10 More Perfect Horror Movies You've Never Heard Of

Another twist on tradition, French-language thriller-chiller Revenge sets itself up as heir to some of the early video nasties, such as Last House on the Left (1972) and I Spit on Your Grave (1978), and yet the end result is closer to arthouse than last house.

Revenge is the story of Jen's (Matilda Lutz) revenge on a trio of rich hunting buddies' whose rape and murder of the young socialite doesn't quite go to plan. Stuck in the middle of the desert, with a gut wound and no outside contact or point of refuge, Jen runs a guerrilla campaign against her attackers, replete with grot, grime, blood, hallucinations and some creatively staged kills.

Despite its rape-revenge storyline and willingness to unflinchingly depict depravity and gore, Revenge manages to rise above its exploitation roots and deliver something stylish, nuanced, surreal and rewatchable for all the right reasons. As a tonic to the aforementioned nasties, it offers many of the same thrills while centring the story on a three-dimensional female lead whose plight and exploits are all the richer for her character development from saccharine trophy mistress to self-possessed badass.

While the mere fact of subtitles has limited the film's appeal for a wider Western audience, Revenge's lack of exposure has only served to bolster its indie sleeper credentials.