Martyrs (2008)

Director: Pascal Laugier
Stars: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin
Runtime: 99 minutes

Synopsis: 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.

Performances: 4/5
Screenplay: 4/5
Costumes/Makeup: 4/5
Editing: 2/5
Cinematography: 3/5
Score/Soundtrack: 4/5

Verdict: Unsettling, unnerving, and upsetting.
"Martyrs", directed by Pascal Laugier, is the story of two girls seeking revenge against the people who kidnapped and abused one of them when she was just a child.

I don't consider myself a fan of torture porn at all, but it's not something that bothers me when used properly in a movie. But if gruesome and bloody imagery is something that you don't like featured in the movies you watch, then this film is DEFINITELY not for you. "Martyrs" contains scenes so extreme that I had to pause the film a couple of times to process what was going on.

Having said all that, these scenes are essential to the story told, which reminded me a lot of some sort of "Hostel" and "Revenge" hybrid. It deals with very interesting and dark themes that can only be explored in a psychological horror movie such as this one. The gore is included to further explore these concepts, and not only to add shock value to a movie that doesn't necessarily need it ("Hellboy", I'm looking at you). The story itself, however, didn't grab me as much as I was expecting it to, probably due to the fact that the focus was thrown on the ideas rather than the narrative.

On a technical level, "Martyrs" was also a bit disappointing. It felt as it was shot on a cellphone and the editing was chaotic and messy. The upbeat score, on the other hand, did help with the pacing of some scenes and fit well with the tone of the movie.

"Martyrs" is most definitely not a movie for everyone. Some people will absolutely love it, and some people will absolutely hate it. I fall somewhere in the middle. There's certainly a lot to appreciate about it, but the whole thing still feels a bit shaky at times.

FINAL GRADE: 6/10