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Martin 1978

In the unsettling town of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Martin presents himself as an 84-year-old vampire. He preys on the town's residents, using sedatives before feeding on their blood with wounds made by a razor. His carefully constructed routine is complicated when he develops feelings for a local housewife, forcing him to confront his monstrous nature and the risk of exposure. The situation challenges his self-imposed rules and threatens to unravel his hidden existence.

In the unsettling town of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Martin presents himself as an 84-year-old vampire. He preys on the town's residents, using sedatives before feeding on their blood with wounds made by a razor. His carefully constructed routine is complicated when he develops feelings for a local housewife, forcing him to confront his monstrous nature and the risk of exposure. The situation challenges his self-imposed rules and threatens to unravel his hidden existence.

Does Martin have end credit scenes?

No!

Martin does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of Martin

Explore the complete cast of Martin, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for Martin

See how Martin is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where Martin stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Metacritic

68

Metascore

5.7

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

90%

TOMATOMETER

review

76%

User Score

TMDB

68

%

User Score

Take the Ultimate Martin Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of Martin with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


Unraveling Martin: A Horror Quiz: Test your knowledge on the chilling and complex narrative of 'Martin' from 1978.

What city does Martin board a train from?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for Martin

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Read the complete plot summary of Martin, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


Martin, portrayed by John Amplas, is a young man who appears to be in his twenties. His journey begins on a train from Indianapolis, Indiana, heading to New York. Under the cover of night, he trespasses into a sleeping car and uses a syringe filled with narcotics to sedate a woman. As she struggles, he reassures her that she will not feel any pain. Eventually, she succumbs to sleep, and Martin commits a heinous act. He sexually assaults her and then, in a gruesome turn, slashes her wrists with a razor blade to drink her blood, leading to her death.

The train reaches its destination in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Martin is met by Tata Cuda, an elderly man played by Lincoln Maazel. Cuda, dressed in a white suit, claims to be Martin’s cousin from the Old World. They make their way to Braddock, a deteriorating industrial suburb, where Cuda shows Martin to his new living quarters. Cuda, fearing for Martin’s soul, accuses him of being an 84-year-old vampire and warns him of dire consequences if he harms anyone in the neighborhood, emphasizing that his granddaughter, Christina, resides with him. Cuda ominously states, “First I will save your soul. Then I will destroy you.”

In a tense confrontation, Martin bursts into Cuda’s room, where Cuda clutches a crucifix in defense, whispering “Nosferatu.” Martin vehemently denies being a vampire, insisting he is simply Cuda’s cousin. In a provocative act, he bites into a string of garlic, challenges Cuda’s beliefs about vampires, and bitterly proclaims, “It isn’t magic… even I know that. It isn’t magic.”

Later, Cuda introduces Martin to Christina, warning her to maintain her distance. However, Christina decides to befriend Martin, and he confides in her about his perceived vampire heritage. Despite Cuda’s assertions that Martin is a vampire, Christina is skeptical, viewing the situation as a product of familial madness that has driven Martin to believe he is one.

Christina emerges as the only individual with whom Martin feels comfortable communicating. During a dinner with her boyfriend Arthur, he withdraws, highlighting his social struggles. Throughout this period, Christina confides her dreams of escaping Braddock with Arthur, despite Martin’s warnings of Arthur’s abusive nature.

In an act of kindness, Christina gifts Martin a phone, enabling him to call a radio talk show where he earns the nickname “the Count.” Here, he shares his tormented existence as a supposed vampire with the show’s audience, though the host dismissively considers him insane.

Martin finds employment at Cuda’s grocery store, where he meets Abby Santini, a depressed woman confiding in him about her troubled marriage. Struggling with his own social anxieties, Martin yearns to connect with her but falters. He later reveals to the radio host his lack of experience with sexually awake women, admitting, “I have never had sex with a woman who was awake.”

As time progresses, Martin’s darker urges lead him to seek victims outside of Braddock. He tracks a young woman home, plotting to attack her when she is alone. However, a twist unfolds when he discovers her in bed with her lover. A violent confrontation ensues, leading to the deaths of both occupants, with Martin both drinking blood and allowing the woman to live.

The narrative continues to unfold with themes of exorcism, pursued by Cuda and a priest who suspect Martin of being possessed. Following a chaotic confrontation, Martin escapes Cuda’s attempts at salvation, showcasing his complex relationship with his lineage and identity.

Amid his emotional turmoil regarding Christina and Arthur, Martin’s loneliness drives him back into the night. After enduring a deeply traumatic experience and the reality of his existence, he finds himself tragically distant from the connections he craved.

The culmination of Martin’s inner turmoil occurs when he receives word of Abby’s suicide. In an attempt to address the fragmented life he has led, he contacts the radio show once more, declaring he is better off alone. In a dark twist of fate, Cuda, under the delusion that Martin orchestrated Abby’s death, confronts him in his sleep, killing him by driving a stake through his heart and burying him in the garden.

Thus, Martin’s tragic journey concludes, fading into obscurity as, in a haunting echo, voices inquire about “the Count,” leaving an unsettling ambiguity regarding the nature of his existence.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for Martin

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from Martin. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


Martin Trailer 1976

Cars Featured in Martin

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Explore all cars featured in Martin, including their makes, models, scenes they appear in, and their significance to the plot. A must-read for car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.


AMC

Hornet

Buick

1972

Electra 225

Buick

1970

LeSabre Custom

Buick

1972

Riviera

Chevrolet

1971

Bel Air

Chevrolet

1960

C-Series

Chevrolet

1970

Camaro

Chevrolet

1962

Impala

Chevrolet

1969

Kingswood

Chevrolet

1970

Nova

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


murder disguised as suicidedestroying evidenceshy manshynesssecretly observingfemale pubic hairseductive womanseductive behaviorauditive hallucinationblack and white flashbackexorcistvampire costumefake teethpost coital sceneinfertile womanslapped in the facedead chickendead body in a bathtubdeath of protagonistmurder of protagonistbloody facebreaking and enteringlistening to a radiovampirecult filmteenage vampirelow budget filmfamily cursebraddock pennsylvaniahypodermic needlewhite suitscene during end creditspriestfemale rear nuditydruggedmagic trickexorcismcatholicismtalk radiodruggingcharacter name in titlemurder of a nude womannudityinjectionmale name as titlebelief in vampiresone word titlevampirismplaying cardspick lock

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