Movies
[Review] Brutal ‘Martyrs’ is Immensely Uncomfortable
It begins with a whisper – then there’s some buzz – then there’s a friend who knows someone who knows someone else who has seen it. Word has it that the movie is awesome, and that is when it transforms into something more than just another horror flick, that it when it becomes a legend.
The one thing that makes being a horror fan so awesome is the hunt, the search for the holy grail of gore. Every producer in town promises it, every director thinks they have achieved it and the fact of the matter is that there is only one – maybe two horror movies every year that transcend greatness and earns the right to use the word “legend” in the same sentence as its title.
MARTYRS is this year’s INSIDE, both films which are legendary in their own right.
France. A night at the beginning of the 1970s. Lucie, a little girl missing for over a year, is discovered wandering by the side of a country road. Near catatonic, she can say nothing about what has happened to her. The cops quickly find the place in which she’s been incarcerated – a disused slaughterhouse. Every indication is that she never once left the empty, freezing room in which she was imprisoned. Filthy, starving, dehydrated, the child’s body nonetheless bears no traces of sexual abuse – this was no pedophile abduction, but something far stranger. What happened in that icy room? And how did Lucie escape?
The first comparison that will come out of everyone’s mouth is that MARTYRS is the next INSIDE, which it is. Both films are from France, but films are insanely violent, both films will give you nightmares and both films kick ass, but it must be known that there is a major difference between the two films. INSIDE is fun and literally is like a Disney movie in comparison to how tough MARTYRS is to watch.
Pascal Laugier brings us another blood-soaked horror film, only it’s not quite as over-the-top as INSIDE. Most of the gore is organic to the development of the story and not placed in their for mere shock value. Laugier, who also wrote the screenplay, seems to have been heavily inspired by Clive Barker (especially HELLRAISER), HOSTEL and ROSEMARY’S BABY. To go into depth would ruin the outcome of the film, but what can be said is that the conventional twists are used as plot points and not meant to be the saving grace of the film. There is nothing worse than the way a movie like Shyamalan’s SIXTH SENSE plays out because your entire opinion of the film is based on whether or not the final seconds rattled your brain. In a sense, the entire movie can completely suck so long as the end is a “shocker”. What makes MARTYRS so extraordinary is that the story unfolds using the twists of a typical movie, only they’re just a tool to transition to the next scene and don’t make or break the film.
What makes MARTYRS work is Laugier’s methodical unfolding of the story. What he does is give us a “glimpse” into the world of the torturer(s) so when the protagonist returns to the scene of the crimes, the viewer knows “kind of” what to expect, which makes them have to endure it with the lead character. Sometimes knowing what’s coming is more difficult than watching it unfold. By the end of the film MARTYRS becomes immensely uncomfortable, and making it through the final 30 minutes is a tough task.
It took an entire 24 hours for the movie to sink in and really left a dent in this reviewer’s psyche. After it was all said and done MARTYRS is really quite an exquisite experience – it’s so incredibly rare when a horror film is so engaging that it can feel as if you’re right there with the protagonist. The only negative thing about Laugier’s film is that once you see it, you’ll never be able to see it for the first time ever again…
One of the all-time foundational fixtures in horror is the vampire. That means over a century’s worth of bloodsuckers in film, in various styles and mythology, from across the globe.
As prominent as this movie monster is, with dozens of adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula alone, there’s an overwhelming selection of vampire fare that makes it easy for many worthwhile gems to fall through the cracks. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to underseen vampire horror movies worth seeking out.
As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Mr. Vampire – The Criterion Channel – Plex, the Roku Channel
This supernatural genre-bender from director Ricky Lau stands far apart from standard vampire fare thanks to its comedy, martial arts, and jiangshi. Taoist priest Master Kau (Lam Ching-ying) guards the realm of the living by maintaining control over the area’s hopping vampires, and other restless spirits. When Master Kau is hired to oversee the reburial of an affluent town elder, he and his two bumbling assistants find themselves in a supernatural battle to the death when the elder’s corpse resurrects as jiangshi. Produced by martial artist and Hong Kong cinema legend Sammo Hung, Mr. Vampire was a huge box office success in Hong Kong and launched a franchise. Still, it’s a charming, lively horror comedy that could use more love among contemporary audiences.
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To – Plex, Prime Video, SCREAMBOX
Writer/Director Jonathan Cuartas‘s feature debut feels like a spiritual sibling to We Are What We Are in many ways. Both offer meditative, brooding depictions of isolated families far removed from the rest of the world. Both families are willing to commit unspeakable acts on behalf of their loved ones. In this case, siblings Dwight (Patrick Fugit) and Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) find themselves routinely tasked with murder so their sickly younger brother Thomas (Owen Campbell, Super Dark Times) can have the fresh blood to survive. In the vein of The Transfiguration or Martin, this brooding debut feature grounds its vampirism in reality and focuses on the constricting, devastating toll of familial obligation.
The Night of the Devils – Kanopy
A disturbed man, Nicola, recounts the story of getting stranded in the woods, only to find refuge in a charming family’s house. The longer he’s there, the more he uncovers something is deeply amiss. Witches, vampires, and sordid family secrets ensue. Like Mario Bava’s anthology segment “The Wurdulak” in Black Sabbath, The Night of the Devils is also based on The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Director Giorgio Ferroni balances the gore and sleaze with haunting Gothic atmosphere and stunning cinematography. While it’s methodical in its buildup, the craftmanship and grim ending make this underseen Italian and Spanish co-production worth the watch.
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat – Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Plex, the Roku Channel
Director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork, Hellraiser III) has a blast with his high concept horror comedy that sees vampires living in the reclusive desert town Purgatory. They seek a peaceful life, with the plan to get an artificial blood factory in operation. Everything goes off without a hitch until Van Helsing’s descendant, Robert Van Helsing (Bruce Campbell), arrives in town. It’s a vampire western horror comedy that lovingly pokes fun at vampire tropes. The simple setup becomes anything but thanks to town politics, new tourists, and Van Helsing’s irresistibility to a vampire (Deborah Foreman). David Carradine presides over the vampire hijinks as Count Jozek Mardulak. For those looking for something fun and lighthearted, this pick is your best bet.
Vamp – AMC+, Plex, the Roku Channel, Shudder, Tubi
This highly entertaining horror comedy features a vampire that doesn’t get nearly enough attention; Grace Jones exudes raw power as vamp Katrina. Robert Rusler and Chris Makepeace star as two fraternity pledges that venture into the city to hire a stripper, all to impress their frat brothers. They find themselves in a shady part of town, unaware that the dive bar they’ve entered is full of vampires. Naturally, they find themselves in an all-night battle for survival. The neon haze-soaked urban setting makes for a refreshing change of pace. The bromance between the leads is as sweet as it is funny. Most of all, though, watch for Grace Jones’ riveting performance.
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