I really wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. There was something about that opening scene that just grabbed me, and I couldn't have pulled myself away if I had wanted to. This film is a builder, with great pay-offs, and a really captivating story. I had an idea of where it was going before the film started, but even with knowing that, it was still full of surprises and an element of love that I wasn't expecting.
Justine (Garance Marilliar) is a sort of veterinary phenom going into her first year at University. Justine is also a strict vegetarian. Justine's sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf) also attends the same school and attempts to guide her younger sister through the turbulence of first year hazings. The hazings which unfortunately begin the first night.
Justine is living in the school dorms, and is coupled with Adrien (Rabah Nait Oufella), a gay man who also knows her sister. Justine's innocence is prevalent as she puts up no fight with the rooming situation, or the fact that masked men have entered her dormitory and have thrown her mattress and clothing out of the window. All of which leads to the masked men taking the newbies, all in their night-clothes and under garments, to an underground party.
The hazing continues as the upperclassmen dump blood all over the heads of the first years as they are preparing to have their class photo taken. Directly after, Justine and her classmates are forced to eat raw rabbit livers as another part of the hazing. Justine attempts to refuse, but is forced by Alexia to eat the liver. The ingestion of the meat causes Justine to develop a severe skin rash.
As the rash heals, Justine starts to crave the taste of raw meat. She also begins to develop feelings for Adrien, who seems to be slightly more bisexual that completely homosexual. Justine decides to keep her new cravings a secret from everyone, including Alexia, who herself seems to have given up the lifestyle that her parents had forced upon her and Justine. Alexia is more wild and carefree. She also no longer claims to be vegetarian.
In an attempt to rid Justine of her virginity, Alexia begins to help her sister groom herself, starting with a bikini wax. During a weird mishap, Alexia proceeds to sever her finger with a pair of scissors. The loss of blood quickly causes Alexia to lose consciousness. Justine then takes the opportunity to devour her sisters lost finger, and the act is seen by the now awaken Alexia.
We soon find that the craving for human flesh that Justine is experiencing is also shared by her sister. After a serious sibling fight, Alexia, being more adventurous and daring, decides to cause a car crash. In the immediate aftermath, Alexia begins to feed on the open wound of the cars passenger, and then invites Justine to join her. Justine does.
After a sexual deflowering by Adrien, Justine's cravings continue to grow until one morning she awakens next to Adrien who is now dead. Justine pulls back the sheets to reveal that most of Adrien's upper thigh has been viciously gnawed and devoured to the bone. In a frenzy, probably believing she had eaten him in her sleep, Justine surprisingly finds Alexia in a state of shock, sitting covered in blood on the kitchen floor.
Justine calmly showers her sister, dresses her, and calls the police. Next we see Alexia in prison being visited by Justine and their parents. Cut scene again to find Justine at home, not wanting to eat her vegetables. Her distressed mother demands she eat and exits the room leaving Justine alone with her father. As they begin to talk, the father tells Justine that what has happened is not her fault, nor is it Alexia's fault. He proclaims the family's fractured state as being his fault for not finding a way to help. He starts to retell of he and his wife's first date, and how he knew right away that they belonged together. While speaking his fingers find the small buttons of his shirt. Has hs finishes his story, he opens his shirt wide to reveal the many open wounds and scar tissue from his wife's feedings. It truly was a family affair.
This movie was so surreal that it kept me engaged the full length of the film. The French have a way of blending suspense and gore in such a delicate way, that when you are presented with the gore, it's almost an after thought to the viewer. I absolutely love the foreshadowing from the opening scene. The end revelation that the craving didn't only fall on the sisters, but on the females of the family. The acting was beautifully delivered and so very believable. This was truly a gem.
No comments:
Post a Comment