Review of Martyrs (2008) by Michael C — 09 Feb 2013

A rather extreme French horror film, so extreme that I was shocked to see it come from a country that tends to go the more psychological route; granted the psychological elements are here to, but the gore factor is high, with numerous scenes of severe abuse and even a flaying.

But all this excess would not be interesting to see were it not for the fact that the story and plot for this are actually interesting. Revolving around a cult that believes that pain and torture can lead to enlightenment, the film is in some ways a scathing political satire, though that element of it is very subtle.

The manifestation of guilt as a violent creature that occurs through much of the film is genuinely frightening, even more chilling because there is no way to escape you're own tormenting thoughts.

Some of the dialogue and performances are rather lackluster at moments, but overall they carry the concept well. Foreign horror seems to originate from Japan and China, but in the last few years European cinema has once again produced some quality entries in the genre, and this is a valid example.