6. Martyrs
Martyrs is a perfect example of how the French just keep on pushing boundaries when it comes to the horror genre. Without the sensationalism of your standard American film Martyrs takes brutality and gore to a whole new level and has an amazingly original storyline to boot. The film opens with Lucie as a young girl desperately escaping what looks like an abandoned warehouse- how she ended up there and just what she has been subjected to remains a mystery while she spends the rest of her young years in a childrens psychiatric home. Plagued by visions of a tortured spirit the first half of the film plays out like a typical (albeit exceptionally brutal) revenge film as an adult Lucie and her childhood confidante Anna set out to find the people that imprisoned her and quell the voices that inhabit her nightmares. Without giving away any spoilers, don't get comfartable in the suburban psycho-thriller genre because its not long before Martyrs completely pulls the rug out from under its audience taking a drastic turn and turning into a much darker beast all together. With some scenes that are so devastatingly violent that its difficult to watch and others that linger somewhere in the realm of morbid beauty this film is not for the faint hearted and will certainly have you questioning the whole concept of horror. You can't truly call yourself a horror fan if you don't appreciate this film.