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Martyrs review: “Not a bad film, but unessential for those familiar with its past.”

Martyrs review: One of the most acclaimed and shocking horrors of the last decade gets the English language treatment.

Martyrs review

Martyrs review

Martyrs was one of those rare horrors that perfectly mixed gruesome shocks and philosophical musings. Not a single second of the original could be predicted, especially if you went in knowing very little about the film. It was unsettling, depressing, powerful, and downright terrifying. But that was 8 years ago, so let’s shove in the English language and enjoy yet another retread. Still, remakes can be done well, and for two thirds of this American twist the film is very nearly as intense and shocking. Then it comes to the final act and even when failures such as The Wicker-Man and Oldboy remakes at least kept the final punch to the gut, Martyrs is disappointingly neutered.

Our tale begins with Lucie (later played by Troian Bellisario), escaping from her captives as a young child. The details to her imprisonment are vague, and soon the case fades away as Lucia enters a girls school where she befriends Anna (Bailey Noble). Years later Lucie tracks down those she believes is responsible, a husband and wife, murders both them and their two children. Anna comes to help Lucie after receiving a phone call but is horrified at Lucie’s actions and doubts whether she has killed the right people. This mystery and ambiguous part provides a lot of great tension and thematically engages the audience. It also all happens in the first 20 minutes, making the rest of the film a complete surprise.

Martyrs review

Martyrs review

Despite having seen the original, this English language remake still felt terrifying and suspenseful. There is a very punchy pacing to the editing and it still confuses the brain into thinking you are watching a climax and that flashbacks will make up the rest of the film. The U-turn is still there, and the film does well in making come across as a natural progression.

Noble and Bellisario are both very convincing in their roles and perfectly capture the complex relationship between the two girls. Although it jumps from them as children to young adults, their chemistry makes it easy to imagine their lives in between the moments on screen. Bellisario actually has more to do than her French language counterpart, and Noble takes Anna on a stronger journey than what we saw in the original.

Martyrs review

Martyrs review

This makes for a solid interpretation in the first two acts and the promises of something different will excite fans who don’t want to see the same old story rehashed; Ironically, and maybe even hypocritical to say, but the film  fails when it deviates too much from the source material. Martyrs is one of those films where the ending really IS the movie. Like the originals of the aforementioned remakes The Wicker Man and Oldboy, it was constructed with a view to where it was going. The shock was real pay-off and morbidly rewarding. Here, although things are still kept dark, there’s an unnecessary nurturing hand placed on the audience’s shoulder as a sign of reassurance. It’s not all sunshine and roses, but you certainly won’t have a falling sensation in the pit of your stomach for days afterwards.

For horror fans, who will no doubt have seen the original, Martyrs will be a castrated version with little to add. However, for new horror fans or those who mainly stay 12A rated, it will be a shocking and disturbing descent to somewhere very dark. By no means a bad film, but not essential for those familiar with its past.

Martyrs review by Luke Ryan Baldock, March 2016.

Martyrs is released in cinemas on 1st April, and on DVD 4th April.

Luke likes many things, films and penguins being among them. He's loved films since the age of 9, when STARGATE and BATMAN FOREVER changed the landscape of modern cinema as we know it. His love of film extends to all aspects of his life, with trips abroad being planned around film locations and only buying products featured in Will Smith movies. His favourite films include SEVEN SAMURAI, PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, IN BRUGES, LONE STAR, GODZILLA, and a thousand others.

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