7 Disturbing French Horror Movies, Including This Year’s “Infested”

Horror is one of the most creative and multifaceted genres out there, making it easy to find a niche or subgenre for every kind of taste. Part of the appeal of French horror specifically is the “New Extremity” movement, marked by a wave of transgressive movies meant to court controversy and spark debates.

However, not all French horror films belong to this movement. Here are some French movies worth checking out!

Julia Docournau took the horror world by storm in 2016 with her critically acclaimed body horror film *Raw*. A lifelong vegetarian (Garance Marillier) starts veterinary school and soon finds herself compelled to eat meat as part of an initiation ritual, sparking a newfound obsession with meat-eating that soon escalates to human flesh. Provocative and gross in equal measure, *Raw* is a bold new kind of coming-of-age story that proved Docournau as a filmmaker to watch.

*Infested* has a simple premise: a spider infestation takes over an apartment building, terrorizing its residents. But it’s the execution that makes this such a successful creature feature.

Arachnophobes, beware—you’ll walk away from *Infested* feeling like something is crawling on your skin thanks to its effective scares and moments of pure grossness. Because of this movie, Sam Raimi reportedly hand-selected Sébastien Vaniček to lead one of the two *Evil Dead* movies currently in development, granting him total creative freedom.

While normally not a fan of the rape-revenge subgenre, Coralie Fargeat’s take is refreshingly focused on its heroine. Though brutal, it maintains exploitative elements from the subgenre but excels at adding a female perspective.

Watching Jen’s transformation into a ruthless killer intent on getting revenge is super satisfying. Fargeat’s next film is a feminist body horror feature starring Demi Moore that’s already getting rave reviews.

*Diabolique* is a classic and hugely influential horror/psychological thriller. The film centers on a wife and mistress teaming up to eliminate him due to his tyrannical rule over a Parisian boarding school and mistreatment of everyone around him, particularly his wife.

Part of *Diabolique*’s appeal is its numerous twists, making it famous for subverting tropes and then twisting them yet again. You won’t predict how it all ends.

After her thunderous debut with *Raw*, Ducournau returned with another body horror film, *Titane*. Even more daring than her first film, *Titane* is a fascinating character study and entrancing story of a sexually deviant female serial killer with an automobile fetish. Given the excellence of Ducournau’s first two films, anticipation for her planned third movie, *Alpha*, is high.

Despite initial poor reviews, *High Tension* has become a staple in the French Extremity movement and is now a common recommendation for fans of underrated early 2000s movies. A bloody, brutal, and fast-paced thrill ride, *High Tension* is not for the faint of heart.

If the gore of movies like *High Tension* and *Raw* appeals to you, then *Martyrs* is an absolute must-watch. It’s essentially the poster child of the French New Extremity movement. Be sure to watch the original 2008 French film, as the 2015 American remake doesn’t hold up.

*Martyrs* is genuinely a brutal film, centering around a woman who was tortured for years as a child and then seeks revenge on her former captors. Several specific scenes and images in this film are sure to be burned into your brain forever.

Source: 1428 Elm