Review of Martyrs (2008) by Brian S — 06 Sep 2018

It takes a lot for a movie to shock me these days. You can show me gallons of gore for sheer shock value and it does very little. Not to be nihilistic, but growing up in less restricted internet, I've stumbled across real world things far more horrifying than some needy director's theatrics.

There is still a part of me that is looking for something to shock me, and simply grossing me out Human Centipede style simply doesn't do it. Martyrs came pretty close. Really what Martyrs does different from other torture porn films is presenting a story and purpose to its torture.

The world from the get-go feels gritty and genuine, and the characters feel like real people, and our leads make some choices that are pretty despicable but come from a genuine place. When the more grotesque moments happen, they feel earned, and are handled in a manner evoking emotion that makes them far more effective than simply advertising how good your effects team is.

And yes, there is a moment in the second half the film that did shock me and even make me gag. What elevates the film above its genre though is that it gives its graphic violence purpose. Without getting into spoilers, there are really two types of violence in this movie.

One based on revenge, and one based on something else entirely. In both cases, the violence depicted is not glorified nor is it shamed, it is simply shown. In both cases, it made me ask questions, and left me thinking about the movie days after I watched it.

Are these questions worth asking? Well, that's really up for debate. But I can't deny that the movie left an impact on me.