Pascal Laugier’s much talked about French shocker focuses on Lucie, a girl who was physically and mentally abused as a child, and who emerges years later to wreak revenge on those she believes to be responsible for her trauma. With the help of her childhood friend, Anna, Lucie hopes to put a stop to her nightmares by exacting bloody retribution on her captors, though for both Anna and Lucie, the nightmare has only just begun.
Graphic, achingly brutal and seriously chilling, Martyrs is France’s latest foray into extreme cinema (following the likes of Frontiere(s) (2007) and Inside (2007)), and raises the bar in on-screen savagery and cruelty, avoiding and transcending the torture porn trappings and delivering something that burrows deep beneath the skin and lingers in the mind for days after.
While certainly not everybody’s cup of tea, Martyrs delivers the goods and is both a powerful piece of filmmaking and a horror film that’s actually horrific, and thanks to the Blu-ray, you can now witness those moments of unflinching torture in all their high definition glory.
The film retains its somewhat grainy quality throughout, which is far more apparent during dark, interior scenes. Away from that, the visuals are top notch, and delivers rich detail, especially during close-ups, which reveals just how impressive the prosthetic effects are. Vibrant red splatters of blood provide a vivid contrast with the pristine white walls of interiors, and even scenes set within the gloomy cells reveal plenty of detail.
The audio is a lot cleaner and crisper than its DVD counterpart, thanks to the HD Master Audio, with every punch, scream and blast of a shotgun coming across with chilling clarity. The sporadic pounding on the music score doesn’t enjoy the deepest bass, though dialogue is crystal clear, and the soundtrack enjoys occasional good use of the rear speakers.
Unfortunately, the special features are the same as the DVD, and all in standard definition.
Overall Verdict:
An unsettling but brilliant horror movie, and a great looking Blu-ray to boot.
Special Features:
‘Making Of’ Documentary
Pascal Laugier Interview
Benoit Lestang Interview
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths