The New French Extremity movement birthed some of the finest, and most divisive, horror movies of recent years. The likes of High Tension, Frontiers and Them proved that the “torture porn” and “gorenography” tags – attached to many US horrors – merely grazed the harrowing capabilities of the new subgenre. Out of all the titles to emerge from Europe, Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs struck the biggest chord with audiences. And with Hollywood. So, the inevitable remake is now on its way and today brings its first trailer.
At the helm of this version are the Goetz Brothers, working from a script penned by The Revenant scribe Mark L. Smith. The overall story beats remain the same: two girls seek revenge on a mysterious family who tortured them a decade earlier. There’s a lot more to the story, but we won’t delve to far into it for fear of spoiling the movie for newcomers.
Needless to say, the original delivered a balance of gore, thrills and spiritual contemplation. An unusual mix, certainly, and one that paid off back in 2008. Will the same be said for the remake? On the surface the trailer presents a carbon copy of the French original, but we’ll have to wait until next month to cast our verdict.
Look out for Martyrs in selected theaters from January 22, 2016, followed by its VOD, DVD and Blu-Ray release a week later on February 2.
Ten-year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age.
Nearly a decade later and still haunted by demons, Lucie finally tracks down the family that tortured her. As she and Anna move closer to the agonizing truth, they find themselves trapped in a nightmare – if they cannot escape, a martyr’s fate awaits them…