up an unexpected hunger in Justine she hasn't felt before, nor does she know how to control.
If you missed Raw's original cinematic run or are just eager for a second bite, now is the time to invest in one of the most original, shocking and memorable horror debuts of the last decade. A sublime mix of gruesome body horror and a dry commentary on a whole host of topics, from female sexuality, vegetarianism and complicated family dynamics, Julia Ducournau's film stars Garance Marillier as the unassuming veterinary student Justine, away from home for the first time to study at the same institution her sister attends and where her parents first met. Along with her gay roommate Adrien (Rabah Nait Oufella) she must contend with the cruel, demeaning initiations that come with 'rush week', made all the worse that one of the main instigators is the one person she thought would be looking out for her, her older sister Alexia.
It's this unstable bond between Justine and Alexia, as well as Justine's reckoning with her newfound desire for meat, that drives the film's story. Given the easy parallel with the teen werewolf classic Ginger Snaps, it might surprise you that Raw steers clear of the monster movie leanings of lycanthropes and vampires, instead delivering a story of hunger that - although hopefully unlikely - could be set in our world. As she and her fellow newbies are treated like lower class citizens by the year above (if they dare to make eye contact with them, they could be punished into wearing a diaper to class), it's an endless week of cattle dissections and all-night partying at the local morgue, but still disconcertingly recognisable to anyone who's been through a university freshers week.
There are many outstanding moments in Raw that have an incredible ability to shock the audience, even on a re-watch. For example, a brutal bikini waxing scene starts off uncomfortably enough, but then delivers a graphic slice of nerve-tightening horror before capping it off with one of the most jaw-dropping moments in modern horror cinema. Even seeing it a second time, I felt my stomach begin to churn. It's gross, it's hilarious, it's brilliantly directed with a fantastically gothic music sting... it truly needs to be seen to be believed. As the attempted bikini wax scene will prove, Raw is at its strongest when it leans into the horrors of being a young woman. Justine is guided into a more sexualised version of herself by her sister Alexia, who wants to show her a way to survive by giving her dresses, plucking her eyebrows, telling her to shave her armpits and (regretfully) offering to give her her first waxing. Justine's insatiable appetite for meat is closely tied to her sexuality, and as she stares at the back of roommate Adrien's neck, you're not sure whether she wants to devour him, sleep with him, or both.
The latest of Second Sight's special edition releases to come in a display worthy boxset (or 'rigid slipcase', if you prefer) following hot on the heels of the incredible Dawn of the Dead boxset and the new editions of World on a Wire and Revenge, it's a great package that gives the film the attention it deserves with plenty to sink your teeth into. Some of the special features feature the work of horror scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, who's contributed a video essay dissecting some of the themes of the film and features in an interview segment with director Julia Ducournau, and there's also new essays from Emma Westwood (who also has a commentary alongside Ducournau) and Little White Lies' Hannah Woodhead.
Shocking but with a pitch black sense of humour, Julia Ducournau's Raw is an easy film to whole-spleengutsandheartedly recommend to those with a strong constitution. The three core cast members (Marillier, Rumpf and Oufella) deliver great performances, with Marillier in particular standing out as one to watch out for in the future. Its gorier moments won't be for everyone, but if you have a refined cinematic palate and can appreciate how truly great horror cinema can push boundaries, Raw is a film you should feast your eyes on.
Verdict
5/5
SPECIAL FEATURES
- The Girl Can't Help It: a new interview with Actor Garance Marillier
- Making Ends Meat: a new interview with Producer Jean des Forets
- New audio commentary by film critic Alexandra West
- Audio Commentary with Julia Ducournau and film critic Emma Westwood
- In the Name of Raw: an interview with Director Julia Ducournau
- A Family Affair: a new video essay by film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- Raw À Votre Goût featurette with Julia Ducournau & film critic Emma Westwood
- Quick Bites with Julia Ducournau & film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- Genre Matters Panel Discussion
- Australian Premiere Introduction
- Australian Premiere Q&A with Julia Ducournau and Kier-La Janisse
- Alternative opening, deleted scenes, trailers
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Rigid slipcase
- Perfect-bound booklet with new essays by Hannah Woodhead and Emma Westwood plus interview with Julia Ducournau by Lou Thomas
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