Martyrs
Directed by Pascal Laugier
Lucie is plagued by reoccurring nightmares of when she was abducted and tortured in an abandoned slaughterhouse. Determined to overcome her trauma, she enlists fellow abuse survivor, Anna to help her enact revenge. Finding their picture in the local paper, Lucie tracks down her captors, but Anna questions Lucie’s sanity as she slowly spirals into madness. Described by The Telegraph as the greatest horror movie of the 21st century, MARTYRS is a groundbreaking, relentlessly disturbing horror that employs shocking violence and haunting visuals to tell its bleak tale of abuse and vengeance. (In French with English subtitles.)
An abuse survivor tracks down her captors for revenge in this gripping, acclaimed French horror.
Cast: Xavier Dolan, Mylene Jampanoi, Morjana Alaoui, Gaelle Cohen, Anie Pascale
Member Reviews
Even among horror movie lovers, this isn't for the faint of heart. And yes, this movie is definitely NOT for everyone. The director made this movie in a state of depression and said he wanted to make something that would "piss people off." Well, this movie definitely succeeds in getting under your skin! But the making of this movie is personally inspiring to me, knowing someone can be productive even when they're at their worst... That said, this is one of my all-time favorite horror movies, perhaps even one of my-all time favorite movies! It gives a horrifying twist to revenge movies... If you're a gore-hound, this absolutely has something for you. If you like psychological horror, this has plenty. You want supernatural horror? This has a good dash of that, too... and existential horror. It also combines great drama, suspense & acting all-around to make a movie that can be talked about for ages on end! (Not to short-change Morjana Alaoui, but of the 2 leads, Mylene Jampanoi is absolutely stunning!) There is definite ambiguity in the movie, especially with the way it ends, but I don't think it's annoying in any way because it leaves room for several different interpretations. The movie is divided into 2 main parts, the 2nd of which is probably the hardest to watch because of some repetitiveness. This is where it might lose some people (if they've made it this far), but I think this perfectly/deliberately done by the director to convey the sense of dread & horror of the circumstance... If you can handle extreme horror (this is probably on the lighter end of that, but still in there), I can't recommend this movie enough!!! I had no idea I would love this movie so much, but 4 1/2 stars out of 5! Holy crap what a ride!
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 7/10 showcases the insanity of trauma very strongly and honestly, heartbreaking. Fantastic performances, unforgettable effects and a stellar story structure. My only major complaint would be the music.
Definitely the one I think of when I hear "French extremity". The woman with the blindfold really stays with me. It's an interesting watch because the first half is a complete story in itself. Pretty straightforward. Feels like a lot of supernatural monster and revenge flicks (and is better than plenty of them). The second half is something entirely different--different horror, different gore, different tone. Turns more cerebral and nothing like the film you've been set up to think you're watching. I'm here for it.
Brutal, with a really good plot. Highly recommend.
A shocking and powerful film. It is gory, violent, and has a lot of torture - but it isn’t torture porn! The writer-director seems to have made a film that looks at the reason for suffering(?). I found it profound, but many will be turned off by the sadism. But this isn’t a Hostel movie. Well worth watching if you can, because what an ending!