Raw is Unhinged and the Best Film of 2017

By Ankit Verma

Mailed on January 25, 2018

Dear Fellow Critics,

I want to tell you why I picked Raw as the best movie of 2017…

...but I can’t.

I’ve written four different drafts of this piece, each with different explanations and angles. They’re all valid, but they’re not the true reason I love Raw so much. The true reason is rooted in something beyond mere personal taste, something hidden, something secret.

Even admitting that it’s a secret has me worried. Are people going to think I’m a cannibal? Are they going to think I have a penchant for murder? If it helps my case, those aren’t the reasons—my favourite meat is chicken, and while some people really piss me off, murder has never crossed my mind. Don’t worry, you can still hang out with me.

All I can say – all I feel comfortable saying – is that in my battles with stress, depression, and anxiety, I suffered some side-effects, and they freaked me out. And when I watched Raw, I was able to relate to it in a way that was almost reassuring to me. Funny right? A movie about cannibalism that reassured me during a battle with my own inner darkness? Ankit, are you sure you’re not a cannibal?

Yes! I’m sure. If you’ve seen Raw (and I highly recommend that you do), it instantly becomes clear that this movie is an allegory for discovering who you are, flaws and all. Nobody is perfect, and if you’re struggling with something, anything, you have to seek out people who can help you survive and find solutions. It’s only when you try to ignore it that things go awry.

It took an extreme concept like Raw – and its beautiful handling by director Julia Ducournau and star Garance Marillier – to make me understand that.

Tastefully yours,

Ankit

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