Like horror cinema in the West, French horror cinema has a long and illustrious history. The genre has seen various unique shifts over the years, always reflecting its setting and the typical concerns and ailments of the moment. Early noir films with dark psychological foundations gave way to the French New Wave, also known as La Nouvelle Vague. In the late 1950s, the movement arose as a stylistic and narrative approach that disregarded conventional filmmaking processes in favor of heresy, experimental editing, and visual aesthetics.
As the decades passed, French horror cinema disregarded Western constraints, abandoning the foundations of most horror fare in favour of far more violent, sadistic, and nearly insurgent products. “Inside” and “Martyrs” are still among the most violent films ever created. Here, we’ll rank the best French horror films of all time. These range from frightening suspense to downright exploitation. In other words, brace yourself for terror.
Inside :
“Inside” is a masterwork that, if it hasn’t already, is destined to join the pantheon of iconic slasher flicks. “Inside,” like “Psycho,” “Black Christmas,” “Halloween,” and “Scream,” is an enduring and horrifying house invasion slasher with far more on its mind than carnage (though rest assured, there is plenty of that). The feature debut of French directing duo Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the film stars Alysson Paradis as Sarah, a pregnant woman who spends Christmas alone after her husband is killed in an auto accident.
When Sarah goes to bed for the night, a lady credited only as “La Femme” (regular collaborator Béatrice Dalle) breaks in with the intention of bodily cutting Sarah’s baby out of her body and claiming it as her own. The brutality is nearly cruel, as expected, and there’s more blood in one moment than most movies put into whole franchises. It’s excruciatingly painful and extremely uncomfortable, but it’s never anything but ecstatic. “Inside” is unlike anything else in terms of concept. It’s terrible, visceral, and has a long aftereffect. Read more: Brightburn: Ending Explanations
Martyrs :
These last two entries, along with “High Tension,” is most likely the most well-known French horror films in the United States. Though often reduced to displays of brutality – and make no mistake, both “Martyrs” and the upcoming “Inside” are extraordinarily gruesome – both have a lot more going on beneath the spraying blood and flayed skin.
Pascal Laugier’s “Martyrs” is apparently the story of a young woman (Mylène Jampano) searching down the family who kidnapped and abused her years before. It appears to be her tale at first, but it quickly changes to Anna (Morjana Alaoui), Lucie’s best friend, and the cruelty she undergoes while helping Lucie overcome her trauma. Torture, martyrdom, and philosophical concerns of life and death abound, and while “Martyrs” is far from easy viewing, it is nonetheless a profound meditation on trauma and abuse and the scars they can leave behind, even decades later. Nothing has come close to matching its potency since its release, and there’s a good possibility nothing ever will.
The Tenant :
It should be noted that Roman Polanski is a criminal. The director is a coward who has mostly evaded his own reckoning because of extradition rules and a fanatical cinema-going public. His crimes will be remembered regardless of how profound his body of work is. So reconciling the maker and the art is challenging. Despite his crimes, Polanski’s work lives on, as does the impact and lasting influence of even his earliest works. “The Tenant” is no different. Polanski is in both roles here, and for as despicable a man as he is, “The Tenant” was innovative in its psychological undertone and remains a great horror piece today.
Trelkovsky, a young guy who rents a flat in Paris and soon finds his mental state disintegrating, is played by an uncredited Polanski. He gets visions, hears odd wails, and imagines (or does not imagine) his neighbors accosting and abusing him. The imagery is frightening and untrustworthy, and the psychological thriller subgenre would not exist without “The Tenant.” Because of the man who directed it, it’s difficult to recommend, but “The Tenant” established the framework for over 50 years of thrillers. You can do whatever you want with that.
Eyes without a Face :
“Eyes Without a Face” is the list’s oldest entry, but it is also one of the best. Georges Franju’s classic has remained tremendously influential in the 60 years since its publication, even among non-genre beginners. Doctor Génessier, played by Pierre Brasseur, is a plastic surgeon motivated to perform a face transplant on his daughter, Christiane (Édith Scob) after she is scarred in a tragic car accident. Also read: Devil in Ohio: Release Date | Plot | Cast
Christine wears a mask throughout the majority of the film, providing “Eyes Without a Face” with its most memorable picture. It’s enticing and unsettling, modeled after her face, and adds a layer of uneasiness to every scenario. Doctor Génessier, on the other hand, needs a look to graft, and he’s going to acquire one. “Eyes Without a Face” is considerably less visual than previous entries here due to its publication year, yet it is no less disturbing. Sometimes a simple hint is scarier than what can be seen, and Georges Franju has created a classic that is not just one of the scariest French films ever made, but one of the scariest films of all time.
High Tension :
Because of its extensive release in the United States and director Alexandre Aja’s English-language horror output, “High Tension” is possibly one of the better-known French horror films in the United States (see: “The Hills Have Eyes” and “Crawl”). Aside from the ridiculous climax — honestly, it’s nearly enough to spoil the film on its whole — “High Tension” is a breakneck house invasion slasher that, even nearly 20 years later, remains unrivaled in its high octane scares.
Cécile de France plays Marie, a young woman who travels with her friend Alex (Mawenn) to the latter’s country home for the weekend. The plan is to study, but Marie, who has a secret crush on Alex, hopes it will lead to something more. On their first night, a serial murderer dressed in a trucker’s outfit enters the house and brutally murders Alex’s entire family, including her adolescent brother. Alex is taken, and Marie goes unnoticed because she is a visitor. Marie manages to stow away in the killer’s truck, and thus starts a night spent eluding the killer while attempting to release her companion. “High Tension,” which was initially rated NC-17, was cut and dubbed for its US release, but the movie is no less violent and disturbing as a result. The phrase “high tension” is an understatement.
Hi! Saheli Banerji is a writer and novelist who has been featured on a variety of platforms for her distinct way of depicting real-life stories as well as the exotic and supernatural creatures of the earth. She likes to write poetry and sketch cartoons. You can contact her on LinkedIn. You can also follow her on https://xngrilaproductions.com