The Big Picture
Some Like It Rare
nails the absurdist comedic tone while offering sharp social commentary.
The film uses extreme measures to highlight the absurdity of human potential and compliance.
This satirical slasher stands out in the cannibalism subgenre, celebrating its own ridiculousness.
A satirical slasher that follows two butchers as they hunt down vegans to sell as meat in their store sounds like it shouldn’t work at all. However, the French horror comedy Some Like It Rare absolutely nails the absurdist comedic tone and manages to infuse it with sharp social commentary. Directed by Fabrice Eboue, who also stars in one of the lead roles alongside Marina Fois, the movie focuses on how a failing business affects the marriage of the couple who run it. However, after the store is trashed by vegan activists, the couple turns to pursuing vegans and this reinvigorates their livelihood and relationship. Some Like It Rare is neither advocating for veganism nor discouraging it. Instead, it uses its bizarre premise to shed light on the absurdity of extreme measures. Its unique approach may not be for everyone, but it truly stands out in the cannibalism subgenre of horror.
Some Like It Rare
Vincent and Sophie Pascal, a married couple running a small butcher shop, find themselves on the brink of bankruptcy. After accidentally killing a militant vegan who attacked their shop, they decide to dispose of the body by selling it as pork. Their business unexpectedly thrives, and they become embroiled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as they seek out more victims to meet the demand.
Release Date October 7, 2022
Director Fabrice Eboué
Cast Marina Foïs , Fabrice Eboué , Jean-François Cayrey , Lisa Do Couto Texeira , Virginie Hocq , Victor Meutelet , Stéphane Soo Mongo , Nicolas Lumbreras
Runtime 87 minutes
Writers Fabrice Eboué , Vincent Solignac
What Is ‘Some Like It Rare’ About?
Some Like It Rare is a difficult movie to categorize. It starts almost like a melodrama, looking at the failing marriage of Vincent and Sophie, who together run a butcher’s shop. Their relationship is flat and uninspired, which is reflected in their unsuccessful business. The movie uses the contrast of their “friends” business, although it is difficult to call them that, as it is clear Vincent does not enjoy their company and Sophie merely sees them as what they could be. Marc (Jean-Francois Cayrey) and Stephanie (Virginie Hocq) are shown to live a lavish life, even being able to franchise their butcher’s shop. They act as a direct comparison to Vincent and Sophie and also end up being their Achilles heel.
Vincent and Sophie’s shop ends up being defaced by a small group of vegan activists in animal masks. This moment is the catalyst of the movie’s events but also shows how emasculated Vincent is at the beginning of the movie. He struggles to defend himself or the shop and only manages to pull off the mask of one of the attackers. Throughout the movie, his strength and self-belief grow and this change is only prominent because of this early scene. When Vincent and Sophie drive past one of the activists, Vincent recognizes him and, in a completely rash moment, he reverses over the man, killing him. This moment appears out of character early on in the movie, and Vincent’s reaction serves to show how absurd his character’s descent into a rampaged killer is. Vincent decides the best way to dispose of the body is to chop it up as he does with the meat he sells in his shop, getting rid of it bit by bit. However, he fails to tell his wife his plan, which is another symbol of the miscommunication within their marriage. The pair’s relationship at the beginning of the movie is miserable and the overall bleak tone of the movie allows the tonal shift that occurs later on in the film to work so effectively.
‘Some Like It Rare’ Forgets Presents Cannibalism Without Condemning or Endorsing It
Sophie ends up selling the meat of the activist to a regular customer who comes back as the meat is so delicious. Watching Vincent process what has happened, scrambling to explain it is “Iranian pork” and then trying to resist giving his wife some to try shows how much the movie understands its tone. It feels almost slapstick and blatant in its close-ups of the slices of meat being cut and Vincent’s hugely expressive face. However, the dialogue is sharp and witty, with Vincent and Sophie bouncing off each other. Sophie scolds Vincent for letting her eat human flesh, and he is helpless because she has so much symbolic authority over him. This is mirrored by a later scene where Vincent is having a dimly lit, almost romantic meal alone as he tries the meat for himself. When Sophie bursts in, there is a sense of how sinful the act is, but Sophie instead proves she was right about its taste. The movie never lingers on the disgusting nature of cannibalism; instead, it uses these comedic character moments to show the absurdity and grotesque nature of the situation.
There is initial resistance to kill for profit, particularly from Vincent, which makes sense considering how the movie has portrayed him. However, the sequence that follows of the pair attempting to find potential victims asks hypothetical questions that are so far-fetched but fit into the movie perfectly. They argue about the ethics of the situation, as it would be crazy to just start killing vegans! They want the extremists, those with views that are harmful to their industry. The bizarre situation of two butchers undercover as vegan activists, attempting to listen to the morality of animal cruelty through gritted teeth is excruciating for the characters but extremely entertaining for the audience. It all spirals into a delirious frenzy, and the couple’s apprehension fades. The initial slow pacing of the movie builds until the movie embraces its satire with a lively montage of the pair hunting vegans interspersed with predators hunting their prey in the wild. The tone is so unserious and yet the visuals are relentlessly graphic, making the movie not scary but still absolutely horrifying.
‘Some Like It Rare’ Is an Absurd Horror Comedy That is Worth a Watch
Some Like It Rare is frank with its indications that what the couple is doing is the extremity of human potential. It manages to both suggest the obvious — cannibalism is grotesque by nature — but also show how those within the movie partake in it with such blissful ignorance. There is an underlying commentary about compliance with animal cruelty within the meat industry. However, the movie is never aggressive in its political stance. Instead, it educates on the importance of accountability and just being more aware of what is going on around you, showing the danger of compliance and blindly following one way of thinking.
It also takes the extremity of activism and asks what the complete opposite would be. It uses this idea to push the boundaries of audience expectations. It doesn’t explicitly state disgust at extreme activism, such as trashing the butcher’s shop, but takes a completely different approach and normalizes the couple’s retaliation. This is what makes it so ridiculous to watch; the couple who own the rival butcher’s shop from the start of the movie find a literal pacemaker in the meat, and it takes Vincent to bite Marc’s ear for them to fully realize the situation. It is complete and utter madness. By the movie’s climax, Sophie is prepared to kill her own daughter’s vegan boyfriend, referring to him as “their first home delivery.”
Some Like It Rare basks in its absurdity, combining precise dialogue with blunt visuals. Everything feels like a daze and its brilliance has to be seen to be believed.
Some Like It Rare is available to stream on Tubi.
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