Review of Martyrs (2008) by Zack B — 22 Oct 2011

Soul-crushing torture film that aspires for art but is still exploitative at times. It's so far beyond the R-rating - as relentless as films get. The gory makeup isn't always perfect but the violence is very realistic. The disturbing story is original and unpredictable. Director Pascal Laugier refreshingly subverts most cliches. The actress that plays Anna is punished severely, and deserves kudos. I wish we could've seen more of Lucie's character. The handheld cinematography can be a bit much, but it's effective, especially combined with the editing and soundtrack (featuring a beautiful track by Goldmund). For such a strong first half, the second half really suffers. The whole "martyrs" philosophy is pretentious BS, and the mind-numbing level of cruelty requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief.

7.5/10.