Martyrs

9/25/20081h 39m

Premiere Release (US)

~ They haven't finished being alive. ~

Overview:

A young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child leads her and her best friend, also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.

Director:

Pascal Laugier

Status:

Released

Language:

French

Buget:

$6,500,000.00

Revenue:

$1,100,000.00

Key words:

child abuse
suffering
nihilism
degradation
ecstasy
woman martyr
cult
hysteria
helplessness
revenge
torture chamber
mercilessness
torture
cruelty
home invasion
transcendence
decadence
martyr
angst
captivity
abuse
mistreatment
dehumanization
emaciation
new french extremism
incarceration
chloroform
mysticism
abused woman
depravation
blood on body
playful
murderess
lesbian
devastating
mental abuse
romantic

Cast

Morjana Alaoui

~ as ~

Anna Assaoui

Mylène Jampanoï

~ as ~

Lucie Jurin

Catherine Bégin

~ as ~

Mademoiselle

Robert Toupin

~ as ~

Father

Patricia Tulasne

~ as ~

Mother

Juliette Gosselin

~ as ~

Marie

Xavier Dolan

~ as ~

Antoine

Jean-Marie Moncelet

~ as ~

Étienne

Jessie Pham

~ as ~

Young Lucie

Erika Scott

~ as ~

Young Anna

View full cast & crew

Reviews (4)

C
CipE
Written 11 year(s) ago
5
Rated this 5/10 due to large amounts of repeated and gratuitous violence.

Is it worth torturing people to find out if there is life after death? This movie's answer seems to be "Keep doubting".
John Chard
Written 11 year(s) ago
10
Martyrs: Greek for Witness.

Martyrs is written and directed by Pascal Laugier. It stars Morjana Alaoui and Mylene Jampanoi.

The New French Extremity Movement had its bar raised considerably by Pascal Laugier’s brutal but thought provoking horror. It’s a film as uncompromising as it is confrontational, a picture guaranteed to get a response for better or worse. Once viewed it simply will not be forgotten, the images, the twisty narrative thematics and the bloodshed that flows consistently throughout the story, Laugier and his two brilliant lead actresses assault the senses, magnificently so.

Story is unfurled as a three tiered structure, each one devastating, but it’s with the final third where the picture goes up through the stratosphere, stopping briefly at the café weird just to further tickle our craniums. Some of the violence here is tough to watch, and it’s no surprise to find it was met with the inevitable charges of misogyny. Yet the culmination of it all puts some perspective on the violence witnessed, leading to a strangely profound and moving climax.

The less you know about it going in for the first time the better. A strong stomach is required, as is an open mind, if you have these things then awaiting you is a visceral masterwork, one of the finest horror film’s to have ever come out of France. Yes, it’s that astonishing. 10/10
Repo Jack
Written 5 year(s) ago
8
I wrote this once to describe my philosophy on what movies/TV I like:

"Ravenous fan of dark, edgy movies & TV. They should glue you to the screen and stay in your dreams."

Martyrs is one of a handful that describes that perspective to the T, and it is the kind of horror movie that you should go in completely clueless about the plot to enjoy the many twists that you won't see coming.

A big caveat: this is "advanced" horror -- gut-wrenching, gory and very disturbing. Definitely not for everybody.
t
tmdb77268060
Written 2 year(s) ago
6
64/100

Martyrs delivers an intriguing and original concept but doesn't quite reach its full potential. It borrows a page from Terrifier's playbook by dispatching the superior actress early which leaves a noticeable performance void. The third act hits a bit of a lull, but rebounds with a gripping and shocking climax that's sure to leave an impression. While it may not fully flesh out (no pun intended) its premise, Martyrs is worth a watch for horror fans looking for a unique and unsettling experience.