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5 Dark and Disturbing Modern Foreign Horror Films

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Disturbing Foreign Horror

There’s something about foreign horror that really has the ability to get under your skin. Perhaps the unfamiliar faces of the actors better create a sense of realism. Maybe it’s the added focus on the dialogue from reading the subtitles. We’ve listed some of our favorite foreign horror films before, but this time we’re going to look at the truly dark and disturbing. Love them or hate them, they have an impeccable way of stabbing you in the gut and twisting the blade.

For the sake of brevity, I’m going to focus on modern foreign horror films here (my apologies to Cannibal Holocaust and Thriller: En Grym Film).

Here’s my top 5.

Calvaire – aka The Ordeal (Belgium, 2004)

Think of it as a cross between Misery and Deliverance; that should give you some idea of why it’s on this list. In the film, a lounge singer – on the way to his next gig – runs into some car trouble and is rescued by a lonely aspiring comedian. The longer he’s stuck waiting for a non-existent car repair, the more he’s subject to the fantasies of his unhinged host. Mix in an assortment of deranged locals, a sprinkle of delusion, and a splash of bestiality and he’s got a real problem on his hands.

Calvaire carries a dark sense of hopelessness that simmers to a boil over the course of the film. Every interaction between our protagonist and… anyone, really… creates a growing discomfort that’s just inescapable. There isn’t a lot of violence, but it is psychologically terrifying.

Baskin (Turkey, 2015)

 

We’ve talked about Baskin before on iHorror, so if you haven’t watched it, let this be a reminder that you might want to. In Baskin, a squad of unsuspecting cops goes through a trapdoor to Hell when they stumble upon a Black Mass in an abandoned building. Accompanied by some imagery that will definitely stick with you, their journey is a bleak descent into darkness, madness and torture. Every gruesome visual culminates in their encounter with the character of Father in a viscerally horrific sequence of depravity and trauma.

A Serbian Film (Serbia, 2010)

 

This is one you may already be familiar with, but you might not have watched it. Hell, I don’t blame you, it’s a challenging film. The plot focuses on an aging porn star who agrees to participate in an “art film” in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film. It’s subversive, divisive, and it’s been banned in Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Norway, with a temporary ban from screening in Brazil.

Among the details that add nuance to any film, the cultural affects of the sociopolitical context are probably the most palpable in the darkest films. Director Srđan Spasojević has explained that A Serbian Film is “a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government… It’s about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don’t want to do. You have to feel the violence to know what it’s about.”

Martyrs (France, 2008)

Martyrs follows a young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child. This leads her and a friend on a terrifying journey into a living hell. They are subject to experiments designed to inflict systematic acts of torture upon young women in the belief that their suffering will result in a transcendental insight into the world beyond this one. If you’re not big on torture in horror movies maybe avoid… well, most of this list… but in particular, avoid Martyrs. It takes physical torture to another level.

Martyrs has been associated with the New French Extremity movement (along with Haute Tension, Frontiere(s), Ils, and Inside) which demonstrates a “crossover between sexual decadence, bestial violence and troubling psychosis”. I could cover several of the New French Extremity movement films, but in the interest of a diverse list, I’ll advise you check them out if you’re in the market for something particularly dark.

Secuestrados – aka Kidnapped (Spain, 2010)

Three hooded criminals burst into a home in a Madrid gated community, holding the family hostage and forcing the father to empty his credit cards. The premise is simple, but the execution is incredible. Secuestrados is composed of 12 long shots so you don’t ever leave the action; there’s no quick cuts to distract or release the tension. There’s a bit of a slow build, but the ending packs a punch.

I’d like to add an honorable mention for I Saw the Devil and Irréversible. The former is one I have already discussed at length. As for Irréversible, I have a hard time categorizing it as a horror film. That being said, it is dark as hell and probably one of the harshest films you’ll ever see.

What top 5 foreign films would be on your list? Tell us in the comments!

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‘Blink Twice’ Trailer Presents a Thrilling Mystery in Paradise

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A new trailer for the movie formerly known as Pussy Island just dropped and it has us intrigued. Now with the more restrained title, Blink Twice, this  Zoë Kravitz-directed black comedy is set to land in theaters on August 23.

The film is packed with stars including Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Alia Shawkat, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater, Kyle MacLachlan, and Geena Davis.

The trailer feels like a Benoit Blanc mystery; people are invited to a secluded location and disappear one by one, leaving one guest to figure out what is going on.

In the film, a billionaire named Slater King (Channing Tatum) invites a waitress named Frida (Naomi Ackie) to his private island, “It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun-soaked days and everyone’s having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive.”

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Movies

Melissa Barrera Says ‘Scary Movie VI’ Would Be “Fun To Do”

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Melissa Barrera might literally get the last laugh on Spyglass thanks to a possible Scary Movie sequel. Paramount and Miramax are seeing the right opportunity to bring the satirical franchise back into the fold and announced last week one might be in production as early as this fall.

The last chapter of the Scary Movie franchise was almost a decade ago and since the series lampoons thematic horror movies and pop culture trends, it would seem they have a lot of content to draw ideas from, including the recent reboot of slasher series Scream.

Barerra, who starred as final girl Samantha in those movies was abruptly fired from the latest chapter, Scream VII, for expressing what Spyglass interpreted as “antisemitism,” after the actress came out in support of Palestine on social media.

Even though the drama wasn’t a laughing matter, Barrera might get her chance to parody Sam in Scary Movie VI. That is if the opportunity arises. In an interview with Inverse, the 33-year-old actress was asked about Scary Movie VI, and her reply was intriguing.

“I always loved those movies,” the actress told Inverse. “When I saw it announced, I was like, ‘Oh, that would be fun. That would be so fun to do.’”

That “fun to do” part could be construed as a passive pitch to Paramount, but that’s open to interpretation.

Just like in her franchise, Scary Movie also has a legacy cast including Anna Faris and Regina Hall. There is no word yet on if either of those actors will appear in the reboot. With or without them, Barrera is still a fan of the comedies. “They have the iconic cast that did it, so we’ll see what goes on with that. I’m just excited to see a new one,” she told the publication.

Barrera is currently celebrating the box office success of her latest horror movie Abigail.

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Lists

Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody

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Radio Silence Films

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.

They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.

We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.

We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.

#1. Abigail

An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.

Abigail

#2. Ready or Not

This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.

Ready or Not

#3. Scream (2022)

While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.

Scream (2022)

#4 Southbound (The Way Out)

Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.

Southbound

#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)

The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.

V/H/S

#6. Scream VI

Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.

Scream VI

#7. Devil’s Due

Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.

Devil’s Due

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