Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Martyrs is a film that features more unrestrained brutality and repugnant scens of torture than any low-budget horror released in a while, but along with all this comes a certain amount of intelligence. I… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Martyrs is a film that features more unrestrained brutality and repugnant scens of torture than any low-budget horror released in a while, but along with all this comes a certain amount of intelligence. I think it's safe to say that a lot of the negative reactions this film has recieved are based on the suspicion that it's a completely screwed up horror film that could cause damage to people psychologically, and that it's aim is to push you to the limit and make you throw up internal organs or quite simply traumitise you so much it scars you for life. However although it has the power to do that. I found it to be anything but narratively-flimsy and immature, it's actually one of the best horror movies i've seen in a while. It philosophies religion, the afterlife, epiphany-esque visions, and of course the transcendence of pain itself. I think we've gotten so used to idiotic and empty movies like Hostel and Saw that even the art-house, much more intellectual and profound bloodbath's are viewed as the typical Grindhouse fare. Unlike said movies it has two absolutely fantastic lead performances by Morjana Alaoui and Mylène Jampanoï, beautiful cinematography, delicate and artful direction, and a sheer sense of anguish and terror that I think fans of horror cinema will really enjoy, and a reflective meaning. It has one of the most nasty final acts i've seen in a while and also a very creepy ending. If you love film, you'll adore it. If you like horror, you haven't seen anything until you've seen it. I humbly ask people who see this movie not to criticise it on the grounds of being messed up, judge something as infantile as Hostel on that. This film has a purpose, along with that comes physically manifested torture. I would even argue years from now even when this film is disowned by narrow-minded audiences that it's a movie about something but that something certainly isn't torture. I can't really recommend it as entertainment, but I suppose if you happen to come across the film you might see something brilliant if you can handle it.

• Unknown H

  
  One of the best pieces of unimaginable cinema I have ever seen. Those who would subject this film to the indignity of bearing the title "torture porn" clearly have little or no conception of how amazing the structural integrity of this film actually was. Intelligent,… More
  One of the best pieces of unimaginable cinema I have ever seen. Those who would subject this film to the indignity of bearing the title "torture porn" clearly have little or no conception of how amazing the structural integrity of this film actually was. Intelligent, gruesome, outstandingly original and shockingly real, Martyrs instills a little hope in any die hard horror fan, that the art of fear and perfection is still prevelant in the movie making business. Superb acting, beautiful dialogues and haunting imagery, this film will remain with me for the rest of my life, as one of the best at what it does. More than just screams and gore, this movie is as far away from "torture porn" as one could imagine and left me with nothing but admiration for the entire cast and crew, as well as a keen eye for Laugier in the future. One thing I would suggest is watching it with subtitles, as the film is in french. I watched the dubbed version, which completely distracted the brutal atmosphere. Still, a very close to perfect film for those who like their horror intelligent and deviantly delicious.

• Stephen M

  
  I'm sorry, I just didn't get this at all. It didn't really work on any level for me. Any hopes of the film being a Gallic feminist <i>Oldboy</i> vanish after quarter of an hour or so; taken as a horror movie, it's certainly disturbing but never… More
  I'm sorry, I just didn't get this at all. It didn't really work on any level for me. Any hopes of the film being a Gallic feminist <i>Oldboy</i> vanish after quarter of an hour or so; taken as a horror movie, it's certainly disturbing but never particularly frightening; and it doesn't have anything profound to say, either about those people who commit unspeakable acts of cruelty or about the poor buggers on the receiving end. If you compare this with another equally gruelling film about martyrdom, Lars von Trier's <i>Breaking the Waves</i>, at least von Trier rewards our squirming discomfort with an extraordinary, miraculous payoff. By contrast, Pascal Laugier's use of a dying woman's epiphany as a MacGuffin is not only tasteless, cynical and intensely irritating, worst of all it's an intellectual cop-out. I can't deny the movie is extremely well made and the performances of the two female leads are superb but I would still only recommend this to connoisseurs of artsy torture porn.

