Our October Titles

Coming in October: a provocative deconstruction of the American action hero; a deliriously perverse portrait of obsessive love; a mind-expanding cinematic head trip; and a noirish vision of the world as a carnival of corruption. Plus: an influential horror masterpiece and a resurrection of a tortured, enigmatic heroine—now on 4K UHD. And from Criterion Premieres: a heady thriller about grief, mortality, and love.

The rare film with a reputation that speaks for itself, Martyrs is perhaps the defining film of the New French Extremity movement and director Pascal Laugier’s masterpiece. Horrifying and thought-provoking in equal measure, it is a deeply philosophical and challenging work of extreme cinema – and undoubtedly one of the finest horror films produced in the twenty-first century.

In 1971, a young Lucie Jurin (Jessie Pham) manages to escape from a slaughterhouse in which she has been subjected to unspeakable torture. Placed in an orphanage, she forms a strong bond with Anna (Erika Scott), who tries to help her to recover from her trauma. Fifteen years later and now in adulthood, Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï) breaks into the isolated home of the Belford family, believing that they were involved in the horrific abuse she suffered in childhood. When she receives a call from Lucie, Anna (Morjana Alaoui) rushes to her aid – but soon comes to regret ever having set foot in the Belford house, where she will experience things beyond human comprehension.

Featuring heartbreaking performances by its two female leads and truly shocking imagery that lingers long in the mind courtesy of special effects designer Benoît Lestang, Martyrs has risen above debates surrounding “torture porn” to emerge as one of the truly great works of extreme cinema. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film on 4K UHD for the first time anywhere in the world from a stunning brand new 4K restoration, accompanied by a wealth of new and archival extras.

SPECIAL FEATURES
- Limited Edition Hardbound Set [4000 copies]
- Dual format edition including both UHD (Region Free) and Blu-ray (Region B)
- Limited edition hardcase featuring new artwork by Nick Charge
- Limited edition 100-page book featuring new cover artwork by Nick Charge and writing on Martyrs by film critic Anton Bitel and horror scholars Reece Goodall, Steve Jones, Mary Going and Laura Mee
- Limited edition fold-out poster featuring new artwork and original poster art
- New 4K restoration by Eureka Entertainment from the original camera negative
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation presented in Dolby Vision HDR (HDR10 compatible)
- Original French audio (5.1 and stereo options)
- Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
- New audio commentary with Nia Edwards-Behi, co-director of Abertoir Horror Film Festival
- Revisiting the Belford House – new interview with lead actor Mylène Jampanoï
- Beauty and Brutality – new interview with New French Extremity expert Alice Haylett Bryan
- Over Her Flayed Body – new video essay on Martyrs and body horror by Xavier Aldana Reyes, author of Contemporary Body Horror
- Organic Chronicles – archival feature-length documentary on the making of Martyrs
- Archival interview with director Pascal Laugier
- Archival interview with special effects designer Benoît Lestang
- Stills Gallery
- Trailers