Over the last decade or so horror fans have been clamoring over Japan's take on the genre -- now it seems as though it's the French's turn.
Following in the footsteps of such nasty flicks as "High Tension," "Inside" and "Frontier(s)" - as well as being hyped as the next level in extreme horror - "Martyrs" has been on my radar for some time now.
After sitting through 97 of the most intense and brutal minutes I've ever experienced in a movie theatre, it's clear that France is in the midst of a hostile takeover of the horror genre.
The plot revolves around a young girl named Lucie who escapes a slaughterhouse where she had been held captive and tortured. We know very little about her, but are immediately thrust into her predicament as she comes running from the abattoir, screaming and showing visible signs of the punishment she has endured. In mental shambles, she is admitted to a psychiatric facility where she develops a friendship with a girl named Anna.
Years pass and the two are all grown up now. Lucie, with the help of Anna, manages to track down a seemingly normal family that she believes is responsible for her suffering. After politely knocking on their front door, she proceeds to execute the parents and their two teens in brutal fashion with a double-barreled shotgun.
Not only does "Martyrs" gradually descend into madness at this point, but for me, this marked the first wave of people to walk out of the movie theatre -- an event that would continue throughout the film's duration. Some who left would return after clearing their heads, but many never came back.
"Martyrs" is brutal, ugly and nihilistic and the aforementioned scene is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of graphic violence. It's the type of film where you can appreciate how effective the elements of horror are, but you don't necessarily enjoy it. It's meant to be unpleasant and boy does it ever succeed.
Director Pascal Laugier immediately shows he has a flare for the horrific. Even before the opening credits roll, he already has you on edge. The first hour of the film maintains a frantic pace and never really lets up. There are also a number of unanswered questions that loom overhead, such as who were this family, and was Lucie correct or is she just crazy?
To top it all off, there's a demonic creature terrorizing Lucie. Is it real or just a figment of her imagination?
Those questions are gradually answered over the course of the first hour. However, it's once the details are revealed that "Martyrs" tries to make the jump to existential art film, only it doesn't stick the landing. Almost all the momentum and terror comes to grinding halt.
It's not that I have anything against the idea of a horror film aiming high for a poignant reason to justify its carnage, but the simple fact is "Martyrs" doesn't actually have anything insightful to say. It merely creates the illusion of deep thought.
I won't go into great detail about the nature of the ending, but it touches on the events that occur following death. Of course, this is left completely open to our imagination and there in lies the problem - it's always been left open to us. You don't need someone to tell you to interpret a Picasso painting because you can simply do that on your own.
This film has the cojones to show its audience countless scenes of extreme gore, but doesn't have the guts to present any kind of theory on its existential themes. It gets points for aiming high, but the execution falls below its lofty goals. It's a real shame because the first hour is the best horror you will see all year.
Despite the ending, "Martyrs" is a breath of fresh air in a world full of bad remakes and PG-13 rated nonsense. But you've been warned, it is not for the weak of heart. Don't expect to leave the theatre feeling like you've just had a great time at the movies.
JAM! RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