• Michael S

  
  "Martyrs" is a film that defies description. It's not just a horror film and is definitely not the grotesque torture porn that many have suggested. It is a very thoughtful film and a very emotionally draining one. The film is best viewed without any prior knowledge of… More
  "Martyrs" is a film that defies description. It's not just a horror film and is definitely not the grotesque torture porn that many have suggested. It is a very thoughtful film and a very emotionally draining one. The film is best viewed without any prior knowledge of it's plot because it leads it's viewers down a very unexpected, shocking, and ever-changing narrative. In the tradition of not giving too much away, I will simply say that I haven't ever seen anything like this. I've never seen a film handle such brutality in such a cerebral and almost graceful fashion. It's a vicious human horror film that actually has something to say and handles it's subject matter with an unparalleled sense of professionalism (on a side note the make-up effects are astounding). It pains me to be so abstract about "Martyrs" but the less you know about it is definitely the better. It's truly an experience, albeit one some viewers will despise. I don't think I've been very clear up to this point but I really loved this film. This isn't necessarily the type of film I'd "love" on the regular, but it really is a brilliant piece of work that is far beyond most films passing off as horror these days. It was involving, maddening, heartbreaking, and ended on a PERFECT note (yes, I'd call it a "happy" ending considering the situation). I'd expand on my admiration of this film further, but I'd end up spoiling too much. I'm giving this my strongest recommendation knowing full well that most will call me crazy for doing so... But the important thing is you see this challenging and audacious work. * Honestly, If I was to compile a list of my 25 favorite horror films of all time, this would be up there.

• Cassandra M

  
  i was lucky enough to see this masterpiece at Frightfest this year. Pascale Laugier's worried about this movie. He was apologising to people who despised it, he was profusely thanking the people who liked it. He is the modern day equivalent of Victor Frankenstein. He knows that… More
  i was lucky enough to see this masterpiece at Frightfest this year. Pascale Laugier's worried about this movie. He was apologising to people who despised it, he was profusely thanking the people who liked it. He is the modern day equivalent of Victor Frankenstein. He knows that he has created a monster and doesn't really know how to deal with it now that it's being released upon the world. Martyrs truly is a monster. It's a ground breaking, brave, stunning, brutal & moving piece of work that is guaranteed to divide audiences everywhere it gets the chance to play. Even at a genre event like Frightfest the audience reaction ranged from 'loved it' to 'hated it' to people actually going outside of the cinema to be physically sick (really). For me it was the highlight of the festival and i absolutely loved it but I don't believe it's a movie that anybody will truly 'enjoy'. As others have already given away too much of the story i won't bother with a synopsis as Martyr's is definitely a dish best served cold. Not knowing what to expect makes this a refreshingly shocking piece of celluloid that will hopefully astound you with it's gutsy originality. Written by the director during a fit of depression (that he did not elaborate on in the Q&A) it is an almost schizophrenic movie with two distinct halves and coda of such ambiguity that it is possible to view it as nihilistic or strangely hopeful. It's beautifully shot, really well paced and contains outstanding performances from the two female leads. This movie is inevitably going to be compared to Hostel and other movies in the horribly monickered 'torture-porn' genre and that is a genuine mistake. Martyrs bears more resemblance to movies like Nacho Cerda's Aftermath as there is nothing here that is designed to be titillating. The true horror lies in the the clinical detachment of the antagonists. In the end, despite all the on screen violence (and there are some truly brutal scenes on display here in the movies second act) the prevaling reaction that this movie elicited in me was not one of revulsion but one of true sadness. Martyrs really is a truly brilliant, surprisingly moving film and one that will remain in my mind, jostling for attention with my other thoughts for a very long time to come. Thankyou Pascale Laugier for creating a monster that i love...

