A vegetarian veterinary student arrives at college and is forced to eat raw meat as part of a hazing ritual. Soon after, she develops a taste for something far more extreme.

Julia Ducournau’s film was sold as a bold, shocking debut that would leave you shaken. It left me empty. The cannibalism arrives on cue, the mean girl rivalry is there, and there are moments of body horror that are meant to provoke, but none of it feels like it comes from anywhere real. It is strange and shocking for the sake of being strange and shocking.

The film looks the part and has the right ingredients, yet it never quite gels or locks into gear. It is the cinematic equivalent of someone describing a nightmare they had rather than actually giving you one.

After Titane, this feels like the same empty gesture dressed up as provocation. I was glad when it ended.

2 out of 5 stars