My sister worked on that movie when I was a child, i actually have such good memories of the whole crew and actors were so kind ! I’ve been on many sets as an actor myself since then but this one is still one of my fondest memories. We didnt realise it was such a violent movie obviously because they kept us children away from the main actors when they were in makeup, just when I watched the movie recently I was pretty surprised this was the same set were I used to get cupcakes from the catering lady and run around the house 😅
That's cool. Nice to know the set wasn't some depressive/oppressive environment where people were miserable. Because oh boy, this movie certainly creates some gnarly emotions in people.
@PinkCarnation - Mind telling us more about working on set? I'm a huge fan of this film and would love to talk to someone who worked on it in any capacity.
@@jeanpaulmichell7243 as I've understood, it's not uncommon to have a very relaxed and happy atmosphere on films as extreme as this one. Salo for instance, the vibe on set was so relaxed and laid back that the actors didn't even realise how far the film would go, sure they had to film a few horrible scenes but they planned it so that the actors didn't film them back to back. Some actors actually left during first screening because of how horrified they where
Allegedly the director was going through a bout of severe depression, and wanted to convey the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and horror that comes with it. As someone who's battled major depression since 13, and as a life long horror fan, I think the guy nailed it. This film creates the feel and logic of that state of mind; the inability to escape the horror, since the horror is coming from yourself, and fighting it results in being dragged further down, to an even worse fate. Then you fall deeper still into the pit, thinking you've hit bottom...... Until THAT floor gives, and you fall yet again into a fresh new hell. Jeez I went on a bit of a rant; point is this film is a masterpiece that connects with some; others should steer clear of it. Martyrs may just ruin your day.
Fortunately, I've never suffered from clinical depression, but I've been depressed at certain points in my life like most people. So, I appreciate your insight. Be well!
You laid it out rather well. I haven't seen it, but I most likely will, maybe sometime this week. If the writer/director Pascal Laugier was going through a bout of severe depression when he made the film, it would seem that he was able to channel it to make what he may have crafted as a cautionary tale (total speculation on my part, having not seen it yet). It looks like they released an English-language version of the film, with an all new cast, eight years later in Jan 2016. Interestingly, Laugier apparently was attached to direct the recently released Hellraiser remake, but pulled out of the project. Hope you are well . . .
If you've ever seen the version on dvd, it comes with an introduction from director Pascal Laugier basically apologizing for making the film lmao. It's the version I first watched back in 08, and showed all my friends. Not only does that introduction really prime the viewer for a terrifying next 2 hours, but i believe it sort of shows that he isnt nearly as nihilistic or calloused as the film might lead you to believe
That reminds me of stuff done by Junji Ito. Reading any of his work, you'd think for sure he's this tortured soul, but whenever you see him in interviews, he's the most composed, sweet and kind man you'll lay eyes on.
stating that I couldn't believe that there was a director that actually thought it was ok to make such a horrific and disturbing movie that is why I put in my comment what was the director thinking wasn't depressed was it a fantasy like Jeffrey Dahmer what was his mental state but this has cleaner made a bit of sense
Martyrs is one of those rare films that actually understands and depicts despair. Not "oh, shit's really bad, but maybe we can pull out a win", but straight-up "our only concept of hope is a fond yet distant memory" despair. It takes a special type of horror film for me to acknowledge just how damn well it's made to the point where I can't in good conscience recommend it to everyone; the first time you have that inner-turmoil with yourself, you know you're watching a real cinema rarity.
It might be rare and it makes me think what was the directors mental state when making this movie and is it really good that we entertain it but I heard that he apologise for making this movie but I have to wonder is there real things like this hidden in the background in real life or even in Hollywood you have to think there's so many coats and agencies out there that do these type of things it's unreal and it reminds me of eyes wide shut I wonder
@@secreteobsession3584 this is the recurring thought in the back of my head. That this film is in some way, shape, or form a truth of something the director personally had become a part of and this film was created as a trauma response of some sort ?? No clue but I wonder...
@@ChamStar625 If that’s the case, the director would be represented by the family in the house that lived above it all. I do believe that stuff like this is happening. If you can think of something, it’s likely happening right now somewhere in the world. The scary thing is how easily someone with money and a lot of power could do something like this and never face consequences for it. We hear about trafficking all the time. Many people who are trafficked may end up like Lucie or Anna. Bleak stuff. Reality is always scarier than horror films. Better to not think about it.
@@_.-_Crimpy-_..-. Pascal confirms it in special features of the Martyrs bluray release that human trafficking was definitely a strong element, with that said. Most of the NFE films have all been inspired by events that happened in france around that time, Inside was supposed conceived as a film idea after one of the directors heard that close to fifty pregnant bodies were found over the course of two, all of them disemboweled and the womb removed, and Frontier(s) was made as a statement against the far that at the time was about to come into power in france. Art really does mirror reality sometimes, its why those kind of films scare me more than metaphysical horror films.
