Vegetarian

Ominous dreams haunt and drive a young woman to abolish meat from her diet and her household, and even reject her husband, who smells of meat. Her family mistakes this sudden fixation for insolence, and soon she grows despondent, alienating herself from everyone. Her sister tries to reach her, but only her brother-in-law, an artist, manages to penetrate her withdrawn state. Her mysterious trauma ignites creativity and desire in him, and they collaborate passionately on beautiful body-painting art—drawing on her psychological pain but also providing the catalyst for her mystical transformation. Working both literally and figuratively, the film’s title is as much about her compulsion as our primal desires and rejection of feminine norms. That’s the richness of this evocative film; it’s thrillingly profound and sensual. The moody classical score and stellar cinematography further enhance this compelling feature debut by eye-opening talent Lim Woo-seong.