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The French have always been somewhat in the horror film business, but business has really been booming over the last few years. In fact, they’ve overtaken Japan as the foremost exporters of disturbing horror to America. In this list of the top 10 French horror films, we’ll look at terrifying movies both new and old.
10. Frontier(s) – A group of crazed neo-Nazis prey on traveling youngsters. Lots of violence and mayhem for the gorehound crowd.
9. Martyrs – An insane film about secret experiments, revenge, and the inner working of the cosmos. Unflinchingly brutal and absolutely not for the faint of heart.
8. Them – A couple living in an isolated house try to survive an attack by a mysterious intruder. Packed with tension and a surprise ending.
7. High Tension – A couple of college girls have to deal with a madman in this example of New French Extremism. The killer gets oral sex from a severed head at one point, so that should give you an idea of what we’re dealing with.
6. Inside – A pregnant woman is menaced by a stranger who wants to cut out her baby with a pair of scissors. As people drop by to check on the woman, the body count rises. Bizarre and bloody.
5. Sheitan – Vincent Cassel plays a deranged housekeeper who befriends and later terrorizes a group of kids. Funny in parts, but ultimately disturbing.
4. The Tenant – Directed by Roman Polanski, this film tells the story of a man who moves into a flat where the previous tenant committed suicide. Before long, he realizes that something is seriously wrong with his neighbors.
3. Les Diabolique – An abusive school headmaster gets on the wrong side of both his wife and mistress, and the two women conspire to murder him. They think they’ve succeeded, but that’s when things start getting really creepy. Avoid the American remake at all costs.
2. Eyes Without a Face – A mad doctor tries to give his disfigured daughter a new face by removing those of other girls. This film greatly inspired such filmmakers as Franco and Carpenter, and it even became the title of a wicked Billy Idol song.
1. Malefique – Four prisoners find a mysterious magical book in their cell and decide to use it to escape. Things go horribly wrong, of course. Outstanding film with interesting characters and plenty of Lovecraftian atmosphere.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 12:02 pm and is filed under Best Horror Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.