@@secreteobsession3584reminds me of Eyes Wide Shut".. exactly what i was thinking. The ritualistic nature of it all. Also notice how all the old rich people at the end congregate to celebrate 😂 Movies like these, and Kubrick's EWS maybe sly ways insiders are trying to tell us about the seriously weird excesses and interests of the jaded .1% and their efforts at achieving some kind of renewal / nirvana. Given what we know today about, lets just say the extreme eccentricities and transgressions of the very privileged, a movie like this just makes you wonder if they aren't just outright mocking us 😂 Edit: the recurring motif of inflicting pain upon the young and working class, and using their dismay as some kind of outlet / high for the few is something that gets touched on quite often.
@@lyricahm3370 I might have overreacted at the time, obviously it's a work of fiction but there's a level of realism to it that's highly unnerving. And this is coming from someone who's seen Irreversible, Inside, Eden Lake, High Tension and none of those movies disturbed me as much as this one
ironically, “people stretch to find meaning in the ending where it really feels like there isn’t” is basically the perfect ending for the themes of the film
At the end, the heartwarming message is that the real friends is the horrifying truth about the nature of our seemingly meaningless existence that we picked up along the way
I think this dude's religious upbringing is still torturing him internally. Martyrs is so good because it's extreme but VERY INTERESTING and well made. You don't have to put a positive "meaning" in everything you watch, Grow up!!!🙄
The ending elevated it beyond torture porn. Either she realised there was nothing after death so everything she did was pointless and she couldn't live with what she'd done. That or there was a a glorious afterlife and she wanted to get their quicker because age was terminal. Love how open ended it was
Tbh I think she was told something horrific and hope erasing so she just surrendered herself to whatever it is. Thats why she said keep doubting to the old fellas.
@@MrHiglon it can be but should could have died naturally enjoying her last few days of good wealthy life yk , Or it's something that's just very mere and nothingness that there's just void , absolutely nothing, so with that she lost every hope in after life and died thinking all this for nothing, another theory is that even the director don't know if there is afterlife so her death was very necessary in order to keep it logical and not something made up 🤷🏽♂️
As to the ending, my theory is this; Anna tells the old lady that Yes, there is a beautiful afterlife, and it is yours. But with only one contingency, you embrace it now and you cannot tell another living soul. Which is all a ploy for revenge.
if the afterlife was glorious, why wouldn’t she tell the others? If the afterlife was nothingness, why did the director make it seem like Anna definitely saw something? If the afterlife was bad, why would she be in a hurry to get there? Tbh, i don’t think any of the endings make sense without it being a stretch, like Stuckmann said
@@ptsdsucks9069That theory is plausible but the movie never indicates that that’s what happened. It never remotely seems like Anna is plotting anything. It’s basically a head canon
I remember reading in an interview a while back the director saying something about being in a very dark and sad place in his life and in my opinion, it really shows.
I think this youtuber's religious upbringing is still torturing him internally. Martyrs is so good because it's extreme but VERY INTERESTING and well made. You don't have to put a positive "meaning" in everything you watch, Grow up people!!!🙄
@@pdcdesign9632 I think he had a pretty level headed approach to this review. also he didn't say that the meanings derived from this movie had to be positive, he said that he appreciates when he understands where the director is coming from.
@@pdcdesign9632 in a movie like that yes you have to put meaning if your movie has no meaning then it's a forgotten film or just one of those pop corn theme park movies i mean why do you think the first chainsaw massacre movie is still the best one ? because it has alot of meanings and massages not some brainless slasher film that other slashers tried to copy and failed
He was frustrated with his life and with the movie industry, so he poured all that negativity into the script and into making of this movie what it is. Regardless of whether or not it was intentional, he created a masterpiece of this genre. And for that, I will always be grateful.
This film stayed with me forever. You can’t get it out of your head. The film has a purpose and leaves you breathless and questioning many things about life. It’s probably the finest film that relates so vividly to existential dread. It’s an endless loop of suffering and pain but the payoff is completely without precedent. One of the best films I’ve ever seen and can’t recommend it highly enough but be forewarned: it’s impossible to shake off or easily dismiss. It asks too many questions and answers none. You cannot “unsee” this movie
I saw Human Centipede (part 1 and 2) and that was disturbing enough… I’ve decided not to watch Serbian Film because they say it’s the most disturbing movie ever made and I already know of some scenes in it But I’ve been trying to watch Martyrs without success, I tried watching it last week with my friend and he didn’t wanna watch it because it wasn’t in English. I’ve already seen alot of clips of it but I think I just need to watch the whole movie
I watched this before A Serbian Film. The horror of this movie leaves you after watching A Serbian Fim. How do I get rid of the PTSD from A Serbian Film?
This is the only Horror movie that I’ve found myself randomly thinking about years after and being unsettled all over again just from thinking about it.
I completely respect that people feel the way you do. But personally I will never entirely understand it, I just love dark films like this 🤷♂I find them entertaining and I don't think I can ever be truly upset by something like this, I just don't understand the mentality. I watched this film again with my wife on our anniversary a few weeks ago and she thought it was really good too, She's not someone who watches messed up films like this but still she wasn't upset by it either, she just watched it, enjoyed it, the film finished, she had her dinner and went to bed. I guess so many people just have so many different ways of processing things. As I said I entirely respect that everyone takes things differently but the idea of being disturbed by a movie, no matter how messed up it is.. is just not something my brain experiences lol.
