Psychologically Disturbing, Round One: Audition vs. Martyrs

[Cena's Little Helper]

Audition (1999, Directed by Takashi Miike)

Synopsis: A widower takes a friend up on his offer to deceptively "audition" women in order to find him a new girlfriend/wife...too bad the soft-spoken manner of his choice belies her true intentions.

Why This Film Was Chosen: Because it's on the must-see disturbing movies list of almost everyone I've ever conversed with.

Key Disturbing Moment: The ending, where the aforementioned woman uses piano wire to mutilate the paralyzed body of the main character.

vs.

Martyrs (2008, Directed by Pascal Laugier)

Synopsis: A young woman helps her best friend find the people she believes were responsible for ritually torturing her as a child.

Why This Film Was Chosen: Because it can make even the most level-headed of people lash out in an emotional rage.

Key Disturbing Moment: When the main character is skinned alive for the benefit of a religious cult.​

 

[jmt225]

Man, this is a tough one.

I'm going to refrain from voting for now, and let someone persuaded me which way I should vote. But first let me explain why this is a tough choice...

Audition is the type of movie that builds and builds to a terrifying, horrific finale. In that finale I witnessed the most revolting thing I've ever witnessed in any film I've ever scene, and it's still hard for me to watch even after all this time. I'm of course talking about the girl's "pet human" eating out of a dog bowl filled with vomit. It's absolutely disgusting and makes me cringe every time I see it.

Martyrs on the other hand, is fucked up right from the start. The first half of the film is your typical horror movie (only much, much better), with constant scares and gore and violence. Then the second half turns into Hostel basically, with the ending being one of the most confusing, yet most ingenious you'll ever see.

So, yeah... this is a very tough choice. Like I said, I'm going to need someone to persuade me one way or the other. Have at it!

 

[INDYjon22]

Honestly, I found Audition to be boring as shit. I could not get into it at all and didn't find it disturbing in the very least. The worst part for me to watch was when the girl fell down the stairs at the end and you could see her bones moving in her neck and face. That did give me a bit of a sick feeling, but overall it was a lot more tame then I thought it would be. It is certainly no Ichi.

On the flip side of that though is Martyrs. I can't claim to have watched Martyrs yet, but I have read it's plot and some reviews. From everything I have read it wins my vote, and also makes me hesitant to view it. Martyrs just sounds incredibly brutal and hard to watch. It almost seems like it takes the torture porn genre to a whole new level, from what I have read. Just some of the things that I read about make me uncomfortable and make me question if I could even stomach watching it.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I haven't seen Audition, but Martyrs is the most disturbing movie I have ever seen. I thought the movie was really silly and stupid when it started out because I thought the movie was about supernatural forces or demon possession. When I found out what the movie was really about then it became more dark and eerie. Torturing human bodies to the limit to see how far the human spirit can go is way more disturbing then watching a cheesy Saw film that kills people for the sake of killing them.

 

[.]

I'm gona go with Audition. I haven't seen Martyrs so i can't pass an opinion on it but Audition disturbed the hell out of me. The bag scene was enought for me to stop watching this movie for 3 months and the have to rewatch the whole thing again. Hell, this movie even scared Rob Zombie. The movie brings on thoughts of realism and the effects of abuse and what it can do to a person.

I do plan on watching Martyrs one day but my vote goes to Audition.

EDIT: didn't notice the poll was closed. Sorry.