Review: U.S. Remake Of French Cult Horror Film 'Martyrs'

“Martyrs” is only eighty minutes long, sans credits, yet still it manages to cram four bad horror films into its meager runtime. A remake of 2008’s French torture porn/cult horror flick with the same title, the original “Martyrs” was by no means a masterpiece, but managed to be extremely effective during its third act, thanks mainly to writer/director Pascal Laugier’s staunch dedication to medieval-level gruesomeness mixed with an intensely grim existential hopelessness.

By easing up on the inherent and sometimes even necessary violence of the original while attempting a third act with more mainstream appeal, the gruesomeness of the American remake actually ends up making the whole grim endeavor feel absolutely pointless, and therefore more needlessly disgusting. The fact that the remake sports a cleaner and spiffier look, similar to most other modern mainstream American horror fare, further undercuts the supposed griminess of its subject matter.

As tones and genres wildly...