I remember hearing about it years ago and gave it a chance. To this day I never forget the uneasiness of just sitting there in complete silence trying to come to grips with what I was watching. Just as the credits rolled, my neighbor let out a terrible scream. Thankfully it was just her dog getting too feisty, but that had me actually shook.
To put it mildly, the movie is interesting, but I would not watch it again or list it among my favorites. Although a cliffhanger, the conclusion was still interesting.
Laugier has said in interviews that he wrote the film during a mental health breakdown and that’s how the movie speaks to me. Of the pain, the rawness and the fact that you have to go deeper into the basement of your mind in order to climb out of the other side. That’s my take on it as someone who has had a few MH breakdowns and spent time on a MH ward.
So the ending of the film where the martyr finally accepts her torture means that she represents how a person can just accept their role in life? I’m trying to find the deeper meaning in the film, why not reveal the last words she had said to the Mademoiselle? Maybe it means there’s no other side even if you resign yourself to your fate?
@@whitedragoness23 There is a love story at the heart of this tragedy. Anna’s self sacrifice for her deep bond and love for Lucie is what put her in this situation. I felt that Anna got retribution in the end before her death. As to the ending, my theory is this; Anna tells the old lady that Yes, there is a beautiful afterlife, and it is yours. But with only one contingency, you embrace it now and you cannot tell another living soul. Which is all a ploy for revenge.
@@ptsdsucks9069 I do believe there is a love story between anna and Lucie, I did question why did Anna do so much for lucie. She did kill a while family and that was before anna was able to confirm it was a conspiracy to torture women for the after life. I think Anna was in love with lucie. It’s hard to tell if lucie felt the same way because she was tormented from her torture and wanted to be free. I debate all the endings and each one seems to make sense. I can definitely see your theory being a strong candidate because like you said Anna could get her revenge by tricking the madame with her own obsession
@@whitedragoness23 I think Lucie felt more of a sisterly love for Anna, whereas Anna wanted to be a couple. As disturbing as this movie is, it is deeply tragic and sad.
A critic who cares for the filmmaker's emotions while making the film.. only a true artist can empathize that way. Thanks for doing what you do, Chris.
this was truly a masterpiece with so many symbolic meanings and i think seeing and feeling all hope is actually gone is hard to come by in most movies, not this one. the raw emotions and the true martyr is so rare to find, this movie sends shivers down my back and i only have brought myself to watch it once.
The thing that made this movie a heavy impact for me was how the character Anna was treated during the film. I genuinely felt deeply sad for her and literally cried throughout the last 30 minutes.
First time I saw it, the last 30 minutes made me ALMOST turn the movie off, it was so intensely upsetting. But I HAD to see what happened next, I was deeply interested in Anna's fate, and the film's writing is so well done I soldiered on to the end and I'm glad I did. Martyrs is a genuinely crazy-ass experience.
@@jeanpaulmichell7243 exactly, It was difficult to look away from because of the curiosity on what her resolution would be, it was a pretty interesting ending I gotta say, just very depressing. That close up shot of Anna’s eye as she witnesses “life after death” was kind of beautiful in a weird way, It sort of feels like that one scene from Uncut Gems when Adam Sandler’s character dies from the gunshot wound on cheek. It does the same exact shot.
@@BigHeadUgly way worse, hostel is brutal but still feels like a movie. in hostel things are over the top when it comes to the brutality. this does not feel like a movie because of how brutal and realistic the violence it is. the torture in this film is so grueling to sit though. i would never watch it again, but the movie is a good movie.
This movie is one of those that should NEVER had been remade! The way it was shot, acted and it’s theme is one that is not for the faint of heart yes! It has so many possible subjects that could be concluded from it. The one thing I will say is this! I have watched Marty’s several times now and it is one of my top films of all times. The cinematographer, theme and acting is brilliant. It’s not for everyone yes! However it does what a good film is supposed to do. It makes you think. It’s real and raw and the anguish and pain is so tangible you can taste it. It’s a hard movie to watch but oh does it make you think!!!
@@War624 it was a travesty and the people who did it should be arrested! They destroyed the whole concept and reason why this movie was even done in the first place.
@@hayleyjohnson9505 - Indeed, it was such a random, not even publicized remake... and it removed the ending's ambiguity, making it clear that what the last girl (don't remember her American name) speaks words that makes anyone listening immediately go mad and suicidal, like some Lovecraftian stuff. I doubt the remake's writers asked the original writer for more insight, it was probably their interpretation. But anyway, that remake really went under the radar when it came out, even as a fan of the original movie and horror films in general, it took me a while to learn that there was an American remake that made zero noise that came out.
Hands down the most gruesome movie I’ve ever seen. This isn’t even scary it’s just downright disturbing. But there’s something about the ending that has always stuck with me and makes appreciate it more and more I think about it.
