Martyrs (2008)
They haven't finished being alive.
A young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child leads her and her best friend, also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 12 June 2008 |
| Genre | Horror, Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Pascal Laugier |
| Starring | Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï and Catherine Bégin |
| Runtime | 99 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.1/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 64% · TMDB users 7.3/10 |
Where to watch Martyrs
We could not find Martyrs on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Martyrs on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Martyrs in 7 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Prime Video $12.99 AUD |
| France | Prime Video €6.99 |
| French Guiana | Prime Video |
| French Polynesia | Prime Video |
| New Zealand | Prime Video $8.99 NZD |
| South Korea | Wavve ₩10900 |
| Spain | Filmin €9.99 |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Pascal Laugier’s 2008 film is a 99-minute exercise in sustained dread. It leans into the horror genre not through jump scares, but through the sheer, unblinking weight of its premise. The tagline, "They haven't finished being alive," hints at a world where survival is a curse rather than a victory. It asks you to sit with discomfort for the full runtime. If you want your evening to feel like a long, cold walk through a dark forest, this is the ticket.
What the critics said
Martyrs split the room. Rotten Tomatoes recorded 64% positive reviews from 39 critics, averaging 6.1/10, as of January 2025. The consensus calls it graphic and not for everyone. Jordan Mintzer in Variety dismissed it as a splatterfest that wastes its early scares. John Griffin of the Montreal Gazette, however, awarded 3.5 stars, finding a cleverly controlled exercise in terror. Laugier called himself insulted by the misreadings, yet admitted he hates the film himself. It remains a hard sell, but a measured one.
Where it left its mark
Horror lists love a film that hurts. IGN placed it at number 32 in 2017, with Marty Sliva noting how it links spiritual enlightenment to brutal torture. Rolling Stone ranked it 36th in 2021, while IndieWire called it the scariest horror film of the 2000s in 2024. The influence travels too. Glen Schofield cited it for Dead Space, and Jordan Peele had Lupita Nyong'o watch it before filming Us. It stays on "most disturbing" lists.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Martyrs.
Sources
- Martyrs on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q577581 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Martyrs (2008 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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