Watch
Martyrs

Martyrs

2008
Drama, Horror
1h 39m
A young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity. (imdb)
Your probable score
?

Martyrs

2008
Drama, Horror
1h 39m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 50.49% from 1690 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1690)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 15 Nov 2011
90
97th
Martyrs actually manages to do what so many others only claim to do: deconstruct graphic violence. Superficially, bits of it look like yet another torture porn film, but is a lot smarter than that, with a lot of interesting psychological insight, unreliable narrators, and protagonists that you really feel for. Ends up owing more to Brazil and Funny Games than to Saw, even though it is VERY violent. Something of a modern horror masterpiece.
Rated 26 Jul 2009
25
7th
Appears to take the conclusions to two books (Bataille's The Tears of Eros and Agamben's Remnants of Auschwitz), cleverly composing them into a fictional narrative. The result, however, is extremely sadistic and there is very little by way of genuine significance to justify the unrelenting assault on the viewer.
Rated 22 Mar 2009
85
91st
If some recent film meets my definition of true horror, it is Martyrs. However, the depicted violence is sometimes almost unbearable and it crosses the threshold when virtual fear and obscenity stop being "enjoyable" and become just painful, so I can not use the highest marks..
Rated 07 Mar 2009
98
98th
Close to perfection, Martyrs is a real trip to the border of pain and suffering. Laugier made once more clear that the best todays Horror Movies come from France...Martyrs is the epicentre of brutality.
Rated 20 May 2012
1
6th
Feigns to elevate garbage with faux-existentialism. Completely full of shit.
Rated 03 May 2010
93
97th
This is not for the faint of heart. A sick, twisted movie... but amazing nonetheless. The story is original, the acting, especially by Morjana Alaoui, is brilliant and the direction is great. I don't know if I would recommend it to anyone, but it is a great movie.
Rated 15 Dec 2010
71
45th
A difficult film to review. The first two acts are grim stuff, but well-plotted, tense, and riveting in a sick sort of way. The last act...well, it's as depressing as anything I've ever seen. I can understand the thematic reasons for including it, but the payoff feels kind of cheap. If you gauge the film on emotional effect (i.e. its ability to horrify), then it clearly succeeds. But if you want some justification for these unpleasant feelings, its disappointing.
Rated 27 Nov 2009
25
1st
Substantially worse than the so-called "torture porn" movies due to how desperately it wants to rise above that demonized cliche-ridden tag, and how badly it fails to do so in the end.
Rated 09 Oct 2017
80
75th
A film that is continually defying the viewer's expectations. The film was supposedly written while the director was going through severe depression, and uh, that's VERY apparent. The film is overwhelmingly bleak and nihilistic. After watching this once, I never thought I'd have the desire to watch it again, But surprise! Nearly a decade later my mind decide it was time to revisit.
Rated 16 Feb 2016
24
2nd
Don't be fooled, this is not a horror movie. Its 99 minutes of torture porn. The excuse for a story in the end does not justify time wasted.
Rated 11 Nov 2012
19
11th
Pretentious misogynistic bullshit that's even more annoying than an Eli Roth film because it gets slapped with an arthouse label due to the director being French. I have similar feelings towards Antichrist and most of von Trier's work.
Rated 10 Oct 2009
68
48th
Very hard to rate since it's really twisted. After a while I felt like a bad person for watching this. Definitely one of the bleakest and more disturbing horrors I've seen the last few years. It is all over the place though; from home invasion terror to being haunted by a twisted nightmare spirit to systematic torture. Definitely gets under the skin but if other people catch you watching this they wíll think something's wrong with you.
Rated 04 Jan 2010
90
96th
This is probably the best horror film of the decade; great direction and mezmerizing transformation between genres
Rated 16 Dec 2010
88
86th
So brutal, it's beautiful. It's rare, especially nowadays, that someone can use this particular subset of horror as a tool to drive another, more overarching, message home. In closing, Martyrs is so much more than the films that paved the way for it.
Rated 29 Apr 2017
48
22nd
What is wrong with this movie?
Rated 18 Mar 2009
45
23rd
Revenge mental illness Guinea Pig? The story is a mess. And this twists in French Extremism films really start to annoy me.
Rated 09 Dec 2012
60
28th
I love violent and gory movies, but this is the only movie I've ever seen where it really felt excessive and unneeded. I realize that was probably the point, but it made me just want to turn it off rather than make me realize some big truth or immerse me in the story.
Rated 13 Jan 2012
80
78th
Impeccably made. Possibly the best 'horror' film of the modern era. At the same time Martyrs is the first movie I've seen which genuinely fits the moral panic moniker 'torture porn'. From the opening scenes of a small child's terror at an invisible threat, to the finales decent into incomprehensible violence and grotesquery, Martyrs is a dark feast of unforgettable images and nightmarish ideas.
Rated 21 Mar 2009
67
75th
A very dynamic horror movie that blends few different sub-genres. Right after you start to have some expectations plot changes at once. And somehow, with good directing, it actually works. Original horror movie that doesnt follow old conventions of the genre. Of course there is more than a fair amount of violence/totrure, but as long as it works, why not?
Rated 16 May 2010
15
7th
The so-called "New French Extremist" horror films that I've seen were mostly bad, but Martyrs is the worst. Most tend to be stylized torture porn, somewhat pretentious, high-concept exploitation and nothing more, and none of them are convincing enough to be actually scary. Martyrs, however, is probably the most contrived of those that I've seen, the most full of shit. Amusingly, it could almost pass for a remake of The Passion of the Christ to which it is, after all, slightly superior.
Rated 18 Jan 2009
95
99th
There is so much more going on in this film than just gore. Action starts only few minutes into the movie and doesn't let go untill the closing credits roll on screen. Laugier direction is really great and he plays with the viewer so you'd just want to stop watching. Even the ending manages to blow you away which is rare in horror films and you just have to think what the hell did you just see. Brilliant movie that you will remember for a long time and will be too much for some.
Rated 17 Apr 2009
20
3rd
Mindless slashing with a plot that is superthin.
Rated 28 Mar 2010
93
90th
What a brutal torture porn movie..two acts the first 45 mins that are so messed up that you think you know where its heading and the last 45 that is so beyond sick and disgusting and brutal you cannot see this coming..what a messed up end
Rated 11 Nov 2012
30
5th
This movie takes a sort-of interesting concept and then tries to use it as a self validating reason to abuse and torture the audience.
Rated 22 Dec 2011
68
45th
I have absolutely no idea how to rate this film. As a viewing experience, it is hard to breath normally through most of it. As a piece of cinema, it was well made, scored and acted. As for being a film with a message, I am not totally convinced that the hammy performance of the lead baddie, and a pseudo-intellectual ambivalent ending actually is a good enough reason for the other 95% of the film. One thing for sure, it is NOT some sort of genre masterpiece, but as a horror ... not bad at all
Rated 04 Sep 2012
55
39th
While there's obviously a good deal of talent behind this nasty flick, to justify sitting through something of this sort, I require a better pay-off.
Rated 02 Jan 2013
60
23rd
I like its style and extremity, but it's wrapped in the guise of pseudo-intellectual philosophical mumbo jumbo that kinda turned me off.
Rated 30 Nov 2009
75
74th
Pffffffffff, could only watch half of it cause of all the torturing, then I skipped to the ending and thought that was so brilliant that I decided not to give it a low score. Not worth the watch, but the ending is awesome. I recommend you watch only that.
Rated 31 Oct 2015
87
87th
Truly disturbing. Not everything it does completely works, but this is one of the most effective horror movies ever made. Uncomfortable and hard to watch. Not obscene, but unflinching and brutal. Video review: https://youtu.be/OwZlpls0o_w
Rated 17 Jan 2010
70
50th
After the movie was over I couldn't help feeling that there were two good ideas here for a movie but only one kind of mediocre film in the end. I think either idea would make a great movie, but having them stuck together as this weird frankenstein monster did very very little for me. While the effects work was certainly good and the creature design interesting, the plot issues just really bothered me. The ending is pretty hilarious though.
Rated 13 Aug 2012
46
29th
Of course it's unsettling but that doesn't make it good. Some parts undeniable works but it goes on too long. 'Jeanne d'Arc' for the torture-porn generation.
Rated 08 Feb 2014
85
61st
This was really good, but I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone.
Rated 09 Mar 2015
66
65th
vuil
Rated 26 Jul 2013
50
10th
I was kind of impressed with the narrative trickery until the final act. It's one of those endings that makes you wonder why you even bothered watching in the first place, made worse by how clearly the author thinks it's a brilliant mindfuck. Technically well-made, philosophically bankrupt. Also I think Goldmund has been ruined for me forever.
Rated 24 Aug 2009
27
8th
I got yelled at by my friends for not liking this movie. But I wasn't really a fan. It's 2 parts. the first part is like the usual crappy modern day horrors, and super predictable. The second part is just long and drawn out torture porn. I appreciate what they were trying to do, but i wasn't a fan of how it was done. wouldn't ever watch again.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
80
55th
WOW. All I can say is WOW. Brutal from beginning to end, but never mindless, and never played for exploitation or cheap thrills. I thought this movie was INCREDIBLE, but very dark. I have no other movie I can compare this to.
Rated 17 Apr 2018
73
62nd
So good I never want to see it again.
Rated 04 Dec 2010
80
79th
Haunting, to be sure, but flawed. Figured the first half was going to lead somewhere else, but once it became clear what was going to happen, it felt unnecessary to have it go on for as long as it did. Unfortunately, Martyrs' story is just too contrived to get properly sucked into; wish they'd have gone down a different path with that second act. Adore the direction and the visuals, though, and it definitely got under my skin in a way no other movie has.
Rated 05 Dec 2013
32
11th
Dark, full of blood and psychopathic.A little bit of unnecessary nudity here and there, sometimes resembling a cheap porn movie. It offers very little explanation of what's actually happened and a lot of cruelty and ill-treating. Both girls have an unique beauty, but that's all.The ''monsters'' theme,which I hoped will develop,was wasted totally.The same was done with the "organisation" theme. No insight whatsoever and the ending's just disappointing.A total waste of time if you're not a psycho.
Rated 31 Jan 2010
20
0th
Brutal and unforgiving and from the start I could tell this wasn't my type of film. For the first 30-45 minutes or so, however, I was intrigued. It rose a little bit above your average shock horror and made me wonder where things were going. Then it took a turn to just plain disgusting, trying to veil it's horrific attraction to torture under the pretense of slightly less horrific curiosity. The idolization of victimization is just a way of justifying its twisted mindset.
Rated 20 Feb 2012
48
13th
Extremely tough watch. I can't say it's totally justified by the end, but I will say that it has a thought-provoking and interesting ending. Not a movie I'd ever, ever recommend to anybody, but one I could enjoy discussing with those who put themselves through it.
Rated 20 Jan 2013
20
5th
The film was a major let down. If you're going to make the viewer watch such extreme gore, you should, at least, give a decent explanation for all this. Sadly, the film didn't offer one.
Rated 21 Apr 2014
55
58th
Pretty good until the second half
Rated 26 Jun 2013
63
65th
Laugier is no Michael Haneke, and the lesson he's trying to teach is just lost.
Rated 31 Oct 2015
20
2nd
An extremely boring attempt at torture porn that is so repetitive and hopelessly pretentious that even the most squeamish person will probably be bored to tears long before its very unsatisfying conclusion. Add to that the fact that the bad guys whole goal is basically nonsense, and you have a pretty big waste of time. Even people that like violent films have a lot better choices out there.
Rated 22 Apr 2014
95
86th
I watched it with a pretty bad dub, but I still enjoyed the movie. Made up of 2 pretty distinct parts. Takes you for a ride. Violent, shocking, and graphic.
Rated 13 Feb 2015
65
12th
what the fu...
Rated 14 Apr 2009
29
4th
Made to shock, which it does by being one of the goriest films I've ever seen. Unpleasant and full of plot holes- there might be an interesting idea in there but I was too busy vomiting to see it..
Rated 22 May 2015
10
2nd
They tried, they just tried to make a good torture-porn movie. And they failed. They failed at all.
Rated 22 Aug 2015
75
66th
Warning-Extreme Violence! (watch the unrated version)
Rated 22 Jan 2010
63
39th
Failed and pretentious attempt at "elevating" the whole "torture porn" thing (e.g. Hostel). Starts out pretty well, with a brutal revenge-flick opening like a shotgun blast, and the overall idea is solid. Unfortunately, when a third of the movie is repeated beatings it becomes horribly contrived and the effect is numbing, bringing the viewer to a kind of "transcendence" of his own. Yawn.
Rated 08 Jun 2009
8
84th
Unflinching. It just never lets up, never pauses and - most importantly - never really explains itself fully (true: a cause is provided, but it still remains sketchy).
Rated 19 Feb 2011
50
4th
I'm torn when it comes to this particular film. On the one hand, it's certainly well made. The torture scenes are convincingly brutal, and the make-up artists definitely did their research. On the other hand, there is very little to the actual plot. The reasons as to WHY these people are being tortured are exceptionally flimsy. The mind of god? Spare me. The wallbanger ending also detracts heavily from my score, leaving me with a perfectly even 50. Not bad, not good. YMMV.
Rated 17 Jun 2009
70
68th
i enjoyed this movie infact alot im giving it kinda a low score simply for the mood it put me in just depressing i had no idea to the extent it was willing to take great movie but be prepared to feel like shit.
Rated 14 Sep 2010
60
40th
Interesting movie, the "plot twist" was quite interesting, I really liked it.
Rated 14 Jun 2012
70
55th
Graphic violence/torture/gore at full speed...
Rated 23 Jul 2012
85
80th
Rewatched it with a friend recently. She hid behind the couch for the entire duration of the film and left the room in tears. Twice. And as such...I cannot dislike this film even though it looses steam towards the end. It's evil, misogonystic and graphic in a way the Lars von Trier can only dream about. Also, it's suberbly told for first 60 minutes.
Rated 12 Nov 2010
70
38th
Don't read anything about it. It works best if you don't know anything about this movie. Watch it, but be prepared that you might want to quit the viewing.
Rated 26 Aug 2013
87
96th
* Casting, Acting : 8.5 * Script : 8.5* Directing, Aura : 8.5 * Ease of Viewing : 8.5 * Naked Eye : 9.5
Rated 26 Aug 2009
77
19th
An incredibly violent rollercoaster of fear and torture. Great visual work and a twisted plot, but as said, incredibly violent and almost sadistic.
Rated 17 Dec 2013
27
24th
Too many false endings and very excessive. Also dragged on for a loong time. Other than that, pretty decent horror film. I also watched the english DUB, which I highly recommend against. I'll probably give it a higher score if I ever watched the subtitled version.
Rated 12 Jul 2015
40
11th
You're basically curious to see what the fuck's going on in this eerie little film, but curiosity killed the cat... way too sick, and with no apparent reason.
Rated 08 Aug 2015
30
12th
Goddamm french cinema.
Rated 01 May 2016
35
9th
This nihilistic, even-worse-than-the-world kind of horror is simply the worst. First half actually makes the case for a truly frigthening experience, but the other half is just a brutal, lame and boring exercise of punishing the girl -- and us -- in order to get a glimpse of after life. When they finally get it, years after the first martyr, she whispers in the ears of their leader. She shoots herself. Final shot shows girl's eyes still looking at the beyond. Shitty torture porn film.
Rated 21 Sep 2010
86
80th
decent horror. I liked it.
Rated 29 Oct 2010
80
89th
Martyrs managed to convince me that horror movies do not have to be scary in order to impact the viewer. It managed to get a deep message across, without being too apparent about it. There doesn't appear to be scenes that needed to be omitted, as they all have a reason to be there. The story is separated into two main parts, with the first only making complete sense after viewing the second. It ties everything together well, and manages to be the unforgettable experience.
Rated 06 Feb 2013
60
22nd
It started off strong, and then just after the half hour mark, turned into a different, not as good film. Nothing in the film beats the actual shock value of that breakfast scene, the rest of it is just goes on for so long that in the end you aren't disgusted, you're just bored.
Rated 08 May 2009
70
82nd
Very brutal, but unlike other Torture Porn flicks, there is a story here - though they could have expanded on it instead of all the beating scenes. A bit hard to watch at times, but a good, solid horror watch - a rarity for the past few years.
Rated 26 Nov 2009
98
95th
Harrowing.
Rated 11 Jun 2012
50
27th
A pseudo-intellectual torture-porn/revenge film which achieves what it sets out to do: sicken you to the pit of your stomach and make you think about the meaning of pain and death. It's certainly technically impressive; the cinematography, acting, make-up and sound design are all excellent. The problem is that the intellectualism just feels like an excuse for the torture, which ultimately ruins a very creepy and affecting first half. Gorehounds will love it, others need not apply.
Rated 19 Apr 2009
80
70th
"French horror cinema that doesn't shy away from the rough stuff and aims to bring a few extra layers to the typically anemic slash-and-smash concept."
Rated 23 Nov 2012
95
97th
One of the best movies I've seen. It explores horror in multiple perspectives and I enjoyed the ending "pointing fingers" at the audience.
Rated 19 Aug 2009
40
3rd
Martyrs is what Hostel 1 and 2 tried to be. An extremely gory and profoundly psychological piece that is overshadowed by the tragedies that befell nearly every character on the screen. There is a message at this film, but it is thinly veiled in some of the most awful fictional on-screen catastrophes ever shot on camera.
Rated 09 Mar 2012
90
95th
One of the later French New Extremity films, Martyrs is brutal, visceral, and often hard to watch. Worthwhile if you get through it. [Re-watched 9th of October 2016. DVD]
Rated 24 Apr 2009
20
10th
"'Martyrs' is initially shocking and strong, but eventually falls apart once we are informed about what the hell is going on."
Rated 30 Sep 2010
70
38th
Incredibly tough-going film that's pretty harsh on it's audience as much as it is on it's characters. If you think it's getting too much, just keep watching because reasons and explanations for all this torture and violence are to come, but I'd still not recommend this to anyone who isn't a horror (gorror) film.
Rated 27 Sep 2012
75
70th
Good film. First part was great. However the last part, with the abuse and torture was needlessly long as it was so obvious where it was going. I also find the concept a bit of a stretch. Ok, its possible that people in that state do glimpse what happens after death, but getting an account from a barely conscious corpse moments from death is not exactly rigourous scientic method
Rated 14 Jan 2014
25
4th
Sadistic
Rated 04 Jan 2013
70
39th
70.000
Rated 20 Sep 2013
96
99th
It conveyed the ideas convincingly which are hard to be told. About pain, culture(including religion), understanding, freedom, transcendence, etc., I absolutely agree with this movie. From any aspect, this movie is nearly perfect for me. Although the beginning seemed unoriginal (the prevalence of using childhood trauma as explanations made me nearly think it was that common kind at first), yet it surprisingly set off the essence in the following parts.
Rated 18 Jan 2009
94
98th
Gory, uncompromising and scary in the right way. Laugier had a vision and the result is among the best horror movies ever.
Rated 28 Feb 2009
93
98th
In Saint Angel Laugier shows how tense a horror movie could and should be. This time the story has been sharpened to the highest peak; it's challenging, unexpected, strongly emotional, multi-layered and thoughtful. The film starts as an intensive and seemingly usual horror flick but in the end does not make the viewing easy to you. All actor do they job good raising this terrible story close to the Swedish masterpiece Let the right one in.
Rated 08 Feb 2010
70
68th
As I was watching this, my knee started to jerk and I was prepared to write this off as irredeemable garbage. But by the denouement my moral panic had subsided, and I was quite impressed. Yes, this is 'torture porn' so it automatically loses marks, but it is torture porn that by the end has become a commentary on the nihilism and inherent failures of its own genre. As such anyone found claiming that this 'starts off well but becomes pretentious' should be considered suspect.
Rated 24 Jan 2012
100
96th
so brutal but i was definatly satisfied for with the excuse for the brutality
Rated 18 Aug 2012
55
49th
Interesting story, could have been something special.
Rated 09 Dec 2012
87
84th
A big point of complaint for this movie is the torture porn within it, sabotaged by an ending that opts for mystery over any bold declaration beyond what the whisper causes. I won't disagree that the ending and the torture before, both by itself and in tandem with the former, do not do what it would be tasteful to do, but I think that's part of the sociopathic horror of the film. It's appalling, it's cruel, and it is basically pointless despite its intents, entirely like the violence it shows.
Rated 16 Mar 2015
71
69th
Not as shocking as iv'e been told. But still a pretty mindblowing movie. Was hoping for a happy ending on this one but that certainly didn't happen :P
Rated 28 Feb 2014
85
38th
Scariest movie ever
Rated 17 Sep 2011
86
97th
One of the most polarizing and depressing films of recent years. From the very first scene there is no joy to be found, instead replacing entertainment for emotional brutality. If the last twenty minutes doesn't even make you angry, you're not human.
Rated 13 Sep 2015
42
23rd
The first half of this film was boring and predictable, it did however have amazingly realistic gore effects. The Second half...well... it was just really really boring and dumb.
Rated 09 May 2011
70
42nd
09 mayis 2011 & wtf?
Rated 07 Feb 2012
90
91st
Thankfully not "torture porn" but a truly disturbing journey into the darkest realm of existentialism. Sure, not for the faint of heart, but finally, not for the faint of mind, either. Saw it months ago and it still leaves not only a bitter scar in my mind, but the desire to see it again and wrap my head around its frighteningly subversive themes.
Rated 25 Nov 2009
50
26th
Mish-mash of lots of different styles: hints of Greengrass in the camerawork, bit of Society, a lot of the infamous Guinea Pig movies and a pinch of Argento in the themes and sadly the plot.
Rated 03 Dec 2010
75
40th
Interesting piece, if somewhat difficult to stomach. Pascal Laugier here carves out an edifice of tortuous proportions, and it is a hard film to enjoy. However, the talent on and off screen, plus a truly unexpected ending help to create a thematic landscape which, though difficult to endure, is ultimately worth it!
Rated 13 Apr 2014
79
50th
Like others have said, the first two acts are probably more interesting, not to say that the third is entirely without merit. This is a well-made, extremely intense horror film.
Rated 03 Aug 2009
85
95th
Very Nice Movie
Rated 05 Apr 2009
67
56th
A brutal movie about the effects of abuse that ultimately sinks under its own weight.
Rated 21 Oct 2011
64
68th
In the pantheon of French ultra-violent movies, Martyrs is Hephaestus...if that makes any sense. Slick directing, wonderful acting, and enough questions left unanswered to leave you with that sense of uneasiness when the ride is over. However, it all seemed a little too predictable...and the dubbing was atrocious. I, personally, enjoyed "Inside" far more than this.
Rated 23 Dec 2013
55
61st
Acéphale is gonna get you. Some people may wonder whether the purpose of all the suffering is, finally, worth the suffering to get there. But since this is also surely the question the Final Girl might also ask, it seems only fair to have the audience put through a parallel experience.
Rated 07 Apr 2009
1
0th

Collections

(50)
Compact view
Showing 1 - 24 of 50 results

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...