• Gordon A

  
  Refreshingly original horror experiment which unsettles and shocks at every turn even if it drifts into incomprehensibility towards the end. The director sets out to wrong foot you at every opportunity and confound your expectations which I applaud. It pulls no punches but worth a… More
  Refreshingly original horror experiment which unsettles and shocks at every turn even if it drifts into incomprehensibility towards the end. The director sets out to wrong foot you at every opportunity and confound your expectations which I applaud. It pulls no punches but worth a look for horror fans bored of identikit torture porn.

• Lady D

  
  Well this certainly is an original piece and opens as quite a blood bath of a Horror. Well acted and not knowing quite which direction it is going to take you in, this disturbing film (definitely not for everyone) is possibly one of the sickest films that I have seen. Perhaps… More
  Well this certainly is an original piece and opens as quite a blood bath of a Horror. Well acted and not knowing quite which direction it is going to take you in, this disturbing film (definitely not for everyone) is possibly one of the sickest films that I have seen. Perhaps because it has a fairly realistic feel to it and the thought of this happening in real life in incomprehendable. It's not gonna play on your mind, it's not gonna make you jump, but it's compelling viewing and not what you're expecting.

• Tim S

  
  This film tries hard to make its point. The trouble is what is that point? The first half of the movie plays like the final half hour of a revenge film, then the rest plays out like Hostel meets religion. In the violence and gore department, this one ranks pretty highly in films of… More
  This film tries hard to make its point. The trouble is what is that point? The first half of the movie plays like the final half hour of a revenge film, then the rest plays out like Hostel meets religion. In the violence and gore department, this one ranks pretty highly in films of recent years. There is nothing particularly enjoyable about the it at all. It winds up being pretentious as hell with little to no audience involvement at all. Nor is it an art film, or for that matter a film designed to be thought-provoking and bring real human issues to the forefront. It really tries hard to be the latter (I think) but it only blows its own brains out without getting there - making it a wasted effort. If you're curious to see gratuitous violence and gore with no themes or audience participation, then by all means see Martyrs. Otherwise, steer clear.

• Spencer S

  
  There was a lot of disturbing and scarring violence. That being said, this is one of the best examples of a film that balances between expanding one's mind, and destroying it completely. It's Japanese horror film mixed with French avant-garde. The terror is muscle seizing,… More
  There was a lot of disturbing and scarring violence. That being said, this is one of the best examples of a film that balances between expanding one's mind, and destroying it completely. It's Japanese horror film mixed with French avant-garde. The terror is muscle seizing, but it's not exactly about what is occuring during the film, but what might happen, and without any of the horrific violence the film wouldn't be the mind trip that it is. Besides the fact that I watched some parts between trembling fingers, it's an epitome of life, and the lengths to which people will go to achieve some form of true understanding. I have only the highest praise, and most scared of feelings for this film.

• Arash X

  
  Dumb & pretentious like other films of this new wave of french horror

• Aditya G

  
  I began watching director Pascal Laugier's "Martyrs" with much anticipation after what I'd read about it so far. Lots was said about how this film belonged to a "new era" of French horror films. The film began on an extremely promising note with a scene… More
  I began watching director Pascal Laugier's "Martyrs" with much anticipation after what I'd read about it so far. Lots was said about how this film belonged to a "new era" of French horror films. The film began on an extremely promising note with a scene of a physically abused and tortured little girl escaping to freedom. The next few minutes that followed sort of spoke about the dark shape of things to come. I continued watching, spellbound as the movie unfolded. I watched in shock and amazement as the blood spilled, the flesh ripped, bodies piled up, and surprises were delivered at breakneck speed. Add to that a claustrophobic atmosphere and some brilliant acting from the two lead performers Mylène Jampanoï and Morjana Alaoui. Nothing much is said or explained during this time...and there is almost no explanation or meaning to the bizarre, gory drama that unfolds. This, IMHO was an added advantage that made this one hell of a movie-watching experience. The run-time ticked to about 58 minutes and then something happened.... The proceedings were turned over their head and a full-fledged explanation was finally given about the why, what, how, etc.! ..And I must confess that I was extremely disappointed and dissatisfied with this sudden change of events. It all seemed so lame and absurd to me that I almost thought that this wasn't really it! There'd got to be more! The entire last half hour then endlessly rambled on..and believe it or not, I was still waiting for a satisfying, convincing finish to the film..hoping for more. I wasn't particularly expecting a happy ending or all-neatly-wrapped-up-package...but at least something that wouldn't be entirely futile! But I never experienced that satisfaction as the ending credits rolled! The whole thing turned out to be just a pointless exercise in gore; "torture porn" if you must, with an absolutely weak central plot! A huge let-down! I am not averse to watching excessive gore on screen. I have enjoyed other movies in the genre earlier, but most of them had plots with lots of "meat" to go along with all the bloodbath. Watch "Martyrs" for a well-directed, brilliant first hour and for the terrific performances of the two lead performers. But do not expect an equally great story, and perhaps you won't be as disappointed. Rating: 4/10

