MARTYRS (2016) Review

Release Date: January 22, 2016 (Limited and VOD)
Directors: Kevin Goetz, Michael Goetz
MPAA Rating: NR
Run Time: 81 Minutes

In the latest edition of “Why does this movie need to exist?” we’ll be talking about the American remake of Pascal Laugier’s French horror shocker Martyrs from 2008. Laugier’s film seamlessly blended nearly every horror subgenre into one nightmarish tale of Hell on Earth and proved to be one of the few “torture porn” movies I would recommend checking out, despite the brutality.

The story begins 10 years in the past with a young girl named Lucie escaping imprisonment, only to return a decade later looking for retribution against her cult-like captors. Little does she know, she’s about to get in over her head as the truth about her torturers comes to light and things get horrifically spiritual.

As you might expect, this newly released remake of Martyrs by directors Kevin and Michael Goetz has many story beats that are a mirror image of the original but manages to only deliver a dried-up husk of Laugier’s original – a good-looking husk, but a husk nonetheless.

Like Laugier, the Goetz brothers fluidly transition between just about every type of horror movie one can think of – psychological, supernatural, revenge, torture-porn and even some slasher elements thrown in for good measure – but the big difference between the two is the extremes to which each film went.

The original forced you to watch every horrific moment unfold with a completely unflinching camera that never wanted you to feel at ease or miss one moment of gruesome terror. It also did not feel like the brutality was just thrown in for sadistic reasons but rather to force the viewer to share in Lucie’s nightmare.

The carnage in this newer version is decidedly more muted, opting for less torture, more cutaways and a heavier use of CG. I don’t mean to say that this film is tame by any means or that it should be penalized for curbing the violence, but it does feel more neutered than the original, which will surely further alienate horror fans who are most likely not on board with this remake in the first place.

While I’m sure there are plenty of small differences, the biggest, and perhaps most disappointing change with the American remake is how the final act plays out. While the theme remains the same, the execution of the finale packs a much weaker punch, causing the basis for all the preceding events to feel less earned and more superficial.

One surprisingly strong element in the Goetz brothers’ Martyrs was the cinematography, which seemed entirely too good to be in a movie like this. Some of the shots were downright artful in their execution and supplied some much-needed spice in a film otherwise devoid of much creativity.

I don’t fault the Goetz brothers for making this movie; truth be told, I’m a fan of their work and even had them on an episode of our podcast in the past. But sadly, this is ultimately just an unnecessary remake that doesn’t really deviate or improve on the original in any way, making it a tough one to recommend.

My suggestion? Just watch the original, but heed my warning: it’s a movie that will stick with you for a long time. The remake…not so much.