Martyrs (2008)

Another movie that is not for the squeamish to say the least is the french horror flick "Martyrs".
It came out in 2008 and follows in the vein of a new wave of terror that has been coming from France since the mid 2000s. After ultra violent slasher films like 'High Tension', 'Frontiers' or the super-gory 'Inside', Martyrs is the only film in the circuit that may be worth a watch - for those who can endure it.

As a martyr would not ask for mercy, don't expect any mercy from this film.

The first scene shows a neglected girl, Lucie, running barely dressed and screaming.
She just escaped after having been kidnapped, imprisoned and humiliated by unknown people.

Deeply traumatized she is brought to a hospital. The doctors and the police try to find out more about what she has been through but there is only one person Lucie trusts and opens up to a little, a girl named Ana. What does she tell her? She told her that she is afraid. Fear has actually conquered her, changed her, made her a victim. She is even contemplating suicide.What has happened to her? Well, find it out yourself in exquisitely graphic detail if you dare.

In search for the ultimate terror flick 'Martyrs' has often been named as the one that pushes the boundaries to the next level. Indeed, even a fan of the genre could agree on this.
What sets 'Martyrs' apart from similar films is that it actually has some kind of story idea that is not what we usually get to see. There are no psychopathic killers running around, no fucked up jerks who want to satisfy their sick longing for blood and gore. Martyrs tries to incorporate some context that make it SEEM a bit more profound (than it is).

Some call it pretentious. It may be. It is certainly not running very deep but at least it's a little different, a little more interesting than the usual business. And it definately will have you at the edge of your seat.

If a horror movie's first ambition is to shock, disturb and/or disgust this one delivers it all.
It is fast paced with some creepily effective gotcha moments in the first half. For a long time we don't know what's exactly going on but we will find out even though afterwards some people might wish they hadn't. Of course there are problems concerning credibility but what to expect from a horror film like this?

Overall it is pretty well made and certainly succeeds at what it does. The result is that it will probably scare the hell out of you. Again you might wanna skip this if you are not used to extreme horror.

This is certainly as nasty as it gets when it comes to horror right now that can still be considered a "horror FILM" (in sense of narrative, look and feel ... if you know what I mean).

I recommend this film but don't tell me I didn't warn you.