It isn't even scary?.. How is it not? :) It's always little funny when people say a particular movie isn't scary but very disturbing. It's just another way of recognising a movie as scary
@@choccymilkconnoisseur2775 idk, disturbing and scary are kind of like siblings the feeling is almost the same at times. There’s a fine line between the two.
As brutal and gut wrenching as this movie is, its more than what appears on the surface. There is a lot to unpack and it leaves you thinking about a lot of things afterwards. It’s certainly not for everyone and it’s also not the type of movie I’d watch over and over but I think it’s worth watching.
I think this dude's religious upbringing is still torturing him internally. Martyrs is so good because it's extreme but VERY INTERESTING and well made. You don't have to put a positive "meaning" in everything you watch, Grow up!!!🙄
@@pdcdesign9632 “grow up” coming from a random stranger leaving a comment on RU-vid to tell someone to grow up because they shared their opinion. Just because you have no friends doesn’t mean you need to be a prick 😊
yeah i have a lot of movies i’ve seen that are really really great but i definitely don’t need to see again, boys don’t cry being one of them. (i have watched requiem for a dream a few times though (and read the book) and i do think for many ppl it would be that type of movie. but i do feel ready to see it again soon)
This is one of my favorite horror movies and I still don't know if I'll be able to watch it a third time. But the themes of terrible loss mean so much to me, as I saw it at a time when I'd been in a worse depression and having trouble shaking existential bullshit. You can feel the heart in it. One of the only horror movies that have made me cry, and heartbreak is one of the most real horrors. SO COOL to see you review this, thank you. (I just showed it to my parents) I'm pretty sure you haven't already (sorry if you have), but I would also love to hear what you have to say about Eli Roth's HOSTEL, THE torture porn movie that is NOT torture porn and has a really interesting, layered plot and a classic structure and twists (and it's not NEARLY as explicit as it's made out to be‐-it actually hardly shows any torture and leans on editing, sound, the performances) I think it deserves way more credit than just being "that fucked up torture porn movie about torture porn." Not saying it's perfect but man if people weren't so turned off by it because of the reputation I think they'd really like it. For the record I did watch this simply to overcome a fear of a gross movie I thought was going to be boring torture porn, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. it became an instant favorite of mine. The score by Nathan Barr is also simply EXCELLENT, like Bernard Hermann's scores for Psycho and Vertigo. Like this shit is bangin. (the movie also feels very Hitchcockian in ways and is pretty much a more fucked up Psycho set in Europe)
Martyrs and Irreversible stood out to me as really messed up back in the day. But, yes Martyrs definitely initiated more conversation. It's violent, but A+. But not the kind of A+ you can repeatedly watch.
À l'intérieur (Inside) is another good one from the 'new french extremity'. Also, I Saw the Devil fits the bill of being a crazy experience, yet something you'll reconsider before watching again.
The ending is just spectacular. Martyrdom, according to the movie, is almost impossible of a thing to attain. The word is often misconstrued, shallow and understated, but this film is specific on informing us just how rare and how valuable a true martyr may actually be. The question is, how much does a sing human being have of themselves to give away, or on the contrary...to be taken? How much flesh blood and tears, how much of mind, body and soul, of the human spirit can be given? How much can be decimated? Encompassing all these human elements into a single form, what are we left with when reduced to our lowest common denominator? The smashing of a human atom into a single human particle?? Then once we have our hands firmly grasped on that, how far can we take that particle? How far past the sun, and beyond the last original place does it go and where the hell on earth does that lead us? Movie is brutal. But not as brutal as the lack of knowledge humans have about themselves.
There is a love story at the heart of this tragedy. Anna’s self sacrifice for her deep bond and love for Lucie is what put her in this situation. I felt that Anna got retribution in the end before her death. As to the ending, my theory is this; Anna tells the old lady that Yes, there is a beautiful afterlife, and it is yours. But with only one contingency, you embrace it now and you cannot tell another living soul. Which is all a ploy for revenge.
When I tell people I like horror movies they automatically assume I enjoy popular slasher franchises or jump scare horror (which can be good and have their place) but I find I need to specify that Martyrs is the perfect example of what I want to see in a horror film. It checks every box for me!!
I watched this gem in the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival that year, and I remember coming out from that screening and going directly to the queue to watch the next movie and I noticed my armas, my legs... felt so numb. It was incredible. All my muscles were tense during more than 90 minutes during that disturbing movie and affected me physically. Love Martyrs. And I could also watch other extreme French horror hits in that festival years before, such as Al Intherieur or Frontiere(s).
"Trying to inject meaning where there's none" is a quote that fits the point of this movie kind of. I love it at least, but I don't really recommend it to people unless I know they want to watch something truly unsettling. Btw I love that you're wearing a Hellraiser shirt because they're quite similar in a lot of ways. I would love one of these french directors to make a Hellraiser movie because I feel they could do it justice.
Martyrs director Pascal Laugier was once associated with the Hellraiser remake, but he left for unknown reasons. Some say his script was turned down by the Weinsteins because it was not marketable.
