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Haute tension
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Haute tension (2003) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 18 | slideshow) Videos (see all 4)
Haute tension (2003) -- Theatrical Preview
Haute tension (2003) -- Clip: Someone's at the Door
Haute tension (2003) -- Tension and high demand due to a weak dollar are driving crude oil prices over 90 dollars per barrel. Randall Pinkston reports.
Haute tension (2003) -- Clip: No way out

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   17,464 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 18% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alexandre Aja
Writers:
Alexandre Aja (writer)
Grégory Levasseur (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for High Tension on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 June 2005 (USA) more
Tagline:
Hearts will bleed.
Plot:
Two college friends, Marie and Alexa, encounter loads of trouble (and blood) while on vacation at Alexa's parents' country home when a mysterious killer invades their quiet getaway. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
4 wins & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
Irregular but intriguing more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Cécile De France ... Marie
Maïwenn Le Besco ... Alexia (as Maïwenn)
Philippe Nahon ... Le tueur
Franck Khalfoun ... Jimmy
Andrei Finti ... Alex's Father

Oana Pellea ... Alex's Mother
Marco Claudiu Pascu ... Tom
Jean-Claude de Goros ... Police Captain
Bogdan Uritescu ... Gendarme
Gabriel Spahiu ... Homme voiture
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Switchblade Romance (International: English title) (UK) (DVD box title)
High Tension (USA)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for graphic bloody killings, terror, sexual content and language. (edited version); Rated NC-17 for strong graphic violence.
Runtime:
91 min | Germany:85 min (DVD version) | South Korea:84 min (re-cut version) | USA:89 min (edited version)
Country:
France
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | SDDS (US version) | Dolby Digital (US version) | Dolby Digital EX (original version)
Certification:
New Zealand:R18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Australia:R | Czech Republic:15 | Sweden:15 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/18 | USA:R (cut) | USA:Unrated (DVD rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (cut) (DVD rating) (uncut) | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (cut) | Austria:18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:R (Alberta) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Norway:18 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:Limited (original rating) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (edited version) | Germany:18 (cut) | Canada:16+ (Quebec)
Filming Locations:
Bucharest, Romania more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to 'Alexander Aja' the scene where Marie hides from the killer in the gas station restroom was a homage to a similar scene in the movie Maniac (1980). more
Goofs:
Continuity: The interior light of the yellow Ford during the car chase more
Quotes:
Le tueur: You can't escape from me, bitch! more
Movie Connections:
References Halloween (1978) more
Soundtrack:
A2 more

FAQ

What song do Marie and Alex sing while driving in the car?
What are the differences between the theatrical version and the unrated version?
What is the song in the trailer?
more
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
Irregular but intriguing, 16 July 2006
Author: Agnelin

This film seems to me to lack balance between the combination of elements that it blends together: the thriller-suspense factor, the gore, and the "surprise" factor. It is a very irregular film, but it still boasts good style and good manners in atmosphere-building, even if it doesn't really live up to meet the expectations, at least for me.

The story goes about Marie and Alexia, best friends who drive up to Alexia's parents' countryside house, hoping to find some peace for studying. Instead, they'll have to fight a psychopathic killer in a macabre cat-and-mouse game.

The best part, in my opinion, is the mise-en-scene and the introduction of the characters and the storyline. Everything in those first sequences tells us that something horrible is going to happen, not only because we already know that we're watching a horror film. The dusty road, the scorching weather, the big corn fields... the real feel of a horror story scene is there. It increases with the night scenes, the shots of the house, the staircase, the corridors. The gloominess and inherent darkness of the place and the quiet surroundings perfectly do their job of preparing us for what's to come.

The story-telling loses steam after this part. Not being a big fan of gore, I didn't really care for the bloody murder scenes, but I'm sure that they'll be appreciated by many -they're rather truculent and well filmed. The duel between Marie and the killer didn't really work for me; in fact, I found it a little boring. On the whole, I thought the story was unoriginal and predictable, but, contrary to what many say, I don't think it's deceitful -I didn't feel that the director cheats on the audience with the ending. (I won't elaborate on this so as not to spoil the film for those who want to see it).

I have mixed feelings about "High Tension". On the one hand, for me, it is ineffective as a thriller, and flawed as an exercise of story-telling. On the other, however, the murky atmosphere and the darkness of the story and of its subtleties stuck with me for a while after seeing the film. I wouldn't watch it again, but I understand why many like it so much.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Haute tension (2003)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Doesnt make sense Johnny_Blazzee
There WAS a picture! king1836
Things I learned watching High Tension...SPOILERS king1836
What about a Prequel? king1836
High Tension 2 : Salvation king1836
Truck ok. But the car?! Golfinguy75
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