The name of Julia Ducournau It was unknown to practically all moviegoers just a few years ago, but that began to change with the premiere of ‘Raw’, a ferocious first film in which he showed that he had a lot to contribute to horror movies and which has now just landed on the catalog of Netflix in Spain.
unusual
Ducournau herself is in charge of both writing and directing a film that in its most superficial layer could be defined as an unusual approach to cannibalism in the cinema. And it is that here the excess is avoided for the sake of excess to link such a complicated subject with the maturation of its protagonist as a person, interpreted in a very convincing way by Garance Marillier.
That link established between the consumption of human flesh and the repression suffered by its main character is surprising from the outset, but it is later explored in depth, both because of his family relationships -everything related to his sister is fascinating- and because of the rarefied and increasingly sickly atmosphere that Ducournau manages to imprint on the story. There he finds ‘Crudo’ another of his great strengths to become a unique approach to the genre.
Of course, ‘Crudo’ is not so interested in keeping the viewer in tension as in proposing a story that revolves around the same in celebrating what is different and in the liberation of its protagonist on different levels. All of this illustrated with wild forcefulness when the occasion requires it, but with Ducournau making it clear that everything is always under control, even when interest suffers slightly at certain times. Fortunately, the downturn is never as pronounced as in ‘Titane’, in my opinion much lower than the one we are dealing with now, and the course quickly straightens out, also counting with a fully satisfying ending to everything seen before.
The key is whether or not you connect with Ducournau’s stylistic commitment, because If after 15-20 minutes you have not entered what he proposes, do not bother to continue. There is nothing wrong with that, but for my part I will always appreciate that there are titles with their own voice. Sometimes I’ll love it and other times I’ll want to run away, but at least they dare to be different, which is especially relevant here with the message it conveys.
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