Martin

Martin is a bizarre approach to the vampire genre. rather than being clad in a cape with fangs the titular vampire is a young, awkward, and lonely boy who uses drugs and razors to quench his urge for blood rather than fangs. Martin is a film about delusions. Martin, is a very mentally unhealthy boy with homicidal tendencies that, due to his overly-religious cousin and most likely the occult boom of the 70's, make him convinced he is a vampire. because of Cuda and the radical religious movement growing around Martin, this delusion is taken further and further until it reaches its breaking point. the film shows how much the spike of radical right-leaning religion of the 70's indoctrinated its youth. Martin's homicidal behavior was given its form due to the religious turmoil around him. the hallucinations and fantasies Martin sees when killing are molded into ones of religion and folklore. his urges were sculpted and perpetuated by the society around him. he was a sick boy being treated like a devil and that treatment only fueled his fantasies. everything this film has to offer is spot on. the performance by John Amplas as the emotionally stunted teenager was brilliant. even when slitting someone's wrist open Martin still appeared sympathetic. he was careful, but clumsy. he was emotional and it was obvious that he deeply regrets everything he does and it was Amplas's performance thay brought it to light. speaking of his killings, the scenes in which he commits his violent acts are absolutely amazing. the cinematography is so profound while the score is bumping in the background. i can say with full certainty that i haven't been this horrified and enthralled in scenes like this since my first viewing of A Clockwork Orange. what presents itself as a spin on the vampire genre is a deconstruction that shows how the delusions of the mentally ill clash with the delusions of the right-wing radical religious groups of the 70's to fuel some of the most heinous people. Martin didn't deserve his thoughts or urges. everything that happened to him was an amalgamation of his environment and the hatred of others. he was not a good person but you can't help but sympathize with him. Martin is a film i'm going to be thinking about for a long time and i cannot wait for the blu-ray release that was announced last month to drop.