4. Irreversible (2002)
Released in 2002, this gritty French thriller follows two men in their quest to avenge a brutally raped girlfriend. In a manner similar to Memento (Nolan, 2000), the film makes good use of a reverse chronological narration by starting with the end of the story. The most unwatchable part is taking place during the first twenty minutes. Still, the 'actual' peaceful and bucolic end of the film is even more powerful and grim because we know how the story ends and that the characters will not escape their fate - as the title suggests. The film showcases two brutal and shocking moments. One of them refers to the over-long, realistic rape mentioned earlier. The second happens at the beginning, while the two men are looking for the girl's abuser. As they descend into an ugly S&M club, we go deeper and deeper into madness. To translate this feeling of disgust and disorientation on screen, the director uses adequately an ever-roaming camera and low frequency sounds to create a state of uneasiness. And it works because it doesn't take long before you start feeling nauseous - during screenings, people were reported to leave the theaters and some even fainted. If this nightmarish sequence alone hasn't turned your stomach yet, then you are ready to watch one of the most graphic death sequences ever: a man is bludgeoned to death with a fire extinguisher. The whole scene is shown in one continuous take and you perversely witness the guy's face getting repeatedly caved in and flattened into a pulp. It's a brilliant mix of real acting and digital effects. In consequence, our reaction from the scene is plain simple - pass the bucket now!