• Robert C

  
  This one left me a little perplexed. It's almost two films in one and each with an equally intriguing (though totally different) feel. I like that you never really know what the reality of the situation is throughout the first half of the film and that we are left with much… More
  This one left me a little perplexed. It's almost two films in one and each with an equally intriguing (though totally different) feel. I like that you never really know what the reality of the situation is throughout the first half of the film and that we are left with much being left up to intepretation. But disliked that (to spite a really interesting concept) the last half of the film, which was meant to sort of tie up any loose ends (no pun intended), wasn't very well fleshed out. And left many vital points unanswered. I feel if they would have cut out some of the torture scenes and spent a little time telling us more about the group who was doing the deeds (and why), it would have greatly improved the film. All in all a very intense (almost too vilolent at times) film, that is well worth viewing for horror fans.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"They did not finish to be alive..."</i> A young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.… More
  <i>"They did not finish to be alive..."</i> A young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> It's a rare horror film that lingers in my mind for days after viewing, gnawing at my subconscious, but Martyrs, from French director Pascal Laugier, achieves just that thanks to its continuously evolving storyline and sheer, unrelenting brutality that is guaranteed to disturb. A shocker form the word go, Martyrs opens as a young girl, Lucie, escapes from a dilapidated building where she has been held captive and subjected to torture by persons unknown. Fifteen years later, a now fully grown but mentally disturbed Lucie (the lovely Mylène Jampanoï) eventually manages to track down those responsible for her abuse and, accompanied by best friend Anna (Morjana Alaoui), proceeds to exact revenge. Justice is swift, with a shotgun toting Lucie coldly dispatching her targets (and their innocent children for good measure), but even though Lucie's nightmare seems as though it is finally over, Anna's is just about to begin. Martyrs might not be perfect, with a final act that is a little too drawn out (and arguably unnecessary altogether), but there's no denying the power of this film as a whole: it's the cinematic equivalent of a flurry of punches to the gut which leaves one feeling both queasy and breathless. Laugier displays incredible control of his material, delivering tense horror and nerve shredding terror whilst also splashing bright red gore across every frame. By the closing credits, even the most bloodthirsty of gore-hounds will have had their fill of shotgun wounds, lump-hammer attacks, cutthroat razor slashing and skin removal, and although there are points at which I feel it might have been wiser to end the film, Martyrs' ultimately ambiguous ending does at least invite conjecture and debate about such lofty subjects as religion and the afterlife.

• Bannan i

  
  WOW. [review TBC]

• Emil K

  
  There are few films in world that i'm tempted to give no stars at all and this is certainly one of them. Martyrs is a sad example of the state that horror-films of today are. If this is what people want to see, then this is a sick world we are living in. It takes truly twisted… More
  There are few films in world that i'm tempted to give no stars at all and this is certainly one of them. Martyrs is a sad example of the state that horror-films of today are. If this is what people want to see, then this is a sick world we are living in. It takes truly twisted mind to like this film. This is 100-minutes of the most sadistic torture porn that one can imagine. If beating women to death is your cup of tea then go head and see this film, but i strongly suggest that first you get your head checked. Director Pascal Laugier is one fucked up person who seems to need help.

