The Enduring Palpable Misery of 'Martyrs' (2008)

There are horror films that gut the characters, but then there are horror films that carve us out like pumpkins and leave us empty. If you had to line people up and ask them if they experienced that with Martyrs (2008), you'd find most fans saying yes. The film isn't for those who are looking for a cookie cutter or very American ending to their horror film. Considering it's part of the very controversial list of extreme films that are part of New French Extremity, expecting that is ill-advised. 

Fans of New French Extremity know exactly what they're in for when they turn a NFE film on. And for those who aren't familiar with NFE, the films are graphic in terms of any brand of violence, sex, and are often quite transgressive. They aren't like your typical American horror films, and they often tackle themes that are meant to make you uncomfortable. And Martyrs is certainly not a feel-good film, and there are no breaks from the dread within the film. 

Martyrs follows two traumatized young women, Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï) and Anna (Morjana Alaoui) as they embark on a journey to seek revenge against the people Lucie claims abused her as a child. But when things go wrong, nothing but misery awaits them. The description of the film is almost too tame for what actually occurs and the descent to hell that both Lucie and Anna go down. Neither of the women get to have a semblance of peace because of their connection, their individual traumas, and the circumstances that Lucie engineers for them. 

From the first scene of the film, it's very clear that there's no shortage of suffering and despair for the main characters. They have no stability in their lives, and the only constant they find is within their connection to one another. A connection that can be read as queer coded, especially with the brief kiss they share later in the film. It only makes all the more tragic when the worst events begin to occur. Therefore, leaving neither of them able to fully process what's happening between them. 

Themes regarding mental health and trauma are at the violently gooey center of the film. Both Lucie and Anna have experienced much trauma in their lives. And neither of them have entered adulthood without their trauma following them relentlessly. Martyrs does present the possibility that Lucie's mental health is compromising her ability to see rationally. Especially when she's hallucinating very disturbing images and is in reality hurting herself. 

Martyrs is a brutal look into what it looks like when people don't come out of the other side of their trauma. And there's no point in which Lucie is able to find peace within herself. Not to mention how Anna is unable to find peace in her own life. There are more than a few moments in the film where you'll wish they'd run away together and try to heal, just the two of them. But those hopes are crushed like a bug on a windshield, and you'll be wishing for the opposite outcome. 

There's something so fascinating about watching a film that doesn't want to hold your hand the entire time. And as a longtime horror fan, who has watched so much horror in my life, Martyrs is still the one film that I feel the same about every single time I watch it. As soon as the film ends, I end up taking a beat and processing the film's events all over again. Almost like I'm seeing it for the first time. 
 
Personally, I can't remember the exact day or year when I first watched Martyrs. Undoubtedly it was quite some time, and I was a young and hungry horror fan looking for films that would shock or disturb me. Of course, I found that with Martyrs and how it's laced in misery. Instead of diving into a horror film that offers me a cookie cutter ending, I was left shaken and moved in a very particular way by the time the credits rolled. The director, Pascal Laugier's mental health, impacted the screenplay (as he was dealing with clinical depression and suicidal ideation at the time of writing) and it absolutely shows in this film. 

It's not that American or Canadian horror films never do that to me, but Martyrs is a different beast altogether in comparison to most mainstream horror films. There's no forced moments of laughter (horror comedies are excluded from this because comedy is a core part of the subgenre), no cheesy tenderness, no “love conquers all”, and certainly no easy way out. This is a deliberately miserable film with deep themes that are even more so relevant in today's climate. 

The film does deal with pushing people to their limits and the ways in which religion is used in detrimental ways to society and individuals. In the case of the film, women are the primary sufferers and without spoiling too much, that's the whole point. The moment all hope is lost, and it's clear what's coming for specific people, that's when you know that all that's left is the pain. For the characters, and likely for those who don't tap out at that point. 

Of course, there are more than a few scenes that I'll never forget and are etched into my brain throughout this film. When a film has plenty of violence that feels too real, it's hard not to think about certain scenes. But one scene in particular near the end is what people think when this film is brought up to them. It's disturbingly beautiful in terms of the practical effects, but profoundly uncomfortable because physical pain is a huge portion of this film.

Back to where I stand with the film, it's one of my favorite horror films of all time and is one of my personal favorites amongst New French Extremity. I'm certainly due for a rewatch that'll likely leave me pondering for a good chunk of time afterwards. 
 

Martyrs is a film that you experience, and that experience can be messed with quite a bit if you look up spoilers. While it's likely important to look up content warnings because of the graphic content throughout, it's a film that you shouldn't look up the ending for. And the ending is quite memorable in that it leaves you wondering what you just watched. If you're squeamish and are unable to handle gore, moments involving guns, mutilation and such, this film will not be for you. 
 

(featured image credit: Wild Bunch)

You can find out where to watch the film by visiting Just Watch or if you snag a physical copy of Martyrs, that's even better.