5. Saw (2004)
Fresh out of college, James Wan was hoping to fulfill his directing aspirations. In cooperation with Leigh Whannell, he decided to make a movie. Whannell wrote the screenplay, titled “Saw.” As it was hard to find a production house interested in funding such a project, they shot a short one. And it worked.
Twisted Pictures gave them budget of about million bucks, and the shooting started. Wan’s debut was finished after only 18 days. It grossed over $100 million and had a cult following since its premiere. The critics didn’t like it very much, yet it didn’t stop money-hungry studios from making seven sequels, often led by the principle of inducing the number of chopped limbs and heads and reducing quality.
Fortunately, we can forget about those, at least for a moment and focus on the original, a fine one for the most part. Much can be said about it, and just a couple of unforgettable things worth mentioning are: a wonderfully done job with little cash, a fairly realistic story, and of course, Jigsaw, one of the best villains (and characters) of modern horror.
It maybe isn’t as good as some of the artistic movies from our list, and it might be a little overhyped, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t an interesting and objectively good achievement that deserves an hour and a half of your time.
4. A Serbian Film (2010)
Probably the most controversial torture porn of the third millennium, Srđan Spasojević’s first full-length work is currently illegal in nine countries, and is continuously facing public outrage in Serbia.
The director said it was a metaphor for the state of the modern society, especially youth, but it didn’t change things a bit. Necrophilia, paedophilia, incest and the title, described as a bad way to attract attention by its opposers, were too much for most of the people. Luckily, the careers of Žika Todorović and Sergej Trifunović, the stars, weren’t affected much by it, and Spasojević became (in)famous in the world of cinema, which most likely wouldn’t be the case if he decided to make a different film.
It’s debatable whether all the disturbing, gruesome stuff is there just to disgust and scare us, or is there a message sent through it as claimed (though if you think about it, you’ll probably say the latter), but it’s a spine-chilling ride anyway.
3. Ichi the Killer (2001)
Also known by the name “Koroshiya 1,” Takashi Miike’s perverted flick from the beginning of the decade was the funniest and the most disgusting mix of genres ever. Nao Ohmori’s first big role and numerous sadomasochistic, comic scenes made it a memorable, creepy experience.
Among the few who beat the book they were based on (a manga series, actually, but similar enough), this gem hidden from the Western audience featured mutilated children heads, leg amputations, beheadings, and a million of other grisly moments, which honestly aren’t nearly as upsetting like in some of the movies that are worse, because of the humorous tone present throughout it, but it’s a great one nonetheless.
2. Antichrist (2009)
Lars von Trier is one of those filmmakers with an international, decades-long bad reputation. “Melancholia,” “Nymphomaniac,” “Epidemic” and many more hated pictures through the years were bad enough, but “Antichrist” (2009) topped them all. With real sex between Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, and notorious torture scenes, it comes no surprise that it’s banned in Malaysia, France and the Philippines.
Similarly to the eighth pick of our list, we need a bit of patience until the culmination, though it was done much better when compared to “Hostel.” If you didn’t know anything about the movie before watching it, you would probably think it’s a good, slow-paced drama, which it actually is, but is as well a torture porn.
If you’re planning to watch it, be ready for testicles being crushed, clitorises being cut off, a deranged woman hunting for her husband in the woods, and all of that after the prologue that would be labeled as boring by most. Definitely unusual and not suitable for everyone, “Antichrist” will mesmerize you if you can understand its uniqueness and brilliance.
1. Martyrs (2008)
New French Extremity reached its peak with Pascal Laugier’s shocking masterpiece. Unlike a lot of its predecessors, it did well with the critics, yet the earnings were not very big (though likely higher than expected, considering plenty of sensitive content). With Morjana Alaoui as the confused partner, and Mylène Jampanoï as the tormented Lucie, it was bound to succeed.
Too complicated and graphic to work with mainstream audiences, its deep, philosophical message was recognized as refreshing in modern day horror and appreciated by a handful of folks, but sadly stayed unknown and misunderstood overall.
With almost no nudity (except Lucie’s hallucinations without any sexual connotation), it was filled with themes of child abuse, martyrdom, trauma and self-harm, so it really isn’t surprising that it faced such reactions from most, but just like Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist,” Laugier’s outstanding work wasn’t made for the masses of mediocrity (not saying everyone who didn’t like two of those is mediocre), and will certainly show you its best if you look at it without prejudice and prejudgement.