Martyrs

I imagine La créature standing in my doorway before bedtime… 

every… single… night.

By definition, a Martyr is “a believer who is called to witness for their 

religious belief; who, on account of this witness, endures suffering and/or death.”  Most famous example being, Jesus Christ.  

Martyrs follows the story of a young girl named Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï), 

who is being held captive in a remote prison of sorts.  She’s been kept here for a long period of time and has endured unbelievable physical torture and abuse for a reason unbeknownst to her.  Within the first 10 minutes of the movie, Lucie escapes and is placed in an orphanage.  Cut to 15 years later, Lucie is a grown woman, looking to avenge her captors.  Without receiving any answers, Lucie slaughters her past imprisoners, as well as the rest of their innocent family.  She calls upon her childhood shelter consort, Anna (Morjana Alaoui), to help her dispose of the bodies.  It is brought to our attention, that from her past experiences, Lucie has gone a little nutty - in the form of hallucinations of “La créature” (Isabelle Chasse), an emaciated and mutilated woman.  Unfortunately, Anna has inadvertently become part of Lucie’s quandary and is left to face the consequences.  Directed by Pascal Laugier in 2008, Martyrs takes us on a formidable journey into damnation.   

Despite the title, I had no idea what this movie was going to be about.  And I didn’t recognize the main objective until the film’s final minutes -  which Pascal Laugier has said is intentional. He explains that Martyrs was constructed in a manner to which audiences are left unable to guess the overall plot.  Leaving it’s viewers just as helpless as it’s heroines.  Similar to “Kill List” by Ben Wheatley - Martyrs starts as one story, and evolves into something totally different.  Beginning as an anecdote that is almost ghostly super human, the film unfolds into a narrative that is all too real - complete with a live human flaying.  But this movie isn’t just torture porn - it is about human misery and pain.  It’s about French youth today, growing up feeling despair and isolation.  And what better way is there is to represent gloom and heartache - than by putting it into a horror movie.  Martyrs had a hard time being brought to life, due to the rejection from all major French studios - but I sure as hell am glad that it made it’s way onto my TV.  At number 9, ladies and gentlemen, Martyrs.  

You can rent Martyrs online at Google Play and Youtube - or always just rent the DVD from Netflix, Amazon DVD or Amazon Bluray.