• Drew S

  
  There is no middle ground with Martyrs. Surely if you know anything about the film at all, it is its divisive nature. I will tell you now that I thought the movie was absolutely despicable but it also comes with my emphatic recommendation. If you've got the nerve, see it, because… More
  There is no middle ground with Martyrs. Surely if you know anything about the film at all, it is its divisive nature. I will tell you now that I thought the movie was absolutely despicable but it also comes with my emphatic recommendation. If you've got the nerve, see it, because taking in others' opinions about it has been absolutely fascinating to me. I will attempt to keep this review free of spoilers, because as the director says, it is at its most effective as a virgin experience. I will be discussing the ending, but with as little plot detail as possible. I was tempted to just completely spoil it without remorse but maturity soon took hold of me and I decided not to deprive any potential viewers of what will surely be a great deal of complex thought. I am giving it one star only to put it ahead of Funny Games. This film is about the greatest "fuck you" that anyone could ever give to Funny Games. Pascal Laugier effortlessly upstages Michael Haneke's attempts at shocking, contemptuous violence and does it without the self-congratulation, or the winking, or the breaking of the fourth wall. As a condemnation of violence, it is infinitely more effective, but the fact that the movie even exists in the first place renders it self-defeating. Laugier's preface to his own film is necessary watching - to see him speak with candid excoriation of both himself and the monstrous work he has created is oddly cathartic. It let me know, at least, that this exists for more of a reason than the brutalization of pretty young French women. At the same time, though, this is a through-and-through horror movie, and this genre is simply the wrong place to attempt a narrative like this. Horror inherently fetishizes assault and deformation of the human condition, physically, mentally and emotionally. For all its sanctimony and reverence of Anna, there still exists a harrowing ten minute scene where a woman mercilessly executes a family. We still watch a fleshy apparition ripped straight from J-horror scuttle through a house, bumping and jolting in whatever ways would most scare a lulled audience. The violence is not obscured or metaphorized, but instead lingered on, taken in. This may be justifiable in the final half hour, where this incessant brutality and torture are ascribed an arguable purpose, but everything preceding is there simply to cash in on shock and cheap scares. Where Martyrs would attempt to transcend its genre, it instead falls exceptionally hard into nearly every one of its pitfalls. Especially telling is a spot of gratuitous lesbianism that dismantles the film's "chivalrous" intentions and shows much of its true colors: a flick for the gorehounds to bask in. That last half hour, meant to buoy the rest of the film, amounts to little more than an apologist cop-out, suddenly offering viewers something to mull over while still beating the hell out of Anna in the most exhibitionist manner possible. Martyrs ultimately amounts to the movie cashing in your hour and a half of misery and disgust for one very simple question: "what happens after we die?" Someone here learns (or does she?) and it drives her to act very oddly. Past that, we don't know anything. This one universal question is the movie's sole currency, its crutch for presenting this macabre, exploitative gallery. Perhaps Laugier was feeling awfully guilty writing this screenplay and tried to sneak in a little purpose. Two minutes of sophomoric twaddle about martyrdom and vision, however, do absolutely nothing to assuage my guilt and overall sense of dirtiness after watching this movie. A film is generally successful in my eyes if it makes me feel something about the characters. Martyrs did, but what overwhelmed this was how I felt about the people responsible for making the film. As a movie viewer, I have a fairly steely aesthetic line, but so much of this movie shows wanton disrespect for anything even resembling thoughtful use of violence. For all its probing questions about the afterlife, and for all the tail-chasing masturbatory discussion of the nebulous ending, Martyrs is not brilliant. It is not above its genre; it is one of its worst examples. It is an overworked, garish fetishization of violence. There is far less thematic depth than it wants to believe. It's not even well-shot past the gripping first five minutes and the music, a half-assed call back to mid-70s Argento, is embarrassing. But maybe I'm wrong. I hate the movie, but I'm not upset that I watched it, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't compelled completely against my own cognitive volition. I wanted to see it through, primarily wondering if it could redeem itself for atrocity after atrocity. I don't think so. Perhaps in the hands of a director with a grasp of brevity and restraint, this project could have been saved, and worked that thoughtful speck of quality into a truly great movie. The real talent here lies not with the director, though, but with the makeup artist (who as I understand recently committed suicide), and that is where Martyrs falters. You should watch it, though. Consider this a recommendation.

