Raw

From social satire to Stephen King, these are the best horror films of 2017.

The staff of ScreenCrush picks the ten best movies of the first half of the year - did your favorite make the cut?

Julia Ducournau’s French cannibal coming-of-age movie (no, I didn’t think I’d ever type that phrase either) Raw has been making waves ever since its Cannes debut last year, and a lot of those waves happen to be those of nausea. The film reportedly features so many scenes of gory flesh-eating that it caused audience members to feel physically ill and faint at numerous festival screenings. Now that it’s out in theaters in a limited release, one theater in Los Angeles has a solution: personal barf bags.

With films like The Witch and The Invitation, 2016 was a great year for horror, and the genre certainly isn’t slacking in 2017 — in addition to the all-female-directed anthology XX, this year sees the release of Raw, the French coming-of-age cannibal horror film which marks the feature directorial debut of Julia Ducournau. Already a hit on the 2016 festival circuit (where it made a few audience members ill), Raw is an early contender for this year’s best-of lists. You can see why for yourself as these new green and red-band trailers offer a little taste (sorry) of what’s in store.

Raw is the debut feature from French director Julia Ducournau, a fact that is nothing short of astonishing from the opening moments of this inventive and beautifully shot new horror film. To say that Ducournau’s cinematic introduction is assured would be an understatement; it’s a shrewd, insightful and surprisingly funny film that feels like the work of a more accomplished filmmaker who has refined their talents over the course of many films and many years. Though it is not without slight flaw, Raw is one of the smartest, most rewarding horror movies in recent years.