New French Extremity
by RAMPARTisGREAT | created - 11 Feb 2012 | updated - 26 Feb 2012 | PublicNew French Extremity (or "New French Extremism") is a term coined by Artforum critic James Quandt for a collection of transgressive films by French directors at the turn of the 21st century. The filmmakers are also discussed by Jonathan Romney of The Independent. Quandt describes the style as follows: “ Bava as much as Bataille, Salo no less than Sade seem the determinants of a cinema suddenly determined to break every taboo, to wade in rivers of viscera and spumes of sperm, to fill each frame with flesh, nubile or gnarled, and subject it to all manner of penetration, mutilation, and defilement."
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Irreversible (2002)
Not Rated | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in an underpass tunnel.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Philippe Nahon
Votes: 139,352 | Gross: $0.75M
2. Sitcom (1998)
Unrated | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The adventures of an upper-class suburban family abruptly confronted with the younger brother's discovery of his homosexuality, the elder sister's suicide attempt and how much do you ... See full summary »
Director: François Ozon | Stars: Évelyne Dandry, François Marthouret, Marina de Van, Adrien de Van
Votes: 5,401
3. Calvaire (2004)
Not Rated | 88 min | Horror
Marc, a traveling entertainer, is on his way home for Christmas when his van breaks down in the middle of a jerkwater town with some strange inhabitants.
Director: Fabrice du Welz | Stars: Laurent Lucas, Brigitte Lahaie, Gigi Coursigny, Jean-Luc Couchard
Votes: 12,931 | Gross: $0.00M
4. Carne (1991)
40 min | Short, Crime, Drama
After a dreadful incident coupled with an ungovernable paroxysm of violence, a butcher will fall into a downward spiral that will burn to the ground whatever dignity still remained in him.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Philippe Nahon, Blandine Lenoir, Frankie Pain, Marie Berto
Votes: 7,464
5. I Stand Alone (1998)
Not Rated | 93 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A horse butcher's life and mind begin to break down as he lashes out against various factions of society while attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Philippe Nahon, Blandine Lenoir, Frankie Pain, Martine Audrain
Votes: 24,484 | Gross: $0.05M
6. Enter the Void (2009)
Not Rated | 161 min | Drama, Fantasy
An American drug dealer living in Tokyo is betrayed by his best friend and killed in a drug deal. His soul, observing the repercussions of his death, seeks resurrection.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Cyril Roy, Olly Alexander
Votes: 83,149 | Gross: $0.34M
7. In My Skin (2002)
Unrated | 93 min | Drama, Horror
A woman grows increasingly fascinated with her body after suffering a disfiguring accident.
Director: Marina de Van | Stars: Marina de Van, Laurent Lucas, Léa Drucker, Thibault de Montalembert
Votes: 5,501 | Gross: $0.03M
8. Trouble Every Day (2001)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Two American newlyweds in Paris experience a love so strong, it almost devours them.
Director: Claire Denis | Stars: Vincent Gallo, Tricia Vessey, Béatrice Dalle, Alex Descas
Votes: 8,634 | Gross: $0.01M
9. Demonlover (2002)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A French corporation goes head-to-head with an American web media company for the rights to a 3-D manga pornography studio, resulting in a power struggle that culminates in violence and espionage.
Director: Olivier Assayas | Stars: Connie Nielsen, Gina Gershon, Chloë Sevigny, Charles Berling
Votes: 5,720 | Gross: $0.23M
10. Criminal Lovers (1999)
TV-MA | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel. After committing a murder, a young couple on the run find refuge in a remote cottage in the woods, where they become trapped by the perverse hermit who lives there.
Director: François Ozon | Stars: Natacha Régnier, Jérémie Renier, Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic, Salim Kechiouche
Votes: 4,321 | Gross: $0.05M
11. Intimacy (2001)
R | 119 min | Drama, Romance
A failed London musician meets once a week with a woman for a series of intense sexual encounters to get away from the realities of life. But when he begins inquiring about her, it puts their relationship at risk.
Director: Patrice Chéreau | Stars: Mark Rylance, Kerry Fox, Susannah Harker, Alastair Galbraith
Votes: 12,573 | Gross: $0.10M
12. The Pornographer (2001)
Unrated | 108 min | Drama
Jacques Laurent made pornographic films in the 1970s and '80s, but had put that aside for 20 years. His artistic ideas, born of the '60s counter-culture, had elevated the entire genre.
Director: Bertrand Bonello | Stars: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jérémie Renier, Dominique Blanc, Catherine Mouchet
Votes: 2,541
13. Pola X (1999)
Not Rated | 134 min | Drama, Romance
A young writer becomes intrigued with a mysterious dark-haired woman who claims to be his long-lost sister, starting an unusual relationship with her and prompting a downward spiral involving his domineering mother and lovely fiancée.
Director: Leos Carax | Stars: Guillaume Depardieu, Yekaterina Golubeva, Catherine Deneuve, Delphine Chuillot
Votes: 5,063 | Gross: $0.17M
14. Sombre (1998)
Not Rated | 112 min | Drama, Horror
A sexually frustrated serial killer takes a liking to a woman he comes across.
Director: Philippe Grandrieux | Stars: Marc Barbé, Elina Löwensohn, Géraldine Voillat, Coralie Trinh Thi
Votes: 1,779
15. Baise-moi (2000)
Not Rated | 77 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Two young women, marginalised by society, go on a destructive tour of sex and violence. Breaking norms and killing men - and shattering the complacency of polite cinema audiences.
