2008
Directed by: Pascal Laugier
Category: Horror
I love a good horror film. More than that, I love a well made horror film, a concept that is seriously lacking these days. I could literally just name maybe a handful right off the bat from the last 10 years or so. But this was one I never got around to watching until now. It's one of those titles that always popped up on certain "Best Of" film lists but I had just never gotten around to actually getting my hands on a copy.
Well I finally did and here are my thoughts.
Holy shit did this film kick my ass. It's so rare when a horror film "shocks" me. And this one certainly did with it's depiction of gratuitous violence, torture and sleek filmmaking. This was insane! And I can only agree with every quote on that poster. It is definitely not for the squeamish, it does make Saw look like Sesame Street, and it "is" one of the best horror films to come out in the last 10 years. I still can't get over how crazy this film was.
I don't think I really want to dig anymore into this because I went in knowing absolutely nothing about it and my experience was all the more entertaining for it. So you should too. I think the last time I was affected by a film like this was when I saw Ji-Woon Kim's I Saw The Devil about 2 years ago. This doesn't happen very often, and it shouldn't either because when it does happen it's like a kick in the nuts.
For me one of the pluses (and it's BIG plus) with Martyrs is it's amazing practical effects. Seriously, you just don't see this shit anymore and it's such a shame. And this is jam packed to the max with outrageous gory practical effects work and I love it. Great production value and performances only make this experience even better.
Another standout about Martyrs, which took me by surprise, is that it's like 2 different films cut in half, much like From Dusk Till Dawn. With Martyrs, the first half I would describe as a revenge film. And it's very well made and the intensity vibe flows smoothly. And then right smack in the middle it takes a huge detour and when it's all over you're kind of left numb and shocked, or at least I was. But in a good way.
So anyway, yea. Get your hands on this. And if you've already seen it, let's discuss!
I felt the same way almost 3 years ago when I saw Martyrs. I was completely blown away, like somebody had bashed me in the face with a frying pan or something. It was so bad I couldn't get myself to watch another movie for almost two weeks, and when I slowly started again, I had to begin with Groundhog Day.
ReplyDeleteAnd it really is true, the less you know, the better it is, and the more you get completely torn apart by this movie.
And Saw? Saw and most other mainstream horror movies are fucking Ghost Dad compared to this one.
Oh man, I'm with you on that. This was insane and intense. I'm surprised thought that this director hasn't really done anything worthwhile since, or that he's gotten any kind of recognition because this was so well made and put together. I read he was supposed to do the Hellraiser reboot, but backed out. That would have been something cool.
DeleteI've heard about this film. A friend saw it. I think I've got to give it a miss. I know it sounds crazy but I prefer my horror to be more "fun".
ReplyDeleteLol!! Nothing wrong with that Jack! I agree. But I think for me, sometimes I like to be shocked. Though I usually always do prefer a fun horror film.
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