@@76BitchSlap yeah the weinsteins bounced laugier when he wanted to really lean into the gay s&m angle. Presumably if it would have been about female s&m harvey would have been fully on board
I felt that Anna got retribution in the end before her death. As to the ending, my theory is this; Anna tells the old lady that Yes, there is a beautiful afterlife, and it is yours. But with only one contingency, you embrace it now and you cannot tell another living soul. Which is all a ploy for revenge.
Best blind buy I've ever purchased. I will thank the dude working at Sunrise who picked this out when I was having a scary movie night with people who had "seen everything". Best blind watch too, it's brutally fantastic. Best part is the back of the DVD made it seem like the film was only about the revenge portion. Also, on one of the copies I have there is an introduction by the Director, he basically apologizes for anyone about to watch the movie
Which version had the intro? I rebought it on Blu-ray and eventually sold off my old dvds of it (had both the R cut and uncut versions, I regret not just keeping them), but I can't remember if either had that intro.
@@polygon.fiction6514 the Cover with the intro wasn't the normal dvd with the Black cover with the leads. The version that has the intro is the "unrated" cover it has someone all bloody creeping out from behind a bathtub
There is a love story at the heart of this tragedy. Anna’s self sacrifice for her deep bond and love for Lucie is what put her in this situation. I felt that Anna got retribution in the end before her death. As to the ending, my theory is this; Anna tells the old lady that Yes, there is a beautiful afterlife, and it is yours. But with only one contingency, you embrace it now and you cannot tell another living soul. Which is all a ploy for revenge.
Just saw this movie, had this thought, and have been scrolling, looking for someone who shares it. I think she definitely got retribution. No matter what she told Mademoiselle, it worked.
I agree; I think Ana said something like that. My thought was "I see paradise, but no one who hears what I say about it will ever see it." Mademoiselle knows she can't resist the urge to ask for the details, so she ends it, and tells the others to stop.
When I watched it I had to take a few breaks from it. I went to the garden and looked up at the blue sky and the green grass. When the film ended I took a shower and I went to the garden one more time. Then I dressed up and left the house. No other movie has ever had such an effect on me. What an experience.
@@sclay757 It's Very Brutal and Bleak I thought about it as well why did I put myself through it but it's kind a rare thing for a movie to stay with you for days like it was a experience not many horror films can give you. Don't watch it if you are curious. Watch SPEAK No Evil 2022 if you want something lite but still Good horror
@@gutsthestruggler3052 you said don't watch it if you are curious then when should you watch it? And if you had it to do all over again would you not watch it or still watch it?
There's something about this film that makes it disturbing even outside of the gore. There's a scene where the main character gets beat up by a hulking man and she's so done by that point that she doesn't even fight back. There had been way gorier scenes earlier in the movie, this was actually quite tame by comparison. But that was the point where my brother got up and almost left the room because it was too much. It makes you feel so helpless and upset.
Yes, those scenes of the big man beating Anna relentlessly on almost a daily basis really made me feel sick to my stomach. Even when she was unconscious he would either wake her up for more or just continue while unconscious. Dominantly in her face made it even more brutal. Made me cry.
Really hope French Extremity is revived, disturbing but incredible films that are quite rare within the genre and not seen in Hollywood horror. High Tension and Martrys are A+++
High Tension was sooooo good. Those movies were all really fantastic and really felt like they had something to them besides violence. You could classify them as torture porn, but they were "elevated" from the schlockiness that the subgenre was infamous for.
I'm French, I can tell you this is VERY hard to get these kind of films made, because there are very few producers willing to put some money in them. It has to do with the way films are financed and distributed here. It's a real shame because all of us genre fan are a bit forgotten in France.
I love that you said people don’t have to watch something just because it’s infamous. Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out on these “big” experiences but I also know that movies can be really powerful and I don’t wanna like, throw up
It's really rough, and it's really gory, but it does some really thought provoking things as well. All the best films do, and make no mistake, this film will stick with you. I'd suggest it only if you want something you will think about for quite a while afterwards, but I'd suggest going into it with an empty stomach, and certainly not a good watch if you're depressed.
I like to describe Martyrs as what it feels like to speedrun a severe depressive episode. I have a very weird relationship with this movie cause I watched it at like 1 in the morning one night when I was in a very, very bad headspace, and while it did make me realize that maybe I don't want to act on my bad thoughts, it left me in a fugue state for a week because it was seared into my memory. 10/10 I will never recommend it to anyone and it will be a long time before I can watch it again.
I am 40 years old, i've watched almost every horror film known to man. Martyrs is, for me, in contention for best horror film ever made. Yes, it sounds heavy, but it seriously deserves to be part of the conversation.
I finished watching the movie martyrs a few minutes ago. I just want to describe the wonderful feeling I'm experiencing right now! Right now I just want to kiss my family, smile at my neighbors and play with my dog.... It's amazing how such a disturbing film can make us see our real world more beautifully. I think that's the real importance of movies like this. Martyrs is a masterpiece in all the forms of art!
