CONTENT WARNING: This article contains mentions of violence, images of graphic scenes and potential spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

There are certain films which can plough new, unimaginable depths of depravity whilst simultaneously raising the bar of what the horror genre, and cinema as a whole, is capable of.

Even within our current zeitgeist and attitudes, with the likes of the Terrifier films seemingly becoming viral blockbusters instantly upon their release, there remain a few movies out there which are spoken about in hushed whispers and are usually watched on the daring recommendations of friends or pulled from the recesses of online “most disturbing” listings.

This is usually due to the willingness of a director to up the ante and descend more visually and explicitly into taboo themes, pushing the controversial envelope past the limits set by previous generations of filmmakers. But, it can also come by way of a film living up to its deservedly fearsome reputation and displaying a provocative brilliance.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM

Martyrs (2008) is the epitome of the utterly disturbing nadir that French Extremity can sink to, and the transcendental peaks that so-called “elevated horror” can reach.

 Even though we’ll only briefly allude to a few details of the film, it must be said that Martyrs (2008) is best experienced entirely unspoiled to achieve maximum immersion into its bleak world, replete with devious left turns and dense plot developments. If you’re yet to see it, you have been warned.

The film is laden with mind-splitting thought provocation and gut-wrenching violence, running the gamut of sub-genres with unflinching home invasion, psychological torment, torture-porn and even aspects of cult horror, with a clandestine group devoted to their divine, vatic obsessions.

It’s also a stark meditation on extreme trauma, guilt, morality, vengeance and the demons which those who survive these tribulations are plagued by. Before even reaching the traditionally reassuring point of the film’s halfway mark, where characters, motives and direction are expected to be set in motion and clearly laid out, you’re probably questioning everything and guessing where the hell there is left for it to go next.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM

These tonal shifts help to take the film from raw and bloody to crushingly hellish, from perturbing to blatantly miserable. There’s little hope in being comforted by one’s prior knowledge of genre tropes and expectations, along with predictions of how it will end or how good will ultimately triumph over evil, the film will swiftly stamp out any preconceived conventions with which its audience might depend on to allay the cinematic ordeal.

It leaves no room for a complacent viewing and demands a personal investment from the viewer.

Though you may try to, you won’t identify any of the sick fun that can be found in an American splatter or slasher flick – that’s because this film doesn’t have or want that same sense of the sometimes ironic, camp killfest style which many horrors do. It’s a distressing microcosm of unpleasantry, gruelingly dragging you to your limits.

It’s true that on the surface level, the scenes of graphic violence and the deaths perhaps leave little to the imagination, as markedly visceral and shocking as they are, but as the story plays out and the character’s actions become explained, you are subjected to a punishing journey of body and psyche which you had no idea you’d bought a ticket for.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM

It’s hard to describe the quasi-supernatural elements of the film without revealing too much, but it’s a guarantee that both gorehounds and scholarly critics alike can, and have, found common ground in Martyrs (2008), sharing a seat at its clinical, stainless steel table, where there’s more than enough for them to sink their canines into.

Although not explicitly stated, the film’s fabric heavily ties in with the philosophical ideas espoused by Georges Bataille, echoing his sentiments regarding pain and ecstasy, most notably his views on limit-experiences.

Even if Bataille wasn’t an inspiration for Laugier, they certainly both cultivated the same profound ideas from things like hagiography, namely the grisly deaths of Saints in Roman Catholicism and historical depictions of executions, from Joan of Arc to Chinese lingchi.

Similarly, these themes create the ideological matter which the classic Hellraiser books and films are predominantly predicated upon, but in Martyrs (2008), and refreshingly so for an extreme horror film, there is little room for any eroticism.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM

Instead, it is systematically torturous, and draws out theological and existential questions that won’t leave you any sooner than the gripping atmosphere, dismal mood and nauseating acts of physical harm.

A major component which aids the film in forming its original identity, is its unique take on the aforementioned utilisation of the torture genre. Laugier could have lazily layered on the cheap mutilations, but instead opted for his torture scenes to have a more visceral realism to them, differing from those on the screens of their US counterparts.

The film wipes the floor with any American torture or extreme gore flick, and it bravely strives to elicit every morsel of empathy from the viewer, done with great melancholic efficacy thanks to the impressive performances from the cast. These sequences are not just gratuitous or there to showcase a carnal spectacle to fulfil our morbid desires.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM

Of course, there are stylistic cues from the less subtle built-for-franchise machines like Hostel and Saw, with some truly nasty and believable practical effects, but the focus here is on the pain and suffering caused by such heinous acts, not necessarily the acts in and of themselves.

Whereas in a typical slasher or mock snuff film like August Underground or a volume from the Guinea Pig series, a particular kill scene or ‘creative’ method of torture may stand out, Martyrs is memorable for being spiritually crippling as a complete work and lingers with you long after its 99 minutes have concluded.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM

You’re left with a vile but pensive taste in your mouth after being fed the ambivalence of philosophical profundity and uncompromising nihilism it has to offer.

Almost two decades on, it still makes most of its competitors look tame and low-brow by comparison. It is emotionally devastating, corporeally unforgiving and ensures you that you won’t be the same after witnessing it.

You don’t just watch Martyrs (2008), you witness it. So when pressing play, do so with an iron stomach, an open mind and remember…”keep doubting”.

Image Credit: Martyrs (2008) / Pascal Laugier / TCB FILM