Martyrs

The original Martyrs is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I'd even rank it up there with The Exorcist, another film that pushed the envelope and was ahead of its time. Unfortunately, because of the original's cult status, a remake was inevitable. Does it do the original any justice? I can't say that it does. And I honestly feel bad for the directors. They were simply set up for failure. If you are curious about the remake, watch it. I'd read the bad reviews, but I still had to see how it held up to the original. Just too bad it doesn't at all. I will say the acting and score were decent. Again, not as good as the original, but good nonetheless. If you've never seen the original or remake, please watch the original first. Yes, you will have to read subtitles, but I'm gonna assume most of you have a third grade education and can read.

Martyrs (2016) is yet another pointless remake that is completely inferior to the original. Have you ever heard one of those trashy Kidz Bop covers of a pretty good song? This remake is like a Kidz Bop version of a heavy-metal song. The entire movie just put a foul stench in my mouth. It is neutered down to its core. There isn't anything disturbing, horrifying, or shocking like there was in the original. Hell, there isn't even a lot of blood in this one. It's hard to just simply describe how horrible it is, so I'll just use another analogy. Let's say the class genius is taking a test, right? So the big class goofball decides to sit down next to him and cheat off his test. He copies most of the test, but then there's the essay section. The smart kid is moving along with it, writing in his own unique way. The catch is that he writes really fast. So the dumbo has to quickly copy down everything he's writing. After they finish, the smart kid has a pretty good essay but it's not his best work. The noodlehead kid has an incomprehensible copy of the smart kid's essay, so much so that sentences are out of order, and the essay prompt isn't even answered. Even if you take the original out of the equation and call this remake an original movie, it's still garbage. One of the saddest attempts at a remake I have ever seen.

I would have to say that this is not really as good as the original.

There was little character development at the beginning so you don't really get to know these two. I was not a fan of either actresses although I have seen them in other shows/movies and they were decent.

I think most American remakes do not live up to the original. While, this may be a reimagining, it is loosely based on the original. This is another remake that should not have been done.

The French-Canadian "Martyrs" (2008) is one of the most unpleasant and brutal movies ever made, with a disturbing story of insanity and a deceptive open end.

The American "Martyrs" (2015) is an absolute unnecessary remake of this movie. The performances are top-notch but the sick story is uncomfortable for any viewer, especially for those that saw the original film. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Martírio" ("Martyrdom")

The original film is one of my favorite horror movies, so I went in with very low expectations. I was very nervous to watch a remake, especially of a film that was so brutal, heart wrenching, and yet beautiful at the same time. Even though I had low expectations, I was still disappointed. They changed too much, and it wasn't as beautifully done, or as brutal as I expected. If I had never seen the original I may have actually enjoyed this one more. This is one of those movies is recommended to people that enjoy American horror movies, and don't want to read subtitles. But if you love horror movies, and don't mind reading a little, then this one would be a let down to all of the amazing foreign films out there.