Review of Martyrs (2008) by Keith T — 30 Mar 2011

I'm not fully sure how I feel about this film, it left me pretty shellshocked and even hours later I've not quite collected my thoughts on it. It's a very upsetting movie, and so relentlessly bleak that at points it made me question why I was actually watching. As it went on I felt certain it had a point to make, and that I just wasn't getting it. It's very clear by the end that there is something to take away from the story, but I'm still in the process of untangling it all and likely will be for a while. It's a while since I saw something that left me reeling like that though, and it's one of the experiences you seek out as a movie fan.

I can't see anyone enjoying it, but I also can't see anyone being left cold by it. There will be an emotional response to this regardless of how hardened a horror-phile you happen to be, and I find I'm fascinated by the reaction it got from me. It's a strange cocktail of hope and dread, peace and sadness that I now find myself saddled with. and despite it's harrowing nature making it a hard film to recommend it's hard to deny it's a powerful piece of work.