I often wonder how much further the horror genre can and will evolve in terms of sadism and the portrayal of ultra-explicit violence. Especially the youngest generation of French directors appear to be involved in some sort of sport competition where each one aspires to surpass the other when it comes to showing sheer brutality and stomach-churning sickness. "High Tension", released in 2003, was quite extreme already, but since then there came "Them", "Frontier(s)" and "Inside" and each separate film raised the bar every time. Now, after experiencing the nearly indescribable intensity level of "Martyrs", I sincerely hope that no other movie will ever go beyond the standards set in this film. "Martyrs" genuinely is an astonishing and jaw-dropping ordeal that is guaranteed to leave even the most hardened and trained horror buffs speechless. From what I gathered reading reviews and listening to opinions left and right, I already knew this wasn't going to be picnic, but the truth is that absolutely nothing can prepare you for what you are about to see in "Martyrs". It may sound a little fantastic, but the infamous and supposedly nauseating torture porn titles such as "Saw", "Hostel" and "Murder-Set-Pieces" look like sophomoric episodes of Sesame Street in comparison with the recent stream of French shock-features and in particular with "Martyrs".
Okay, I realize I've been going on and on about the shocking impact and extreme violence of "Martyrs", but still I haven't even mentioned the most remarkable and praiseworthy aspect about the entire film. The gore, barbarity and mayhem aren't at all gratuitous or exploitative but actually serve a purpose! There were other and far more mundane "extreme" horror movies simply showcase a long series of torture sequences, "Martyrs" practically causes you to experience the pain AND simultaneously raises a handful of socially engaging debates. For once, the title of a horror movie can be taken 100% literally By watching "Martyrs", you expose yourself to martyrdom. You voluntarily watch the film and you're free to look away or step out of the theater at any given moment, but most likely you won't because subconsciously you are in readiness to endure a whole lot of visual suffering in order to know how the movie will end. Yes, it all does sound very philosophical and pseudo-intellectual (especially for a horror movie), but honestly not a single word is exaggerated. This movie honestly is the genre landmark of a new generation
The synopsis on the back of the DVD appears to give away the content of the entire film, but in fact it only covers the first ten minutes. The short summary describes how a 12-year-old girl narrowly escapes from an abandoned factory site where she was held captive and subjected to extreme torture. She ends up in a psychiatric clinic and befriends another girl who slowly helps her processing the trauma. 15 years later, the girl appears on the doorstep of a seemingly happy family of four with a shotgun in her hands and raging fury in her eyes. Lucie is convinced she found her tormentors. Apart perhaps from the domestic household element, this sounds like the plot of nearly every "revengesploitation" movie ever made. But these are only the opening minutes What follows next is a literally perplexing and excruciating visual nightmare that is unpredictable and even unimaginable. At first you'll wonder where writer/director Pascal Laugier can possibly be heading for with his screenplay, and then you'll probably wish you never asked. It would be a shame to reveal too much about the plot, so let me just re-establish that you will be unprepared and stupefied. Do you dare?
Okay, I realize I've been going on and on about the shocking impact and extreme violence of "Martyrs", but still I haven't even mentioned the most remarkable and praiseworthy aspect about the entire film. The gore, barbarity and mayhem aren't at all gratuitous or exploitative but actually serve a purpose! There were other and far more mundane "extreme" horror movies simply showcase a long series of torture sequences, "Martyrs" practically causes you to experience the pain AND simultaneously raises a handful of socially engaging debates. For once, the title of a horror movie can be taken 100% literally By watching "Martyrs", you expose yourself to martyrdom. You voluntarily watch the film and you're free to look away or step out of the theater at any given moment, but most likely you won't because subconsciously you are in readiness to endure a whole lot of visual suffering in order to know how the movie will end. Yes, it all does sound very philosophical and pseudo-intellectual (especially for a horror movie), but honestly not a single word is exaggerated. This movie honestly is the genre landmark of a new generation
The synopsis on the back of the DVD appears to give away the content of the entire film, but in fact it only covers the first ten minutes. The short summary describes how a 12-year-old girl narrowly escapes from an abandoned factory site where she was held captive and subjected to extreme torture. She ends up in a psychiatric clinic and befriends another girl who slowly helps her processing the trauma. 15 years later, the girl appears on the doorstep of a seemingly happy family of four with a shotgun in her hands and raging fury in her eyes. Lucie is convinced she found her tormentors. Apart perhaps from the domestic household element, this sounds like the plot of nearly every "revengesploitation" movie ever made. But these are only the opening minutes What follows next is a literally perplexing and excruciating visual nightmare that is unpredictable and even unimaginable. At first you'll wonder where writer/director Pascal Laugier can possibly be heading for with his screenplay, and then you'll probably wish you never asked. It would be a shame to reveal too much about the plot, so let me just re-establish that you will be unprepared and stupefied. Do you dare?