Review of Martyrs (2008) by Paul R — 28 Oct 2011

If you are lucky enough to have The Horror Channel then you are fortunate enough to be able to catch the brutal French horror: Martyrs. This ultra violent and shocking film has some rather nifty twists and turns that really keep the audience guessing.

Lucie is a young woman who escaped from unknown captors after years of abuse, her only friend Anna (who has also been a victim of abuse as a child) tries to help her recover. Fifteen years later Lucie is still in decline and is struggling with her sanity, suffering from appalling delusions.

As certain details about the whereabouts of Lucie's captors come to light they both go on a journey of revenge. Here begins a terrifying story saturated with enough shock and brutal imagery to send even the hardened horror fan over the edge.

Martyrs is uncompromising and uncomfortable to watch in parts but to extremely good effect. What makes this film stand out from other more average violent shock horrors is the skill and intricacy of how it is all put together.

The direction and camera work are superb and really show Pascal Laugier's genuine love of film, each and every scene and camera angle is presented with place and purpose. Martyrs is certainly not for the faint hearted and contains some of the most disturbingly brutal physical violence in modern film.

The film was severely cut on release with over 3 minutes removed from the original cut. The "Unrated" version can be purchased on DVD and Blu ray. Whichever version this is, Martyrs is brutal, beautiful and brilliant: For fans of Horror this is a film you really need to see, it is not meant to be enjoyed but must be watched and will certainly leave a lasting mark on you.