WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
I think the important thing about French horror is that it reminds the viewer that it doesn’t need to be gory to be scary. I’ve noticed, a lot of the time they take a much more psychological angle towards things and sometimes it pans out and other times it doesn’t. Also, and I’m basing this on at least three of the films below, there’s usually a sex scene so may be this is where the whole ‘death by sex’ idea started.
Nosferatu.com
I don’t know what it is about the Europeans and found-footage films but they are always better than American equivalents. Maybe it’s because they get their scares in just the right places or because they don’t over use them. I’m not saying that this film is on the same level as Rec when it comes to quality of the film as a whole but I will say that it made me jump just as much. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why we have the addition of the Love is Everywhere group instead of just staying with the 6 guys that are making the film in the first place. It feels like they found a way to shoehorn in additional characters to die but it just feels a little out of place for me. Truthfully, if you ever have an hour free and just fancy a little bit of a scare, this film is the one for you.
Road Games
Speaking of shoehorning things in, I’m sure some of you will see this film as me doing the same thing. It may be a French-British production from a British-South African director but it is set in France and outside of Jack and Mary, the other characters are French. I guess you could say this is more of a thriller than a horror – in the same vain as Get Out. Even down to the twist at the end just the male protagonist never actually ends up being aware of what he’s got himself into. Things seem weird from the moment Jack and Veronique (the beautiful French girl he meets along the way) arrive at Grizard’s house but I genuinely did not expect what actually happens.
The Girl With Two Faces
Firstly, I had no idea that this film was made in 2016, but that’s probably because I was fooled by it being in black and white. However, I think this was exactly the right thing to do because it adds such realism to certain parts of this film that make it I don’t want to say scary because I wasn’t scared but uncomfortable to watch. For example, the most intrinsic part of this film (which happens a lot earlier than I expected) looks like it’s genuinely happening. It’s like the director made a 2010s snuff film. The only thing that makes that storyline more disturbing, is when you find out that this isn’t the first time the antagonist had tried this.
Raw
I think the term ‘horror’ is used very loosely in relation to this film. Not that I’m saying I didn’t enjoy it but I was definitely expecting a lot more cannibalism because trust me, I knew the basic plot of this film long before I watched it. I know that sounds weird but that’s what I expected more of. However, I won’t say this film isn’t full of surprises because it definitely is. It will take a while to realise the relevance of the opening scene but when it is revealed – prepare to have your mind blown!
The Night Eats The World
I’m going to be completely honest here, without being rude but I was extremely bored watching this film. I guess it’s considered as a horror because it’s based around a zombie apocalypse but there’s so little interaction with the zombies that it seems almost redundant. I think what’s meant to be the scary side of this film is the downturn in Sam’s psychological stability but it’s so slow and nothing really crazy or dangerous actually happens. Truthfully, I like the take the French took with it because it’s something different as we are focusing on the sole survivor instead of a group of people but I just feel that it also makes the film drag a little.
I guess the only really chilling scene is towards the end when Sam returns to Fanny’s apartment and has to make his way through the zombies in the dark but other than that I’m pretty disappointed. It would have been more interesting if, following Sam getting scratched, he spent the rest of the film as a zombie.
Poltergay
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think I can do these articles without having at least one comedy horror on each one. Usually there’s at least some element of fear to give the aspect of horror but this film pure silly behaviour. I guess the only reason it passes as a horror comedy is because of the supernatural aspect with the homosexual ghosts (in case that wasn’t given away by the title of the film). This isn’t me saying it’s a bad film of course, it’s possibly one of the best comedy horrors I’ve seen.
