A stringent vegetarian, desperate to fit in at veterinary school, strays from her principles and eats raw meat during a hazing ritual. The young woman experiences terrible consequences as she starts to develop a voracious appetite for human flesh. A film by Julia Ducournau, starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Naït Oufella, Laurent Lucas, Joana Preiss, Bouli Lanners, and Marion Vernoux.

GRAVE

RAW
Julia Ducournau
(2017)
★★★★☆
 

Justine (Garance Marillier) is a young woman who has been vegetarian for as long as she can remember. She’s about to start her student life at a prestigious veterinary school where both her parents are alumni. She has an older sister named Alexia (Ella Rumpf) who enrolled before her.

On her first night, Justine meets her roommate Adrien (Rabah Naït Oufella), and they’re both herded by older students to join the other freshmen for the hazing ritual, a long-standing tradition at the school. They’re taken to a secret location where there’s a party with dancing and drinking that goes on until dawn. Alexia sneaks her away to show Justine a group photo of the class which both their parents were in.

The next day, the group of first-year students is doused with blood for a class photo just like their parents had taken. Afterward, all the new students are forced to eat pieces of animal organs preserved in glass jars. Justine tries to refuse, explaining that she’s never eaten meat in her entire life, and calls on her sister Alexia to back her up since Alexia is also vegetarian like her.

But Alexia tells everyone she’s not vegetarian anymore and even pressures Justine to eat the rabbit liver. This makes Justine swallow meat for the first time in her life. That night, her body breaks out in red rashes all over, forcing her to see a doctor who diagnoses it as likely food poisoning.

Justine can’t control her growing craving for meat, though she doesn’t understand why. Despite feeling guilty and ashamed, she secretly eats raw chicken without her roommate knowing. But it doesn’t satisfy her hunger. Not until she gets her first taste of human flesh.

Written and directed by French filmmaker Julia Ducournau in her directorial debut, GRAVE excels at presenting an original take on the coming-of-age story combined with an oppressive atmosphere that keeps you guessing what might happen in the next scene.

The artistic elements are beautifully crafted, from the horror of the gory scenes to the stunning use of color and surreal imagery. The camera angles and storytelling rhythm create such a sense of wonder that viewers might question whether what they’re seeing is real or just the protagonist’s imagination. Though there are some scenes that feel somewhat unnecessary, like the rooftop conversation between Justine and Alexia.

Both lead actresses deliver excellent performances, especially Ella Rumpf as Alexia, the emotionally volatile older sister who leaves us uncertain whether she truly loves or hates her younger sibling.

GRAVE premiered in Semaine de la critique at the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May 2016, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. It later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September, where several audience members reportedly fainted during the screening.

The FIPRESCI Prize is a respected international film award given by the International Federation of Film Critics, an organization made up of professional film critics and journalists from around the world. Its main goal is to promote film as an art form and to support new and emerging filmmakers who show creativity and innovation in their work. The prize is awarded by a jury of critics at major film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto, and can go to feature films, documentaries, or short films, depending on the festival. Winners are chosen for their artistic achievement and contribution to the advancement of cinema, and the award often helps spotlight filmmakers who later become influential figures in the industry. In addition to the festival prizes, FIPRESCI also presents a Grand Prix each year to the best film as selected by its members.

GRAVE had a limited theatrical release in the United States on 10 March 2017, under its official English title RAW. The film was theatrically released in France and Belgium on 15 March.

Multiple Moviegoers Pass Out During Screening of Cannibal Movie
A Midnight Madness screening of the cannibal film turned into a medical scene early Tuesday morning as paramedics were called to treat multiple audience members who had passed out.“An ambulance had to be called to the scene as the film became too much for a couple patrons,” said Ryan Werner, who is handling the film’s marketing on the ground at the Toronto Film Festival and was at the screening.