Every now and again a debut film comes along that makes you sit up and recognize a major new talent has announced itself. That’s RAW, and that’s director Julia Duccournau. RAW isn’t just one of the great horror movies of the year, it’s one of the great movies of the year, full stop, and it’s a film that manages to be grisly and gorgeous, funny and creepy, honest and totally messed up all at once. 

When Justine (Garance Marillier) goes to veterinary school, the young vegetarian is forced, in a hazing ritual, to eat some raw meat. That bite awakens something deep inside of her, and suddenly she is transformed from a meek nerd into a ravenous, sexually confident cannibal. 

RAW weaves themes of addiction, female coming of age and sexual exploration into a bloody tapestry that drenches the screen in sheer cinematic glory. Beautiful and brutal, RAW is one of those movies you have to see with an audience, if only so you have other people to share in your screams and squirms.

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