7 disturbing French horror movies, including this year's Infested

Horror is one of the most creative and multifaceted genres out there, making it easy to find a niche or subgenre for every kind of taste. Part of the appeal of French horror specifically is the "New Extremity" movement, marked by a wave of transgressive movies meant to court controversy and spark debates.

But not all of the ones featured on this list as part of this list. Below you'll find an assortment of different French movies that are worth checking out!

Raw (2016)

Julia Docournau took the horror world by storm in 2016 with her critically acclaimed body horror film Raw. A lifelong veterinarian (Garance Marillier) starts veterinary school and soon finds herself compelled to eat meat as part of an initiation ritual, sparking a newfound obsession with meat-eating that soon escalates to human flesh. Provocative and gross in equal measure, Raw is a bold new kind of coming-of-age story that proved Docournau as a filmmaker to watch.

Infested (2023)

Infested has a simple premise: a spider infestation takes over an apartment building, terrorizing its residents. But it's the execution that makes this such a successful creature feature.

Arachnophobes, beware, you'll walk away from Infested feeling like something is crawling on your skin thanks to its effective scares and moments of pure grossness. Because of this movie, Sam Raimi reportedly hand-selected Sébastien Vaniček to lead one of the two Evil Dead movies currently in development, granting him total creative freedom.

Revenge (2017)

I'm not normally a fan of the rape-revenge subgenre as I find it lazy and, sadly, more often than not, misogynistic as hell. But Coralie Fargeat's take, while still brutal, is also refreshingly focused wholly on its heroine. Yes, it maintains exploitative elements from the subgenre, yet Fargeat excels at adding a female perspective and focus.

Plus, it's just super satisfying to watch Jen's transformation into a ruthless killer intent on, well, getting revenge. Fargeat's next film is a feminist body horror feature starring Demi Moore that's already getting rave reviews.

Diabolique (1955)

A classic and hugely influential horror/psychological thriller, Diabolique is one of the original nail-biters. The film centers on a wife and mistress teaming up to eliminate him due to his tyrannical rule over a Parisian boarding school and mistreatment of pretty much everyone around him, but particularly his wife.

Part of Diabolique's appeal is its many twists, as the film is famous for subverting tropes and then twisting them yet again. You won't predict how it all ends.

Titane (2021)

After her thunderous debut with Raw, Ducournau returned with another body horror film, Titane. Even more daring than her first film, Titane is a fascinating character study and entrancing story of a sexually deviant female serial killer with an automobile fetish. Given how excellent Ducournau's first two films are, I cannot wait to see what she cooks up with her planned third movie, Alpha.

High Tension (2003)

Despite being poorly reviewed by many critics when it was initially released, High Tension has gone on to become a staple in the French Extremity movement and the slasher is now a common recommendation for those looking for an underrated early 2000s movie to watch. A bloody, brutal, and fast-paced thrill ride, High Tension is certainly not for the faint of heart.

Martyrs (2008)

If the gore of movies like High Tension and Raw appeals to you then Martyrs is an absolute must-watch, it's basically the poster child of the French New Extremity movement. Make sure you watch the right one, the original 2008 French film is great, the 2015 American film...not so much.

This is genuinely a brutal film since the entire storyline revolves around a woman who was tortured for years as a child and then seeks revenge on her former captors. There are a few specific scenes and images in this film that are sure to be burned in your brain forever.

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