Raw (2016) Review – A Visceral But Formulaic Coming Of Age Horror
Raw: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A stylish and technically proficient piece of French extreme cinema that sits uncomfortably between a traditional horror and a standard coming of age drama. Raw succeeds primarily through its unflinching body horror and a raw, physical performance from Garance Marillier. While the metaphors for female awakening and social conformism are handled with confidence, the film may feel slightly derivative to seasoned horror fans who have seen these tropes explored before. It is a 3.2 star effort that prioritises atmosphere and “shock” imagery over genuine scares, often lingering on its more repulsive moments to ensure the audience is sufficiently unsettled. It is a well-made film that functions better as a character study than a horror movie, but its visceral execution makes it a notable, if formulaic, addition to the cannibal sub-genre.
Details: Director: Julia Ducournau | Cast: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella | Runtime: 1h 39m | Release Date: 15 March 2017 (France)
Best for: Fans of “New French Extremity,” viewers who enjoy metaphor-heavy dramas, and those with a strong stomach for practical body horror effects.
Worth noting: The film gained a reputation for its intensity after reports of audience members fainting during a midnight screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Where to Watch: Amazon🛒
Rating: 3.2/5 Stars
(Superb practical effects, strong lead acting, but ultimately formulaic narrative)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are checking out French and Belgian horror collaboration Raw from 2016. A big part of me isn’t quite sure why I decided to include this movie. I wanted to feature something that critics and the public love but I wasn’t overly keen on. Now I feel like I have just backed myself into a corner a little.
Highlights
Well Loved Coming of age horror
Raw follows the story of a 16 year old aspiring vet called Justine (Garance Marillier). Justine comes from a family of vets and was something of a standout in high school. Wanting to follow in her parents’ footsteps, she heads off to the veterinary school that her parents went to and begins her studies.
“At its heart, Raw is a coming of age tale with a somewhat grisly underbelly. But the only thing actually making Raw a horror movie is a very small part of its subject matter.”
After partaking in a school hazing ritual that forced the typically vegetarian Justine to consume a rabbit’s kidney, Justine begins experiencing desires for a different type of meat, one that is entirely more forbidden.
At its heart, Raw is a coming of age tale with a somewhat grizzly underbelly. The French love their coming of age movies and it’s no surprise to see that bleeding over into horror. But the only thing actually making Raw a horror movie in the first place is a very small part of its subject matter.
It is one of those movies that has earned a reputation for being difficult to stomach. A movie that a viewer should approach with no small amount of caution and that sort of oversells the horror aspect in a big way. At its core, this is a movie about a teenage girl moving into adulthood, complete with all the animal instincts, uncertainty and insecurity that comes along with that.
Not really my thing
So you may see people refer to the movie as horrifying or stomach churning but that is only a very small part of it. This is a movie that dips a toe into the horror pool before venturing back out into fairly standard coming of age fare. And that is where the movie fails to resonate with me.
In a lot of ways, Raw simply feels like every other coming of age story I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing. And I don’t say that to knock these types of movies. I say it purely because it is a genre that I have no interest in. Yet I find myself having watched a bunch purely through thinly veiled “horror” tales.
2017’s Blue My Mind is another example, albeit one that is even more difficult to find the horror in. I ended up watching both of these movies in fairly quick succession and they both left me wondering why I sat through them.
It is simply a subject that does not interest me. I have no desire to watch teens going through growing pains, having awkward social encounters, taking drugs and dancing to terrible European electronic music. It’s a topic that is done to death and I really don’t think there is much new to add to it. And to be perfectly honest, I ended up mixing these movies up when I attempt to recall them. They are all just so similar.
A well constructed story
So we have got that out of the way. Raw is, predominantly, a coming of age story and that is something that doesn’t interest me. But I can see why people enjoy it. Women of all ages can likely relate to Justine’s story of social awkwardness and idealism in the face of a world keen to engage in debauchery and hedonism. And that’s a cool thing.
“The reason I am recommending Raw is because I can see that it is a good movie. For people who don’t only watch horror, it probably feels quite a bit deeper.”
The story here is pretty well done albeit extremely formulaic and overly familiar. If you have seen one coming of age movie you have seen them all, right? Justine is fairly likable and her progression from innocent naive girl to absolute raving lunatic is predictable but fairly engaging.
Raw‘s tendency to portray things in such a blatant manner as to almost guide the viewer through the metaphors and meanings is somewhat unsatisfying. Justine’s sexual, and animalistic, awakenings are easy to predict and fairly unremarkable. There are a number of scenes where sexual assault seems to be conflated with sexual positivity. Honestly, Justine’s experiences probably demand a trip to the police station rather than a high five from her black sheep sister.
Scenes focused on the ever partying members of the campus continually provoke eye rolls for how ridiculous they are. And the extremely old person in me always wants to know exactly who is going to clean up all that mess. Apparently nobody working at this school gives a monkey’s toss and the lunatics are running the asylum. Still, it’s a movie about cannibals so I suppose I should complain about that being unrealistic.
Effective body horror
So how does the horror hold up? Well, it’s barely there for one. I am really uncomfortable with the horror label for this movie and I am sure director Julia Ducournau probably is too. While I can definitely praise Raw for managing to make cannibalism at least somewhat interesting, it doesn’t do anything new.
“Where it does do a brilliant job is in the body horror. Raw hits on every one of its body horror scenes and that is something that I really do like about the movie.”
It’s the same old thing and much of that is down to how worn out this horror topic is. Characters desire human flesh, they start eating raw meat, they then want to eat humans etc. etc. It’s always the same thing over and over again. And I think that’s where my issues with this movie lie. It combines two subjects that I have no real interest in.
Where it does do a brilliant job is in the body horror. Some of the scenes here are stomach churning. Garance Marillier deserves a bunch of praise for what she put herself through. I won’t spoil anything but one scene involves pissing all over herself. Apparently, that was the easiest way to film that particular scene. Believe it or not, that wasn’t the most difficult thing she had to do here. Poor thing!
Raw hits on every one of its body horror scenes. That is something that I really do like about the movie. It’s legitimately effective and the effects department deserves bags of praise. Ducournau does have a tendency to linger on some of the shots. She’s just a little too eager to get the point across with regards to how uncomfortable or affected you are supposed to feel. But it’s a minor complaint really.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Practical Effects: The body horror is top tier, using organic-looking prosthetics that make the cannibalistic acts feel uncomfortably real.
- Lead Performance: Garance Marillier gives a fearless, physical performance that makes Justine’s mutation believable.
- Direction: Julia Ducournau has a keen eye for framing and atmosphere, making the veterinary school feel like a living, breathing character.
The Bad
- Predictable Tropes: The “sexual awakening through cannibalism” metaphor is well worn territory and offers few surprises.
- Slow Burn: The middle act leans heavily into student party clichés that can feel tedious for those wanting more horror.
- Unsympathetic Characters: The supporting cast, particularly Justine’s sister, are often so obnoxious that it is hard to care about their fates.
The Ugly: The “Finger” Scene. A masterclass in cringe inducing practical effects that remains the film’s most notorious and visceral sequence.
Should You Watch Raw?
If you enjoy arthouse horror and don’t mind a story that is more interested in metaphors than jump scares, then yes. It is a solid 3.2 star film that showcases a bold new directorial voice. However, if you are tired of the standard coming of age formula, the horror elements might not be frequent enough to keep you fully engaged. It’s a well crafted film, but one that is perhaps slightly oversold by its “shocking” reputation.
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