Young Justine is a bit of a prodigy, getting into a top veterinary school at a young age. It's clear that she's been sheltered by her parents to this point: en route to dropping her off, they stop for a meal and when Justine finds a bit of sausage in her mashed potatoes, her mom freaks out at the restaurant, saying that they're strict vegetarians. At school, Justine is unprepared for the traditional first week of hazing. With her new, gay roommate and only friend, Adrien, at her side, she - and the other first year students - are subjected to midnight raids, being doused with animal blood a la Carrie and hedonistic raves. They are also forced to eat raw rabbit kidney and Justine is understandably dismayed when her older sister Alex, an ensconced vet student, doesn't stand up for her and, in fact, pushes the tidbit into her mouth.
As the week progresses, Justine starts to experience some changes, but hers are not quite the same as most college-age students away from home for the first time. She gets a horrible rash and then starts craving meat: first schwarma and kebabs with Adrien, then raw chicken out of the fridge, then - after an accident - her sister's finger. She also finds that she is not alone in these cannibalistic cravings but she is not quite ready to give in to them entirely, seeking solace with her roommate and her sister, with various degrees of success. I'm disinclined to say much more because Raw really should be seen.
This is a smart, feminist horror movie with themes of sexual awakening, complicated sisterly relationships and one's relationship with one's own body, parked right alongside Ginger Snaps. For a cannibal flick that apparently caused some viewers to faint and/or vomit, it is not a gore fest - but there are some very squirm-inducing scenes, including a Brazilian wax that I had to look away from and an extended trichophagia bit that made me gag. Raw is in French, with English subtitles, streaming on Netflix and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
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