Martyrs (2008)

Note: from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards. Warning:  this episode contains audio and descriptions of violence towards women, as depicted in the film. Martyrs has been described many ways, but one word that keeps coming up is "brutal."  Pascal Laugier's entry into the New French Extremity is a film few see more than once, and if you've experienced it, you know why.  The story of two women who set out to discover what became of the people who captured and tortured one of them as a girl, Martyrs is unsparingly bleak, yet is packed full of ideas; its plot starts out as standard revenge fare, then takes a hideous turn halfway through.  It is a film that demands to be seen, but one neither Bradford nor Eric will likely choose to revisit. Background (spoiler-free) 0:00-12:58 Discussion (spoiler-heavy) 12:59-51:50 Awards (spoilers for days) 51:51 Our theme music is by Sir Cubworth, with selections from the Martyrs soundtrack by Willie and Alex Cortes. For more information on this film, essays from your hosts, and other assorted bric-a-brac, visit our website, scareupod.com, Please subscribe to this podcast via Apple or Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram.