Martyrs: My Thoughts

What better way to welcome my first post then with my thoughts on Pascal Laugier's Martyrs! Firstly,this film is being wrongly stereotyped as just another torture-porn film; I couldn't disagree more! How can this film be grouped with films like Hostel and Saw? Those films don't even come close to the beauty and intensity this film displays. Laugier has a tight grasp on his direction whilst displaying bleak and atmospheric imagery. The first hour or so is a suspense-filled revenge story then switches gears in the last forty minutes culminating with a totally left field gut-punch! This is not at all a bad thing! You are given explanation to the mayhem bestowed upon the lead characters of Lucie and Anna. There is so much raw emotion that lingers after each scene comes to an end that you can't help but feel a little unsettled by what you're witnessing. Have there been films that exceed this film in terms of violence? Yes, but this film hits you with a devastating emotional punch that the physical violence at times is hard to bare. I cannot recommend this film enough. Do yourself a favor horror-chums, grab a copy of Martyrs, cuddle with your loved one and prepare to watch a horror film in its purest form!