Directors: Virginie Despentes, Coralie Trinh Thi | Stars: Raffaëla Anderson, Karen Lancaume, Céline Beugnot, Adama Niane
Votes: 18,062 | Gross: $0.01M
16. Secret Things (2002)
Unrated | 115 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Two young women find themselves struggling to survive in Paris, street-wise Nathalie, a stripper, and naïve Sandrine, a barmaid. Together, they discover that sex can be used to their ... See full summary »
Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau | Stars: Coralie Revel, Sabrina Seyvecou, Roger Miremont, Fabrice Deville
Votes: 5,185 | Gross: $0.10M
17. Porn Theatre (2002)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama
In a Parisian porn theater, a cashier, a 50-year-old man and a young projectionist are drawn into a complex love affair.
Director: Jacques Nolot | Stars: Vittoria Scognamiglio, Jacques Nolot, Sébastien Viala, Olivier Torres
Votes: 845 | Gross: $0.00M
18. High Tension (2003)
R | 91 min | Horror
Best friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror.
Director: Alexandre Aja | Stars: Cécile de France, Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon, Franck Khalfoun
Votes: 74,088 | Gross: $3.68M
19. Satan (2006)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
A group of youngsters go out to a disco on Christmas Eve and accidentally run into a shepherd who has prepared himself for a night of pure insanity.
Director: Kim Chapiron | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Olivier Barthélémy, Ladj Ly, Nico Le Phat Tan
Votes: 9,295
20. Frontier(s) (2007)
Unrated | 108 min | Horror
A gang of young thieves flee Paris during the violent aftermath of a political election, only to hole up at an Inn run by neo-Nazis.
Director: Xavier Gens | Stars: Karina Testa, Aurélien Wiik, Patrick Ligardes, Samuel Le Bihan
Votes: 27,603
21. Assassin(s) (1997)
128 min | Drama, Crime
Old professional killer Wagner seeks someone to teach what he knows as long as he is already dying, and he chooses Max, young and passionless thief to be his successor.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz | Stars: Michel Serrault, Mathieu Kassovitz, Mehdi Benoufa, Robert Gendreu
Votes: 2,157
22. Time of the Wolf (2003)
R | 114 min | Drama
When Anna and her family arrive at their holiday home, they find it occupied by strangers. This confrontation is just the beginning of a painful learning process.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Anaïs Demoustier, Béatrice Dalle, Patrice Chéreau
Votes: 11,041 | Gross: $0.06M
23. 13 (2005)
Not Rated | 93 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A man takes over a dead man's task without realizing the horror it entails.
Director: Géla Babluani | Stars: George Babluani, Aurélien Recoing, Pascal Bongard, Fred Ulysse
Votes: 17,703 | Gross: $0.12M
24. Caché (Hidden) (2005)
R | 117 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A married couple is terrorized by a series of surveillance videotapes left on their front porch.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche, Maurice Bénichou, Annie Girardot
Votes: 81,935 | Gross: $3.63M
25. Martyrs (2008)
R | 99 min | Horror
A young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.
Director: Pascal Laugier | Stars: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin, Robert Toupin
Votes: 98,437
26. Inside (2007)
R | 82 min | Horror
Four months after the death of her husband, a woman on the brink of motherhood is tormented in her home by a strange woman who wants her unborn baby.
Directors: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury | Stars: Alysson Paradis, Jean-Baptiste Tabourin, Claude Lulé, Dominique Frot
Votes: 42,298
27. The Horde (2009)
Not Rated | 90 min | Action, Horror
An end of the world battle between gangsters, cops and zombies.
Directors: Yannick Dahan, Benjamin Rocher | Stars: Claude Perron, Jean-Pierre Martins, Eriq Ebouaney, Aurélien Recoing
Votes: 15,966
28. Mutants (2009)
R | 95 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
In the middle of a zombie apocalypse, a resourceful couple hides out in an isolated abandoned building. The woman is pregnant and the man is infected, slowly transforming into the kind of inhuman monster they are trying to escape.
Director: David Morley | Stars: Hélène de Fougerolles, Francis Renaud, Dida Diafat, Marie-Sohna Condé
Votes: 4,177
29. La meute (2010)
R | 84 min | Horror
One winter morning, while driving through the desolate French countryside, traveler Charlotte picks up hitchhiker Max. Together they stop at a roadside diner, where a strange and depraved horror awaits.
Director: Franck Richard | Stars: Yolande Moreau, Émilie Dequenne, Benjamin Biolay, Philippe Nahon
Votes: 2,227
30. In Their Sleep (2010)
Not Rated | 84 min | Horror, Thriller
One year after her teenage son's death, Sarah's life is in pieces. One night, her car accidentally hits Arthur, a young man the same age as her boy, who is running from a mysterious assailant who is hunting him down.
Directors: Caroline du Potet, Éric du Potet | Stars: Anne Parillaud, Arthur Dupont, Thierry Frémont, Jean-Hugues Anglade
Votes: 1,503
31. Humanity (1999)
Not Rated | 141 min | Drama, Mystery
When an 11-year-old girl is brutally raped and murdered in a quiet French village, a police detective who has forgotten how to feel emotions--because of the death of his own family in some kind of accident--investigates the crime, which turns out to ask more questions than it answers.
Director: Bruno Dumont | Stars: Emmanuel Schotté, Séverine Caneele, Philippe Tullier, Ghislain Ghesquère
Votes: 4,889 | Gross: $0.11M
Tell Your Friends