Martyrs

When it comes to remaking horror classics, most people roll their eyes and condemn it from it's beginning. In the case of "Martyrs". a 2008 film that focuses on existential horror, sadistic torture and psychological trauma, an American remake hardly seems like the most logical idea.

Being a part of the new French extremity movement, the 2008 "Martyrs" pushed the limits in a lot of ways. It was savage, gory and thought-provoking in a way most horror movies never are. Unfortunately for "Martyrs" 2016, the only movement it's a part of is the trend of remaking movies that plain and simply do not require a remake.

Don't get me wrong, "Martyrs" 2016 gets pretty much everything right. The acting is fine, the atmosphere is tense and the story is as well thought out as the original, if not a little more. The problem is that this is the watered down version of the film.

The story revolves around Lucie, a woman who as a child was tortured by a group of people. The movie opens with her revenge, and the subsequent continuation of said torture. Everything in this movie revolves around torture, which is why it doesn't work as well as it should. There's very little violence in this movie, bar the inevitable American-horror-movie-showdown final act, and even then it's the bare minimum. Given the original films reputation, it seems strange to me that the remake is so far from the source material. We're expected to feel the character's suffering, but since none of it is shown, some of the scenes feel a little weightless.

There's a definite emphasis on the friendship between the two main characters, Lucie and Anna, which is something the 2008 film didn't dig too deep into. It works well and it never feels too forced.

A lot of the smaller issues with the film come from the American-isms that come with it. Where 2008 was subtle and visceral, 2016 over explains and has a few post-kill-one-liners towards the end that severely undermine the mood.

Basically, if you've seen "Martyrs" 2008, you might as well not bother with 2016. It's a good film by all means, but it's incredibly average and in no way builds on the original. Apart from very few changes and a new ending which borders on ridiculous, everything is exactly the same as the 2008 film.