.Lensed in Montreal, Martyrs shares a bloodline with a number of French films of the recent past.  From the Texas Chainsaw-like Frontier(s) to the more subtle terror of Them (Ils), Martyrs feels like a progression of thought from those films, but it probably is more closely related to the standout film, Inside (A'linterieur')'s artful depiction of some seriously brutal imagery.  Writer and director Pascal Laugier had already established a voice with St. Ange, but this is the movie that is his breakout, or downfall, depending on your perspective.  Where a film like Inside took the simple premise of a woman being terrorized by a psychotic stranger who is determined to take her baby, one way or another, Martyrs explores richer territory, while still maintaining a level of shock that will certainly drive some people away from this film prematurely.

There is little doubt that anyone who sees this film is going to burn to discuss it, but possibly not for the reasons one might think.  It is here I want to say I will discuss only in the vaguest terms the heart that beats in this film, as to pin it on the wall and examine it too closely is to ruin its beauty for others, but some respectful choreography around the subject matter is required.  

Laugier opens the film with the escape of a young girl, Lucie, who has been systematically beaten and tortured before escaping.  Taken into foster care, she meets the motherly Anna, who takes charge of Lucie, protecting her from the threats, real and imagined, that stalk her after the abuse she has suffered.

she has suffered.  Once Lucie and Anna grow to adulthood, (played as adults by Mylene Jampanoi and Morjana Alaoui, respectively), their relationship continues.  The greatest strain on that relationship comes when Lucie, convinced she has seen the faces of her former abusers in a local paper, tracks them to their home with a shotgun and begins firing.

Anna, horrified by Lucie's actions, yet still the stalwart companion, attempts to walk a fine line between playing savior to Lucie and to the family that has been ripped apart by this violence.  Lucie, however, is still on full tilt.  She sees a captor loose in the house, a twisted, pale creature that wants to hurt her, still, despite Lucie's attempt at vengeance.

It is here that one begins to think they have this movie figured out.  'The creature is just in Lucie's mind,' you may say, or 'I bet the family had nothing to do with it after all.'  I made a hundred predictions about where

predictions about where this film, hyped as an exercise in extreme terror, would take me.  Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was wrong, but the conclusion, this visceral, angry, painful final act, is where Martyrs becomes less a study in tension than one of true dehumanizing horror.

To Laugier's credit, he presents Martyrs without too many technical tricks, relying on the performances of his actors, and Alaoui's in particular is astounding.  The settings grow increasingly claustrophobic, creating a tension I didn't realize until Laugier pointed his camera to the outdoors once more.  The music is satisfying and appropriate, and the effects are practical and believable.  But this is not a movie made up of technical details and performances.  Those are all very good, but this is a different animal.

To call Martyrs violent does not appropriately convey the assault a viewer may experience.  There are those jaded souls, burned out by years of Faces of Death videos and low-rent gorefests who may walk away from this film with a shoulder-shrugging dismissal.  To them, I say, you have lost the capacity for empathy.  Once you find yourself caring about the plight of Anna and Lucie, once you begin to question how true Lucie's perceptions may be, Laugier has you.  And once he opens the door to the rabbit hole, you follow, and find there something initially horrifying, and ultimately sublime.  Laugier is not afraid to explore some dark territories, and there is a trail-blazing cinematic cartography at work here.  

There is a high degree of violence towards women in this movie (though, I might add, not a bit of it sexual), and it s hard stuff to get through, no denying that.  There are moments you will believe Laugier is reveling in torture and degradation, but there's a point here, and, once it's reached, makes the entire film something more than just horror and terror, and elevates it to real commentary and real art.  This is not a movie intended for casual viewers, as it demands more and delivers gut punches that will traumatize the uninitiated, but it also has something real to say, and it's that intelligence that makes this so special.  Finally available in the U.S. on April 28th, Martyrs will challenge and horrify you, delivering a final moment that is equally puzzling and satisfying.  Simply the best horror film of the year so far.

creating a tension I didn't realize until Laugier pointed his camera to the outdoors once more.  The music is satisfying and appropriate, and the effects are practical and believable.  But this is not a movie made up of technical details and performances.  Those are all very good, but this is a different animal.

uninitiated, but it also has something real to say, and it's that intelligence that makes this so special.  Finally available in the U.S. on April 28th, Martyrs will challenge and horrify you, delivering a final moment that is equally puzzling and satisfying.  Simply the best horror film of the year so far.