I think this youtuber's religious upbringing is still torturing him internally. Martyrs is so good because it's extreme but VERY INTERESTING and well made. You don't have to put a positive "meaning" in everything you watch, Grow up people!!!🙄
I watched Martyrs for the first time a week ago. There is nothing else quite like it: a film where the ending is so uniquely and unsettlingly apocalyptic. Not much impacts me these days due to how much I have experienced, but the ending for Martyrs is fascinating and something I will remember for a long time.
In my opinion, the big question/theme behind Martyrs is extremely simple, and to me in a very genius way. Without spoiling anything, the film simply asks "how far are we willing to go to learn the meaning of life & what may come after death". A simple question that does truly bring lots of meaning to a very brutal and upsetting film.
Chris mentioned, that creator of 'Martyrs' pretty nihilistic guy. As fan of Pascal Laugier, i would recommend his movie 'Ghostland' (2017). It's dark, unsettling, extreme, but have strong optimism and life-affirming values in it's core, makes you feel deep empathy to characters and that there's always light even in the darkest places. Also great Mylene Farmer starring in this movie!
The person goes into the basement because she must assume it's probably her only chance to find proof a certain other person that matters to her a lot was telling the truth about a matter of some consequence to both of them. She has damn good reasons to go.
I think this youtuber's religious upbringing is still torturing him internally. Martyrs is so good because it's extreme but VERY INTERESTING and well made. You don't have to put a positive "meaning" in everything you watch, Grow up people!!!🙄
I really appreciate your closing point about not bowing to the pressure of watching every “extreme” gratuitously, sadistic violent film. I’ve seen my share and although Martyrs is undoubtedly an important film, I haven’t dared myself to watch it. There are certain headspaces that people who try to appreciate certain kinds of art have to go to in order to understand it. It can be unpleasant and very difficult to unsee. One of the last films I saw in that category was Salo, and while it is undoubtedly a significant film; I never want to see it again.
Definitely one of the best horror films I’ve seen. Glad to see the new Hellraiser showed some glimmers of it especially around the end. We don’t often get horror movies that explore layers of pain and it’s transcendental power like this.
The director of martyrs, pascal laugier, was going to do the hellraiser reboot one time. But apparently,, the studio said his vision was too much. Now that, I would,due loved to have happened.
@@ThePatank yes. I would have loved to have seen that happen. But "they" [studio heads] were scared of it. I personally think, he would have done it how it should have been done. A hellraiser film, by pascal laugier is a match made in heaven/hell. 🤔🎯🎯🎯
This is perhaps my favorite horror film and think your review is a fair one. The extreme genre certainly isn't for everyone but if you have to watch only one of the latest shock movies - this is the one to see. It is so much more than just shock. It is the masterpiece of the genre.
I grew up a Witness also. When I watched Martyrs, I was blown away, because this movie is about curiosity. Especially DARK curiosity. And the ending, to me, was a statement about each one of us and our own dark curiosity. I haven't seen any movie that made me sit and think like this one, especially about how so many atrocities, THAT GOOD PEOPLE ALLOWED, were because of curiosity. And this movie puts you in a distinct position, by putting you through such dark scenes that you don't want to watch, but if you stick it out, it was because YOU were curious. And what kind of person does that ultimately make you? It's important, because this is "Just a movie". But it changed how I view certain things in life now. It's powerful.
@@nickl9317 spoilers: the whole thing was setup by a group curious about the afterlife. The reason to watch all the torture was because we find out about the martyr search, and now we want to know too. The sting at the end is that the head woman in the turban hears what was seen by the martyr, but kills herself before letting anyone else know. Thus robbing the others, and the viewer of having their curiosity satisfied.
A phenomenal work that I highly recommend to anyone with the fortitude to endure a thought-provoking yet deeply disturbing experience. Also, worth pointing out since they strangely received no mention, Mylene and Morjana deliver devastating and powerful performances.
Martrys blew my mind. Yes, it's horrific, but as Stuckmann says there's meaning behind the horror. The ending is surprising and brilliant. Also Mylene Jampanoi has the most captivating eyes!
I have the exact same feelings towards Eden Lake. It's one of the few horror films that I've struggled watching because it is that brutal of a viewing experience.
@@spupydo Couldn't have explained it better myself! Well done! We didn't have to see what was going to happen because we all knew deep down what was going to happen. I don't think an ending has quite left me feeling that depressed. I had to put something else on straight after because I didn't want to go to sleep with that movie, and it's ending being fresh on my mind. To this day, I've struggled to rewatch it because I just can't bring myself to sit through it again, even if I watch it with someone the next time around. Oddly enough, I've seen plenty of RU-vidrs highly recommending it and enjoying it, and I'm still baffled as to why!
Very interesting film. I found the first act pretty silly (Fassbender’s character was rather stupid) but I enjoyed the second act, and expected a third similar to Ready or Not or You’re Next. Nope.
I love what Chris said about not needing to see something because of it’s content. Violence is like nudity, language, drug use, or anything else the MPAA uses to rate something: I’m fine with it as long as there is a narrative purpose for it.
My favourite film. The first time I watched it was when it was originally released on DVD, I was having a glass of wine. As the movie progressed, a second glass of wine was most needed. By the time the third act started, I had to pause the film and get outside for some fresh air - not because of the violence and gore, but because of the absolute dismal nihilistic atmosphere. It hits hard. After some fresh air I continued, and boy, oh boy, IT'S EVEN MORE DIRE!!!! The emotional impact this film has every time I watch elevates it to a rare station that almost no other has had on me. My favorite film. And we can talk about the content from here to eternity, but even technically it's an expertly crafted film!
This had so much hype back in 08. I remember very clearly. Yet I live in Australia and it never got a theatrical release. Maybe a year later I was in my local BLOCKBUSTER store and there it was. Have never gotten back home so quickly to then immediately play a movie ever. It kicked my ass but still really appreciated it. In between 2009 and 2022 you couldn't find a copy anywhere for less than $60. This year Umbrella Entertainment Poduction Company have re-released Martyrs nationwide with a beautiful glossy slipcase special edition with all the special features and on bluray for $35. Bought it and waiting until Halloween night to throw it on. 🤘
The whole point of the movie is about how we find beauty and meaning in even the bleakest most hopeless situations. That alone proves to me that Laugier is not a nihilist
I've seen it twice, and as a lover of quality horror, have been debating whether to 'endure' it once more or pass. Want to show my partner to give her an idea of what my head-space was like, at least symbolically; but I don't think that it would be fair to her, as I would be making her feel very unpleasant emotions partly for the sake of my own catharsis (the last twenty minutes in particular are painful to see). Either way, Martyrs is one hell of an experience.
@@niallmartin9063 that's the question, isn't it? My interpretation is that she told Mademoiselle what lay on the other side, and whatever it was made the old woman hastily off herself. I have no hard take on it, it could have been 'nothing', or some fantastical afterlife with either rewards for Mademoiselle and her group, or some kind of hell, I honestly should rewatch it and look for details but, man I don't feel like going through that just now lol.
@@niallmartin9063 There is a love story at the heart of this tragedy. Anna’s self sacrifice for her deep bond and love for Lucie is what put her in this situation. I felt that Anna got retribution in the end before her death. As to the ending, my theory is this; Anna tells the old lady that Yes, there is a beautiful afterlife, and it is yours. But with only one contingency, you embrace it now and you cannot tell another living soul. Which is all a ploy for revenge.
This is the best movie to break up to. Not watch after a breakup. But to watch it with someone who hasn’t seen it and then breaks up with you. I’ve seen it almost 3 times.
Martyrs is genuinely great filmmaking...it's just in the service of some disturbing content. It reminds me of Salo in that regard. There is no shortage of disturbing movies which are poorly done, made by people who don't know what they are doing or care about what they are doing. Something like Martyrs is very rare. It's at the highest levels of art for the gorehounds. And we know who we are.
My brother and I watched this a few days ago. He had heard of it,but I hadn't. And he didn't tell me a thing about it. Honestly I loved the movie even though I was quite disturbed by it.
@@Psyteth Agreed that anyone with even a cursory awareness of the horror genre will be hip to it, but Chris has a ton of general movie fans, young and old, who will find out about this movie today, which is pretty great.
first time saw this: deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, saw this with two other guys. we talked about it for at least an hour after watching it and then several more times in the following weeks. second time watching: a month ago with my wife. she had a very similar reaction that we had when I first saw it. for me though the second time watching it, it really wasn't as bad as I remembered. I watched it this time with a more analytical mind and noticed that they show a lot less than you might realize. the sounds are what make it so much more brutal. I love the thought provoking topics it tackles. when I tell people about this movie, I am very careful not to recommend it to just anyone because it is a very tough movie to get through, especially the first time.
OEF 10-11 was definetly the most appropriate time to watch something like this, to think of someone else in a more f'd up situation than our own in a way is a bit of cathartic relief. Dark Horse?
I had the complete opposite reaction to The Exorcist and it's reputation, it actively hurt my first watch. The marketing and legend of The Exorcist during my life was that it was the scariest movie ever made and when I first watched it as a teen my reaction was "that's it?". I thought it was fine but it hardly lived up to it's legendary reputation, even found it kind of goofy at points. It wasn't until I rewatched it years later, knowing what to expect, that I truly appreciated it.
I literally have the same feelings like Chris did with Martyrs but I have with The Golden Glove. It's about Notorious Serial Killer Fritz Honka and his murders, it's such a depressing, sad, nasty, disturbing and gritty portrait of this man! I personally thought it was a good film even tho I just wish it ended sooner! It was just too depressing for me and just too much at times!
I loved this film. A friend of mine was frustrated because we never witnessed what she witnessed at the end, and we were never told…I kind of thought maybe because the director wanted to point out the fact that violence is trivial. Maybe we tolerate it if we gain something. That’s what I took from the movie. That maybe we take horror and violence for granted. And we would happily keep consuming it if we gained something. Just my thoughts
I still remember scenes from it 10 years later after watching it as a teen. Such a disturbing movie. It sucks you in, it's horrifying but you cannot look away. I wish I had waited to watch it as an adult to understand it better, I don't think I'd be able to watch it twice.
I watched this for the first time two weeks ago, glad you reviewed it, it's definitely right up there in terms of the sickest, and I too looked into ending meanings, it's one of my top horror movies now, along with Babadook and Mama
I remember being angry when I finished watching this movie, angry that I watched it, and that the person I watched with expected me to be disturbed, they were confused about my reaction. I was just angry at the gross abuse I saw, guess that's better than nightmares. I think it's with this particular movie when I understood what nihilism truly was, how it affected me and why is not my thing. I read that the director got out of the dark place that was festering in him when this movie was made, and I'm glad about that.
I think this youtuber's religious upbringing is still torturing him internally. Martyrs is so good because it's extreme but VERY INTERESTING and well made. You don't have to put a positive "meaning" in everything you watch, Grow up people!!!🙄
My favorite horror movie of all time! It's crazy to think things like that really happens in real life, that's why i liked this movie, it seems very real. Thank you for the review, Chris. From a brazillian fan (so, forgive my english, i am not fluent).
Yess finally I have been waiting for this one. What a breath of fresh air Martyrs was! One of my favorite horrors and it got me into the New French Extremity genre!
I love how Chris is reviewing more intense less mainstream films,it’s movies like this and I saw the devil,bedevilled etc that truely keeps u on the edge with tension.
That is exactly what I say to people. Yes, it is extremely violent. Yes, it will leave a hole in your stomach and it will take time for it to go away. Yes, it will remain with you long after you've watched it. But, if you watch it attentively and with an open mind, you will find that there was meaning in all this violence. There was purpose. And it was beautifully crafted. Like a nightmare that lingers. It is a rare gem and probably the best movie that this director will ever make.
Isn't it what all we want from a good horror movie? To stay with you and also hunting you afterwards? Getting under your skin? They are the signs of a top tier horror film.
Great review as always. Your superpower in my book is being able to review movies most deliciously without spoiling them for those who haven't seen them. Oh, and congratulations on 2 million subscribers!
There's far too many cookie cutter "horror" films out there and still being made today - the same old formula, the same old teens in peril. Horror films are rarely scary , especially at my age (!) but they should at least take you to a dark place and make you feel something, make you feel uncomfortable , anxious ... whatever, just something. This film does exactly that and while I agree people should not recommend films that are just violent & gory & attempting to push boundaries - this film does deserve to be watched if you are a horror fan. Truly a movie that deserves to be called a "horror movie". Excellent work as always Chris - glad I found your channel !
Yes this and 120 Days of Salo have made me understand how f-ed up the human imagination can be sometimes. After this I immediately watched The Lego Movie to cope
I'm not really a fan of ambiguous, open-ended films; all too often they feel like the director/writer couldn't commit to an ending, whether it be out of a desire to not alienate anyone in the audience ("It's up to YOU to decide what it all meant!") or simply not knowing how to wrap up the story, but it usually--not always, but usually--comes off as inconclusive and unsatisfying. But this film honestly couldn't have ended any other way, and is one of those ambiguous conclusions that I feel truly works. Trying to give a definitive answer as to what Anna saw would have felt dishonest and completely gone against what the film was going for. As Chris said, the whole point does seem to be that there *is* no point. The movie is meant to leave you with this deep sense of existential doubt and dread and uncertainty about what happens, or where--if anywhere--we end up after death, because ultimately no one truly *does* know. People live lives filled with suffering, some of it unimaginable, and though we desperately look for meaning and reason behind the pain there's simply no guarantee that it means anything at all. We can make guesses and theorize all we like, but in the end its all just speculation, and in the end no one can simply whisper in our ear and tell us what's at the end of life or if there's anything more to existence... we'll all have to find out on our own, one day, and there's no guarantee we'll like the answer we get.
@@yourmove267 Obviously I'll preface this with the ending is ambiguous so it's what you make of it. *SPOILERS for anyone else reading* IMO, I think it's pretty clear she was told that there is nothing after death. That's why she kills herself. She's realised her life's work: all the murder and torture has been for nothing. And that's why she doesn't tell her co-conspirators too. She leaves them with an ignorance is bliss kinda thing. If instead she was told that the *was* an afterlife, surely she'd tell everyone first? It feels weird to me if she found out it was awesome and she was like "f*ck it, I'll keep it to myself." That's why I don't subscribe to that theory but it's a valid, and just as popular one nevertheless.
@@frenchbaguetteoui just tu add to your opinion about the ending, it could also mean that she felt she deserved to die for what she did. Doing so, without telling them what she found out, could convince them to do the same, as they all deserved to die for what they did.
It's so brutal and realistic I have never seen anything like it. This will be forever one of my favorite french horror movies alongside The Descent and High Tension.
@@Kukurio I have done MDMA a bunch of times, or well actually XTC, i think there's a difference. Just seems really unpleasant to me to watch a movie like this during that kind of high.
