[Sicknero]

Martyrs (2008)

Nicely shot, some good performances etc etc, but at the end I was left with a dissatisfied "What the hell was that all about then?"

For the first part of the film I thought I was getting into a half-decent psychological/supernatural horror, but then that's abruptly replaced by some brutal violence and torture justified by some half-baked pseudo-philosophical nonsense and an ending that has holes you could drive a bus through.

It's as if it tries to be two stories in one, which works for some films but not this one imo.

Either idea I think, might have worked well as a single story... the supernatural horror could have made an enjoyable if unoriginal film, and the martyrdom idea might have worked out okay with more thought, examination, and detail.

A good film visually, but for me the enjoyment didn't really go any further than that.

*Edit; Just been reading a forthcoming US remake by the producers of Twilight. A quote from director Daniel Stamm - "[The original film] is very nihilistic. The American approach [that I'm looking at] would go through all that darkness but then give a glimmer of hope. You don't have to shoot yourself when it's over.".

Oh goody, can't wait.