10 Horror Movie Heroes & Villains That Didn't Know Each Other Existed

Beginning to end, Irréversible is a sickening headache of a film - but that doesn't mean it isn't good.

Gaspar Noé's most shocking feature to date plays in reverse order, from a brutal slaying at a gay BDSM sex club, all the way back to a lovely afternoon in the park, challenging viewer preconceptions of violence and hinging on an extended central scene of a vicious sexual assault. 

There are no true heroes in Irréversible, but the closest we have is Marcus (Vincent Cassel), a pretty ordinary Frenchman who is drawn into a world of cruelty while attempting to avenge his girlfriend. On the other side of the coin is Le Tenia (Jo Prestia), a foul beast of a pimp who thrives on violence and savagery.

Although Marcus spends most of his screentime in the film (if taken in chronological order) hunting Le Tenia, he never actually knows who he is. So much so, even when they come face to face, Marcus is none the wiser. Equally, Le Tenia remains blissfully unaware that Marcus is looking for him, or why, believing he has gotten away with his most heinous of crimes. And, in the end, he does. What we are to make of this is for us, and only us, to decide - just like Noé intended.