Each and every time I
read articles about horror movies, which are the most horrific, the ones that
will shock the pants off you, ‘Martyrs’ is always close to the top of the
list. Naturally, after reading profusely
about this film, intrigued at its’ ability to shock even the most jaded of
horror fans, I had to give it a look. Of
course, things aren’t always as they seem in the world of film critics…
The film itself is
French, filmed in Quebec, Canada. Don’t
be disheartened by subtitles; I find them an excellent way to help fully absorb
yourself in a movie. Anyway, not the
point. It follows two girls, Lucie and
Anna, both subjected to horrible abuse as children (however, in separate
circumstances). Adult Lucie is
determined to get revenge on those who put her through such terrible anguish,
with Anna (generally) supporting her.
Lucie, suffering from trauma as well as delusions, soon allows herself
to be consumed by her mental instability, leaving Anna alone in the house of
Lucie’s abusers. I know this seems like
a long-winded introduction but I don’t want to give any of the events away.
Shortly into her time
in the apparently empty house, Anna makes a discovery: a sterile, hospital-like
basement hidden away from the world. In
this basement Anna finds yet another like Lucie who has been tortured in the
same manner, minus the escape. Needless
to say, Anna’s attempts to help the other are short-lived. Once again alone in the house, Anna is
confused and becoming unravelled. That
is, until she is found.
From here on the film
takes an interesting turn, exposing us to a world filled with depravity and
torment, all the while lacking humanity and reason. As Anna’s life begins a rapid downward
spiral, it becomes quite difficult to understand why this film was made. The concept of a martyr is not entirely
convincing and while many reviews rave about how different ‘Martyrs’ is from
the shock-horror gore-porn we have all come to know – I don’t know, I can’t say
I necessarily agree. The film is
bizarre, twisted, degrading, horrific, unreasonable and, to be frank, f***ed
up. Don’t get me wrong, I understood it,
but was there a need for it? Perhaps
not.
Look, give it one
viewing – if you get squeamish at mutated humans like me, then you’ll get a
slight kick out of it. But ensure you
are prepared for a whole lot of strange.
‘Martyrs’ will definitely not be anything like you are expecting.
