Review of Martyrs (2008) by Wes S — 28 Sep 2011

The basic synopsis is about two girls who meet in a hospital Anna & Lucie. From the beginning we see Lucie's story which begins on the day of her escape from the people who kidnapped and tortured her in an abandoned warehouse. From there she slowly recovers from the trauma and develops a tight bond with Anna, a selfless and caring girl who neglects her own wants and needs in life to care for Lucie. 15 years later, believing she found the people who hurt her as a child, Lucie tracks down a family living in a secluded area, what happens next is an all out blood-bath. Morjana Alaoui & Mylène Jampanoï give flawless performances as Anna & Lucie, two friends who are bound together by their love for each other, but at the same time are tormented by that bond. Anna, stretched thin and at the breaking point trying to care for Lucie who's dark past is taking a toll on them both, and Lucie who is constantly haunted by something and wants desperately for Anna to believe in her.

Without a doubt the most brutally violent movie I have seen, and I have seen some pretty gory films ranging from Ichi the Killer to High Tension. But this film is so uniquely different from any horror film I have ever seen, the plot (and the very core of what this film is about) transcends the genre altogether and is a brilliantly haunting masterpiece.

To say this is a love it or hate it film is an understatement, I have read some reviews from people who were disgusted by it and called it nothing more than "torture porn", and still others who loved the film described it as a movie that "defies description"...which I think it dead on.

This is a gut wrenching film that grabs hold of you mentally and emotionally, and just keeps pulling relentlessly until the very end. And just when you think you have a handle on what's going on the story pulls you even deeper down into the rabbit hole. The pace of the film works perfectly, the story unfolds like a flashlight that shines brighter as the story goes on until you finally get to see the full image at the very end. But it is a very dark, brutally violent, and emotionally exhausting film with an ending that will literally leave you emotionally and mentally stunned. I don't want to say more than that because this is one of those films where the less you know about it the better.