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 Her sister tries to reach her, but only her brother-in-law, an artist, manages to penetrate her withdrawn state.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. —Sundance Film Festival
In the microcosm of this film vegetarianism itself is not the focus- it's just that all the characters are fretting over it- it's more about the damage people do to each other and what happens when the effects of dysfunctional relationships surface. This psychology should work, but it lacks something. There was some beautiful imagery nonetheless, so not an entire waste of time.
Dark, suggestive and metaphorical tale with a plot that slowly but surely sucks you in. I personally find the narrative too much adrift to fully submit to this otherwise highly anticipated piece of Korean cinema.
