Raw

Raw begins with an appealing promise: Julia Ducournau will treat its horror film framework as a route into character rather than an excuse for noise. The early chemistry between Garance Marillier and Ella Rumpf gives Raw an immediate pulse. The story of Raw begins from a specific pressure point: A young woman, studying to be a vet, develops a craving for human flesh. By the end of its 1h 39m running time, the value of Raw rests less on novelty than on the care of its execution.

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In Raw, Julia Ducournau directs with a manner that is clear enough to keep the emotional line visible rather than eager to prove itself. Scenes in Raw gain weight when Julia Ducournau holds attention on a decision instead of hurrying toward its result. Its modest pleasures remain genuine for Raw, since the film keeps returning to its clearest dramatic priorities. The caveat is that Raw occasionally reveals how a few supporting ideas remain thinner than the central one, which slightly weakens the build.

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Garance Marillier approaches Raw with a useful mixture of commitment and restraint, making the role feel inhabited. Ella Rumpf provides Raw with an effective change of temperature whenever their character enters the scene. Even in limited space, Rabah Nait Oufella gives Raw another recognisable personality rather than a simple plot function. Julia Ducournau maintains a shared performance language across Raw, which matters when tone or pace begins to shift.

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Raw uses its horror film framework to consider fear, isolation and the moment familiar spaces stop feeling safe. For the character played by Garance Marillier, that idea gives Raw stakes beyond the next immediate obstacle. The recurring pressure of an important relationship prevents the theme in Raw from feeling like decoration added after the story. Julia Ducournau makes Raw more thoughtful whenever the implications remain inside action and reaction.

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Raw finds its clearest story engine when the central character comes into conflict with an important relationship. That engine gives Garance Marillier something concrete to pursue and protects Raw from empty movement. In the hands of Julia Ducournau, a difficult choice becomes a useful complication rather than a detached twist within Raw. The final use of the wider conflict is familiar, but Raw has already established enough context for the turn to matter.

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Raw demonstrates the value of patiently built dread by making a technical decision feel inseparable from dramatic intention. For Petit Film, the production of Raw balances patiently built dread with enough restraint to keep performances visible. The France roots of Raw lend useful character to carefully rationed sound across the central locations. What makes the finish of Raw convincing is the willingness of its sound and image to step back when a quieter reaction matters more.

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Taken as a whole, Raw is a solid choice for the right audience for horror viewers who prefer atmosphere to constant shocks. Raw leaves its strongest impression through patiently built dread, the work of Garance Marillier and a clear understanding of tone. The limitations around how a few supporting ideas remain thinner than the central one should be acknowledged, but they do not erase what Raw does well. I would return to Raw for its personality and its willingness to connect genre pleasure with recognisable feeling.