First I watched Martyrs, and I LOVED it. One of the few horror movies that really got to me.
Inside is similar in style, but more straight-forward.
Frontier(s) has that style, too, but it wasn't that great of a movie.
Anyone got some suggestions as to movies that somehow are like these three?
[deleted]
I'd reccomend Eden Lake as well, and a movie called Funny Games (the original and not the american remake)
neither of them have the gore of the french horror movies mentioned but both have a similer style and pyscological impact.
"I have come here to Kick Ass and chew bubblegum and Im all outa Gum"
[deleted]
If you like French shock-cinema, you definitely will like Irreversible. It's not a horror movie, but it's thought provoking and certainly unsettling. It's certainly not for the faint of heart (not that the other films that you mentioned were); it has ten minute rape scene and the first scene is a man's head being brutally bashed in with a fire extinguisher.
"Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France..."
I agree completely - Irreversible is wonderful.
Painful to watch at times, but definitely worth it. Very intense, and it has more dialogue than some other "thriller" movies, but I think that only adds to it. The characters are well developed and interesting. I recommend this to anybody (especially the easily offended).
I didn't see this in theaters, but I heard that they made the sound use certain tones that were supposed to make the audience feel sick. A movie like this could NEVER be made in America, which sucks, but then again, why get 'raped' again with another remake?
"What would you do if someone actually understood you? You'd have to change everything."
A movie "kind of" in the vein of Martyrs, Eden Lake and Frontiers is THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE featuring a demented German surgeon. It's a disturbing movie that creates nauseating shock via viewer's imagination rather than excessive gore.
shareThe first scene (last chronologically) is taken from Seul Contre Tous. Although the fire extinguisher comes not long after that. A superb piece of well-made gore.
We've met before, haven't we?
Funny Games was very much a step below Martyrs and Inside, IMO (original and remake - don't even remember why I watched both).
shareHigh Tension is the most obvious choice.
shareI thought Dogtooth was a weird and interesting movie.
www.myspace.com/sofewwithbrains
I loved Martyrs, too, and I'm still looking for something as good.
Just watched Frontier(s) last night and I did not like it much. It kind of suck(s).
I agree with burnplant and the OP - Frontier(s) is only average. Martyrs is perhaps the best horror film since Hellraiser, a true classic. Irreversible is a different proposition altogether, but is a film that all open-minded film buffs should see. Very disturbing.
As one guy said, the obvious next stop is High Tension, part of the same 'French new wave' of horror as the three you mentioned. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour. Eden Lake is another good one. Don Coscarelli's Masters Of Horror episode 'Incident On And Off A Mountain Road' is similar in style, as are Them (another French film) and The Hills Have Eyes and Last House On The Left remakes.
Keep in mind though that Martyrs is a rare beast, and most horror films are far more straightforward.
Le temps détruit tout
Most already seem to be mentioned although i'd skip watching the human centipede.
I would however add Calvaire to that list and although not horror i'd add 13Tzameti for the suspense.
and a film i rarely hear anything about and bought just by chance at a local dvd store ..Trouble Every Day.
4 phalanges and a sibling
non french movies that are usually mentioned in the same vein as martyrs are cannibal holocaust, men behind the sun, and salo. Out of the three, I've only seen men behind the sun, and it was much more disturbing than actually thought provoking. If the thing you liked about martyrs is the bloody disgusting torture parts, the three above mentioned are probably as good as you're going to get.
For thought provoking horror, try requiem for a dream. It's hard to take, but worth it. Someone mentioned Funny Games, and I really have to agree. I feel martyrs and funny games are very in sync with eachother. The hills have eye seems to fit in as well, but it's too effected by american cinema franchise.
I loved "Wolf Creek" along with Martyrs and Strangers. They got me, the way a horror-movie is supposed to. Movies you keep in your mind for some time afterwards. Martyrs of course the longest, but I rate wolf creek just below.
[deleted]
Salo is not gory just very disturbing because of the nature of the subject matter. It is one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen and I would recommend it for those that can stomach the material. Requiem for a Dream is not what I would put in with the other films mentioned. Although very thought-provoking its storyline is more realistic and not something that should be brought up with films like Cannibal Holocaust. Another series of movies that are worth mentioning is the Japanese Guinea Pig films. At least the first two in the series.
I'm just a guy that likes horror flicks.
No one has mentioned the sickest one of all A Serbian Film will make Inside a walk in the park. Martyrs was to me the most profound thought provoking heartbreaking disturbing thing i have ever seen and far better of a story than just senseless sadistic gorey violence like Men Behind the Sun, Salo was just *beep* disgusting and senseless too, Canabal Holocaust will never leave your mind truly *beep* up because of rape scenes realistic cannabilism and death scenes not too mention real animsls were killed for this film can't shake the monkeys head sliced by a machete scene, High Tension senseless sadistic violence, the Human Centipede 1 and 2 makes me naseous, Guinea Pig movies just gore and torture forthe sake of it, all of these moviesare disturbing Eden Lake was emotionally draining and sad.
But A Serbian Film and Martyrs were just the most disturbing of them and I can never get those scenes out of my head. In fact ASF was so *beep* up it had been banned in some countries. Will ne er see any of these movies again except Martyrs because it actually had philosophical questions involved (not just another horror film).
And btw Funny Games is purely sadistic comedic violence it was emotionally draining as well but actually made me furious how it rooted for the evil vicious teen Serial killers pissed me off
Frontier(s) has that style, too, but it wasn't that great of a movie.
[deleted]
Out of these movies, I saw Frontier(s) first, and loved it. It has that Texas Chainsaw type of story and those are always fun to me. High Tension and Inside are definitely the most intense, as I personally think home invasion films are the scariest. Martyrs was probably the best of these in terms of how good of a what movie it is. However, Irreversible is definitely the most soul crushing, with one of the most graphic and brutal deaths in all of cinema, and not to mention that awful rape scene.
shareProbably already been suggested, but I thought 'High Tension' was as good, if not better than 'Martyrs'. Another dark and intelligent horror film (that isn't french) is 'Kill List'. I would have to say of all the horror films I've watched, Martyrs, High Tension and Kill List are probably my tope 3 favorites.
A lot of people seem to not like the twist in High Tension, and admittedly the first time I watched it I kind of thought 'Oh brother' myself. But when I watched it a second time I had a lot more appreciation for it and wouldn't have it any other way. Like 'Martyrs' High Tension is quite a brutal film, but it never seems over done. The film is all about pacing, and it doesn't get it's name for nothing.
I agree with what you said about Frontier(s). I was really expecting something great, as I've heard many group it with 'Martyrs' and 'High Tension'. Instead it was like a well made albeit kind of lame french version of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' which even today, was a lot scarier, and didn't have to rely upon massive amounts of gore to seem incredibly frightening.
I've heard a lot of people say Inside is great, and I watched the first half of it and wasn't really impressed. Kind of seemed like Frontier(s) in that it was just a visually lush gore fest.
Another good french one that's pretty disgusting but has that distinctive french flair for the 'visceral' is 'Trouble Every Day'. Its a bit more experimental, but it's got a lot of mood and tension.