Justine (Garance Marillier)
hits Australian cinemas on Thursday 20 April 2017 and is sure to please cult horror fans near and far. Forget 'The Twilight Sagas' Julia Ducournau's film is not a romance - it's an insatiable orgy of flesh eating and blood sucking in a French college of Veterinary Science.
Presented by
Monster Pictures , the plot centres on Justine (Garance Marillier) a sixteen year old wonder student who goes to study at the same college as her older sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf) and her strict vegetarian parents.
Rookie initiation rituals
Justine is introduced to raw meat as part of a 'Lord of the Flies' style initiation ceremony at the college. In the middle of the night the 'rookies' sleeping quarters are raided, and they are herded out like farm animals into a wild party of booze, dance, sex and ecstasy. They are doused with animal blood, made to learn chants by rote and forced to eat raw rabbit kidneys by their 'Elders'.
Fever and food poisoning
As a result, Justine breaks out in a fiery hot rash and the college doctor suggests it's food poisoning from consuming raw rabbit kidneys. From this moment onwards Justine develops an insatiable appetite for flesh, and guilt-driven bulimia.
Alexia (Ella Rumpf)
Alexia her older sister, is an 'Elder', a dark sheep of the family, and does little to relieve Justine from any of the dark college rituals. She seems fascinated by rebellion, risk taking and the infliction of pain. In one scene, Alexia attempts to give Justine a 'Brazillian' which ends in her losing her middle finger, and perhaps her sanity.
Justine develops an erotic fascination for her fellow student and roommate Adrien, who 'deflowers' Justine's virginity with her consent, which turns into a frenzied and stomach churning encounter.
Besides the flesh eating is a series of car crashes, scientific experiments on animals, references to coming of age, bullying, body image and survival of the fittest in a carnal bloody war in the desire for pleasure and gratification.
RAW in cinemas Thursday 20 April nationally
At a stretch, some may say this is an animal rights film.
Hungry?
Book your tickets now at Cinema Nova, Lido Cinemas, Cameo Cinemas or the Sun Theatre in Victoria and take some strong mints.
Best to eat breakfast, but not dinner. This film is not for the iron deficient or weak hearted - R 18 .
I'm going to have lunch, a nice cup of tea and perhaps a lie-down.
