We are now past the month of October, the time of year when horror media becomes most acceptable to mainstream audiences, but horror is always relevant no matter what time of year it is and I wanted to talk about something quite interesting today. The films of the New French Extremity is a topic that I’ve touched on before but that I wanted to return to at some point and, having recently rewatched several of them, I thought it was a good time to do so. Also, for those curious, the New French Extremity films that I’ve seen up to this point have been Dans ma Peau, Irreversible, High Tension, The Ordeal, Satan, Martyrs, Frontier(s), Raw, Revenge and Climax. While I’ve not seen as many as I would like to, still waiting to see Inside, I do believe that I’ve seen enough New French Extremity films at this point that I can pick out a favourite or few.
Martyrs
Let’s start with arguably the most famous, or infamous, of all New French Extremity films and, also, the first one that I ever watched. For those who’ve heard of Martyrs, you’ll have heard tales of people fainting and vomiting during its first screenings and the film has developed a reputation for being unrelentingly brutal. I went in expecting an absolute gorefest and found the film to be tamer than I was imagining. Nonetheless, I found the film to be immediately intriguing and I found myself thinking about the movie for days afterwards, particularly for its ending which is one of the most profound and brilliant horror movie endings I’ve ever seen. While I don’t regard it as the absolute best that the New French Extremity has to offer, I have great respect for what Martyrs achieved as one of the most thought-provoking and original horror films I’ve ever seen.
Revenge
Revenge has always been a tough film for me to describe to people. In many ways, I view it as a blend of the extreme content of the New French Extremity crossed with a Hollywood action film. This is not to say that the film is tame by any stretch of the imagination, those looking for gore and violence will find plenty in this movie, but there is an oddly hopeful atmosphere that doesn’t seem to be present in the other New French Extremity films I’ve seen. Having said all of that, Revenge is a delight to watch with some ingenious sequences that beautifully merge tension and sudden outbursts of violence that kept me glued to the film all throughout.
Frontier(s)
Frontier(s) is a very interesting film to me. On one hand, I think the political messages of the film feels weak and underdeveloped with the political issues of France as depicted in the film falling by the wayside once we get to the real meat of the film. However, I have a blast watching Frontier(s) as it sports certain similarities to one of my favourite horror films of all time, that being The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but features a far greater quantity of blood and gore with some particularly gruesome and creative deaths. The pacing and acting is excellent and it results in a film that I enjoy greatly even with a flaw that I would consider to be major, that being the political messaging and its implementation.
Dans ma Peau
Of all of the New French Extremity films that I’ve seen, I would consider Dans ma Peau to be my personal favourite. Unlike the vast majority of horror films, the threat to the main character isn’t some outside force but herself instead. Her discovery of and growing addiction to self-harm and self-mutilation leads her on a destructive path that steadily undoes everything that was good in her life. It’s a superb film and one that I consider to be amongst the best horror films that I’ve ever seen and one that I’d strongly recommend people watch.
The New French Extremity has produced many incredible films and I could easily come back in the future and discuss why I enjoy some of the other New French Extremity films that I’ve seen but, for the moment, this will have to do. Let me know your thoughts on some of my favourite New French Extremity films, which New French Extremity films you’ve seen and which ones have been your favourites, what it is that you like or dislike about New French Extremity films and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!