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53%
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7.1
- Release Date: Apr 28, 2009
- Rated: R | Runtime: 99 Mins | Language: French
- Director: Pascal Laugier
- Stars: Mylène Jampanoï, Morjana Alaoui, Mike Chute, Catherine Bégin, Robert Toupin, Patricia Tulasne, Juliette Gosselin
Movie Review: Martyrs (2008) ReviewHorror Lists: Horror Movies People Famously Walked Out OfClear Critique Lists Six Actually Scary MoviesNo Happy EndingsMovies like…Movies Like MartyrsStreaming News: Horror Movies Coming to Shudder MARCH 2022
Critic Reviews:
This was much more a fictional story with plot, characters, and a story to tell. Still, the real horror here is that we all know this sort of thing happens regularly in real life. Maybe not to the extent showed here, but yeah, this has probably all actually happened at some point in reality.
Martyrs takes the underlying concept of torture porn—pleasure from excessive displays of pain—and thoroughly explodes it in 99 minutes of grueling, non-stop butchery. It is impossible for the viewer to go away feeling exhilarated or excited after witnessing so much carnage; instead, most viewer reactions I’ve read have made it seem as if you can’t help but feel gutted and defeated, a sentiment I shared.
Be warned, this film is really not for the squeamish or the easily offended. I have sat through countless hours of reel gore and splatter before, but i still squirmed at the sight of Anna’s physical abuse, so that’s really saying something. But if you can tell yourself to be brave and explore a new frontier, I think you will find Martyrs to be an enriching and thought provoking experience.