Bon Jour! If you like your horror with a bit of an esprit de viscéral, then this will be the episode for you! The French language horror films bring a bit of the nasty, the savage, and also at times, the absurd. There is a tradition of breaking conventions with much of French art, and that includes their cinema tastes. And, this extends naturally to their willingness for their horror movies to go to extremes.
There is a term that is used in horror films, the New French Extremism, which developed in the early 2000’s. These films merged sophisticated stories with strongly developed characters and absolutely put these characters through the wringer. Violence and gore were nothing new, but it was the way in which these heinous violent acts were applied that made the difference. Films like Trouble Every Day, À l’intérieur and Haute Tension often end up on the “hardest movies to watch” list. The violence is highly personalized as well as over-the-top.
Some of our favorite films occupy this description, but interestingly, some of them aren’t 100% French, but rather Canadian or Belgian, but use the French Language. Martyrs, Calvaire, and Raw are not actually made in France, though they often get assigned to the New Extremism movement. For the purposes of this episode, we are considering a film that was recorded in French, but it could come from any Country. This, is as opposed to a film shot in France but recorded in English.
This was a Patreon Request from our patron Chris Cleland, an Englishman who emigrated from France. So, Chris, we hope you enjoy this tailored episode! If you are someone who wants to get a requested topic, please join our Patreon community, where for a price as low as $2.50 per month, you can become one of our boosters! Thanks again, for all your support, Chris!
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