20 Best Horror Movies Since 2000
7. Martyrs
If you're one of those horror fans who is of the opinion that the genre has become tepid and somewhat tame over the last decade or two, Martyrs is a welcome breath of fresh air. Uncompromisingly bleak and disturbing, it represents the pinnacle of the New French Extremity movement.
On the surface, director Pascal Laugier has created what might be described as the ultimate torture porn movie: it certainly features scenes as graphically violent and sadistic as those found in the Saw and Hostel franchises. Some of the protracted torture scenes are considerably more effective than anything seen in your typical torture porn film, minus the sense of vicarious thrills gained from cheap exploitation horror.
It's the sincerity of the subject matter and the refusal to play the gore for entertainment value which sets Martyrs apart from the crowd. Rather than enter the crowded marketplace of popcorn gorefests, Laugier's film is an attempt to offer deeper meditation on pain and suffering, elevating the horror genre towards something more permanent.