Extreme cinema is not everyone's cup of tea, a lot of people find it hard to sit there and watch ninety minutes of explicit violent and sex without feeling nauseous. Conversely, many other people (including myself) enjoy extreme cinema and are curious to see how far the limits can be pushed onscreen. Now when I say extreme cinema I'm not talking Tarantino or your run of the mill torture porn, it's a lot more than that; films that push the limits of violence, sex etc. to their extreme limits. These are films that have no fear in dwelling into the unconventional and taboo and because of this they are an acquired taste (not everyone's into watching people getting chopped up onscreen). Many people believe that extreme cinema is in poor taste, and although in some cases that may be true, a lot of extreme films can be much more than just dismemberment. Now there are plenty of extreme films out there that span across decades, however the following seven films are my pick for the best of extreme cinema.
7. Eden Lake (James Watkins, 2008)
In terms of violence and gore this is the most tame film on our list (having said that there are some bloody scenes) but Eden Lake is more than just violence, it is a disturbing film that will reach you on an emotional level as well as making you cringe at the grizzly bits. The film follows young couple Jenny and Steve (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender respectively) taking an idealistic holiday to the scenic Eden Lake, however the irony of the name could not be greater as the two are plunged into their own private hell. They are soon terrorised by a group of youths (including a young Jack O'Connell and This is England's Thomas Turgoose) who are brutal and relentless towards them and will not stop until they have taken out the young couple. Along with having several violent moments, it is the psychological terror that makes Eden Lake so memorable. The dark tone is set from the beginning and the sense of dread and hopelessness is carried on throughout until the rather depressing climax. Reilly and Fassbender give excellent performances and we really fear for these characters lives, Eden Lake is both brutal and harrowing and will remain in your mind for ages after watching it.
6. The Human Centipede (Tom Six, 2009)
"100% medically accurate" was the tagline for Tom Six's vomit enducing torture porn, and although this may or may not be true The Human Centipede is 100% certain to make you gag. Incase you don't know already, the bare bones plot of the human centipede is three people getting sewn together, mouth-to-ass, by a rather insane doctor (Deter Laser). It is a bizzare concept but intriguing at the same time and the film has since gained a cult status since its release in 2009. Laser steals the show as the psychotic Dr. Heiter and it is interesting watching the mad doctor interact with his new pet (his victims), while at the same time it is disgusting watching the eponymous centipede..eh-hem.. digest. It has since spawned two sequels which I have not seen but neither have been as iconic as the first installment that shocked the world.
5. Inside (Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury, 2007)
In recent years, France has become one of the front runners in extreme cinema and Inside is a prime example of why exactly that is. It follows Sarah (Alysson Paradis), a young pregnant woman who recently lost her husband in a car accident. Sarah is soon terrorised by a mysterious woman (Béatrice Dalle) who appears to be after her unborn child, and so the bloodshed begins. Although there are a few plot wholes and the film can be sloppy here and there, Inside takes the concept of the isolated thriller and brings it to its most extreme level as we see the young Sarah fight for not only her own life, but also for that of her unborn child. The two female leads both give excellent performances and Dalle is almost terrifying at times as the maniacal antagonist. Full of brutal gore and shocking scenes, Inside is one of the most harrowing thrillers I've ever seen.
4. Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike, 2001)
Japanese cinema is know for not holding back when it comes to things like violence and director Takashi Miike exhibits this explicitly. Ichi the Killer follows the story of Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) searching for the killer of his former Yakuza boss while utilising his sadistic methods on his enemies, he soon encounters the shy yet violent Ichi (Nao Omori) who gives Kakihara more than he bargained for. As expected from a Miike film it is filled with hardcore violence and needle scenes yet balanced out by a strangely dark sense of humour. Watching Asano's performance as the sadomasochist Kakihara is thoroughly entertaining as he really steals the show, subjecting his enemies to his extremely violent methods. It is off-the-wall and insane with strong violence and gore and along with its comedic tone it is an enjoyable flick. How many films have a title card spelled out in semen anyway?
3. Cannibal Holocaust (Ruggero Deodato, 1980)
The thing that made Cannibal Holocaust so notorious was its animal cruelty which even I found hard to watch, it was a strange decision and something which I feel was unnecessary. However, this is extreme cinema and Cannibal Holocaust is exactly that, a slow burner which follows an expedition to the Amazon in search of a lost film crew. Violence, rape, mutilation, torture, this one ticks all the boxes which makes it one of the most extreme films ever made. More notorious was the initial belief that Deodato, the director, killed several of his stars however this was later proven to be false. Looking past the excessive violence and unnecessary animal cruelty, Cannibal Holocaust is a satirical look at human nature and how barbaric we can really be. It gives an insight in to the darkest and sleeziest depths of humanity as we see how the film crew and cannibal tribe interact. I don't want to spoil anything about the ending, but it does make you think about who the real monsters are in the scenario.
2. Martyrs (Pascal Laugier, 2008)
Another one from the French, Martyrs follows two women Anna and Lucie (Morjana Alaoui and Myléne Jampanoi respectively) seeking out revenge on those who abused them as children. Sounds like your typical revenge-horror right? Wrong, but let's not get into what's really going on. The film does set itself up as a psychological revenge horror but the events soon take a horrific turn leading down a road of bloody and brutal violence. The film is considered to be one of the most shocking and extreme films of the 21st century and rightfully so as Martyrs takes violence to new levels from start to finish. Apart from that, it is a clever and unpredictable film and will leave you waiting in anticipation to see what happens next, it also takes flaying to a new level. The film looks into issues such as religion and abuse and can at times be somewhat philosophical, along with this its cinematography is also quite visually pleasing with many memorable shots throughout. This is another film getting the unnecessary US remake treatment so I am curious to see whether the violence will be toned down or pushed to more extreme levels.
1. A Serbian Film (Srdjan Spasojevic, 2010)
I'm usually fine when it comes to extreme films, but when I first heard about A Serbian Film I thought no way José. Recently I finally came around to watching the iconic horror and despite being disgusted at times, I did like it. It follows aging pornstar Milos (Srdjan Todorovic) who takes a role in a new "art film" to get the money to finally retire and support his wife and son. However, things take an extremely dark turn into the world of unspeakable sexual acts that are truly shocking. There are many reasons to dislike this film, it is upsetting and features many scenes of taboo subject matters that are all truly shocking. However, the film is more than just extreme torture porn. First of all the main character of Milos is very well-written, he is a likeable character who loves his family which makes it even more hard to watch the events that unfold. Secondly, it must be praised for its cinematography by Nemanja Jovanov. It is extremely well shot and I believe it is a must see for any budding cinematographers out there. Stylistically is is perfect, thematically it is shocking and brutal, along with some clever writing and impressive acting, A Serbian Film is a psychotic, surreal nightmare that pushes every limit imaginable. According to the director the film is his way of poking fun at the extreme political correctness of the film industry in Serbia, whether or not you take that into account, A Serbian Film is without a doubt one of the most shocking and extreme films of all time.
So if you are a fan of hardcore violence and disturbing films I urge you to check out the films on this list, however if you have a weak stomach or are easily upset then these are not for you. There are countless other films just as extreme as the films in my list so if you have any personal favourites I'd love to know about them. Next time I will be presenting my list for my top 10 best horror film directors so stay tuned for that within the next week. Until next time!
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