New French Extremity: A New Wave of Flesh and Blood

Irréversible (2002)

In the February 2004 issue of ArtForum Magazine, James Quandt wrote an article detailing this growing trend in French cinema featuring films crafted with the apparent primary intention of shocking or provoking the audience. He labeled it derisively as the New French Extremity, and went on to describe the genre as:

"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. Images and subjects once the provenance of splatter films, exploitation flicks, and porn ... proliferate in the high-art environs of a national cinema whose provocations have historically been formal, political, or philosophical."

Some call it art, some call it trash, others might call it torture-porn.  Myself being a huge horror fan, welcome this New Wave of French Horror with open arms.  A refreshing change of pace in a monotonous world full of countless rehashes, remakes, and sequels of sequels.

I will be keeping track of and showcasing these so-called New French Extremism films here. Some good, some bad, some downright awful, but all push the boundaries of cinema with disturbing, vivid, and graphic depictions of sexual and violent imagery. 

The Films of the New French Extremity

Carne (1991)Gaspar Noe

Assassin(s) (1997)Mathieu Kassovitz

The Life of Jesus • La vie de Jesus (1997)Bruno Dumont

Sea the Sea • Regarde la mer (1997)François Ozon

I Stand Alone • Seul contre tous (1998)Gaspar Noe

Sitcom (1998)François Ozon

Sombre (1998)Philippe Grandrieux

Criminal Lovers • Les Amants criminels (1999)François Ozon

L'Humanite (1999)Bruno Dumont

Pola X (1999)Leos Carax

Romance (1999)Catherine Breillat

Baise-moi (2000)Virginie Despentes, Coralie Trinh Thi

Fat Girl • A ma soeur (2001)Catherine Breillat

Intimacy (2001)Patrice Chereau

The Pornographer • Le Pornographie (2001)Bertand Bonello

Trouble Every Day (2001)Claire Denis

A New Life • La vie nouvelle (2002)Philippe Grandrieux

Demonlover (2002)Olivier Assayas

In My Skin • Dans ma peau (2002)Marina de Van

Irréversible (2002)Gaspar Noe

Secret Things • Choses secretes (2002)Jean-Claude Brisseau

High Tension • Haute tension (2003)Alexandre Aja

Le Temps du loup (2003)Michael Haneke

Tiresia (2003)Bertrand Bonello

Twentynine Palms (2003)Bruno Dumont

Anatomy of Hell • Anatomie de l'enfer (2004)Catherine Breillat

Calvaire (2004)Fabrice Du Welz *

My Mother • Ma mere (2004)Christophe Honoré

Process (2004) C.S. Leigh

Wild Side (2004)Sebastien Lifshitz

13 Tzameti (2005)Géla Babluani

Caché (2005)Michael Haneke

Flandres (2006)Bruno Dumont

Them • Ils (2006)David Moreau, Xavier Palud

Frontier(s) • Frontiere(s) (2007)Xavier Gens

Inside • A l'interieur (2007)Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

Martyrs (2008)Pascal Laugier

Vinyan (2008) Fabrice Du Welz *

Enter The Void (2009)Gaspar Noe

The Horde • La horde (2009)Yannick Dahan, Benjamin Rocher

Mutants (2009)David Morlet

Caged • Captifs (2010)Yann Gozlan

In Their Sleep • Dans ton sommeil (2010)Caroline du Potet, Éric du Potet

The Pack • La meute (2010)Franck Richard

American Translation (2011)Pascal Arnold, Jean-Marc Barr

Livid • Livide (2011)Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

* Belgian