New French Extremity (or "New French Extremism") is a term coined by Artforum critic James Quandt for a collection of transgressive films by French directors at the turn of the 21st century. The filmmakers are also discussed by Jonathan Romney of The Independent. Quandt describes the style as follows: Quandt associates François Ozon, Gaspar Noe, Catherine Breillat, Philippe Grandrieux, Bruno Dumont, Claire Denis' Trouble Every Day, Patrice Chereau's Intimacy, Philippe Grandrieux's La Vie nouvelle, Bertrand Bonello's The Pornographer, Marina de Van's In My Skin, Leos Carax's Pola X, Jean-Claude Brisseau's Secret Things, Jacques Nolot's La Chatte à deux têtes, Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi's Baise-moi, and Alexandre Aja's Haute tension with the label. The term is pejorative. However, many so labeled have produced critically acclaimed work. David Fear indicates that the lack of humanity beneath the horror represented in these film leads to their stigma, arguing that Bruno Dumont's Flanders "contains enough savage violence and sexual ugliness" to remain vulnerable to the New French Extremity tag, but "a soul also lurks underneath the shocks". Nick Wrigley indicates that Dumont was merely chastised for "letting everybody down" who expected him to be the heir to Robert Bresson. Jonathan Romney also associates the label with Olivier Assayas' Demonlover, Christophe Honoré's Ma mère, and C.S. Leigh's Process. (via Wikipedia)

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