• E.J. B

  
  Now this is a horror movie! A French-Canadian co-production, Martyrs comes in the wake of a new movement in French filmmaking that takes horror to completely new levels of extreme. These films are so gory, so relentless in their realistic depictions of what feels like neverending… More
  Now this is a horror movie! A French-Canadian co-production, Martyrs comes in the wake of a new movement in French filmmaking that takes horror to completely new levels of extreme. These films are so gory, so relentless in their realistic depictions of what feels like neverending violence, that they might make "gore-hounds" turn away in dusgust. But Martyrs is out to do more than just exploit violence like so many shitty American filmmakers (yes, I'm looking at you Eli Roth). It begs you to consider actions as a means to an end. It doesn't critique, but it forces you to witness how some people have no limit. To get what they want, they will do whatever it takes; the end justifies the means. And in this case, does it? If you're able to withstand the whole ordeal, this is definitely a film that will spark intellectual discussion, a sign of a pretty damn good movie.

• Brian D

  
  I can only really welcome this to horror fans and of the gene. I sat down thinking this was going to be a above standard revenge flick with a glop of gore flown in. Well yes u do get that but also the movie splits in half and because another film which I was surprised about, but I… More
  I can only really welcome this to horror fans and of the gene. I sat down thinking this was going to be a above standard revenge flick with a glop of gore flown in. Well yes u do get that but also the movie splits in half and because another film which I was surprised about, but I won?t spotal this for you. It?s very rare for a movie to actually make me shiver but this movie did and at the end, the climax is not pleasant at all. You been warned the shock value rides hide and I give 4 stars because of this, I really cannot say I like the movie but maybe this is the whole point. Certainly not a movie you could watch again in a hurry. I give due to the French because at the moment there is a wave of horror movies coming out and been of a higher standard then are Hollywood fave and maybe ,just maybe they will learn from this that a good horror isn?t just for the teenages audience or have happy endings or have to be another remake or reboot. The French are striking us with very raw, edgey captuvaining and intelliant horror movies and martyrs hold true to this and is keeping the flame strong!

• Steve K

  
  So here I am, left with the question of whether the hype was too hyperbolic (the director appears before the film to apologize for the film he has made) or if I'm just too jaded. As a lover of the horror genre, I've seen well enough by now that it can be downright hard to… More
  So here I am, left with the question of whether the hype was too hyperbolic (the director appears before the film to apologize for the film he has made) or if I'm just too jaded. As a lover of the horror genre, I've seen well enough by now that it can be downright hard to discomfort or disturb me. Martyrs was the film that was supposed to sock us jaded horror fans right in the jaw. Alas, I am unimpressed. Don't get me wrong, it is well made and would likely have "normal" viewers scrambling to turn the film off, seemingly the film's intention. To me, it felt a bit like undernourished Clive Barker, with some imaginative gruesomeness and an unintentional undercurrent of silliness. I guess I should give it another shot at some point when I'm not awash in all the hype and can just view it for what it is. Perhaps it will work better then.

• A.D. V

  
  Pointless, nihlistic & mean-spirited with a few well done moments of superior craftsmanship. A great example of why I hate the latest trend of so-called horror movies nowadays.

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