High Tension (2003) User Reviews

Hearts will bleed...

[RainWeirdo · 8/10 · 22 June 2005]

...and so will faces, slashed throats, dismembered hands, decapitated heads, backs, arms, feet, stomachs, chests... In fact, just about everything that can bleed does bleed in this movie, and does so copiously.

High Tension, aka Switchblade Romance (much better title) is the best horror movie I've seen come out in theaters in years. After so many times hearing "this is the movie horror fans have been waiting for" and then being horribly disappointed by Cabin Fever, The Ring, Malevolence, Darkness, The Grudge, and every single other one, I am throwing my full weight behind this one. Switchblade Romance is the movie real horror movie fans have been waiting for. It's a bloody, merciless, no-humor and no-holds-barred homage to the classic slasher pics of the 70s, and yet it surpasses almost every movie it draws its inspiration from. We get an unstoppable but definitely human killer, far more interesting than, say, Jason or what Michael Myers has now become because of his obviously being human and because he makes some undeniably smart decisions and operates in a continuously logical, inescapable way. The arsenal on display is impressive, as it should be in any decent slasher movie. We get the basic straight razor, the butcher knife, shotgun, axe, and, in an incredible and deliciously violent nod to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the power buzzsaw.

Every aspect of this film is in place. The plot is simple and straightforward, the acting, even dubbed, is interesting (and despite complaints of why only parts of it were dubbed, if you watch closely and pay attention to who speaks French and who is dubbed, it actually makes perfect sense and fits with the movie), the cinematography is strangely artistic, almost gialli-like, the bloodletting stylish and gruesome, the sound design incredible, the tension almost unwavering. The initial horror set piece, the arrival of the killer and the slaughter in the house, is bound to become a well-remembered and oft referenced classic scene of horror. The sheer brutality and stark reality of it ranks it up there, in my mind, with the gut wrenching finale of "Odishon." A quick word on the performances. There's minimal dialogue, but what there is is at least two steps up from most horror films. Its meant to build character, whereas most slasher flick dialogue is there just to drive the plot. Here, we care about the characters, even those who don't get much of a chance to talk, because the situation is so much more real than your average flick and so is the acting. Cecile de France's physical performance is stunning, the fear on her face, the tension in every limb, the breath rate, the pain, everything, and the sheer madness that Maiwenn's character endures is perfectly conveyed by the utter despair she is able to convey even with a gag in her mouth most of the time.

An, of course, a quick word on the ending. Quit complaining! The ending of this movie is great, not only does it take an extremely well made but somewhat shallow gore pic to a whole new level with some interesting things to say about... well, I won't say on account of not spoiling it, but yes, it actually does make sense if you've watched the movie carefully and have enough intellect to think about it on your own rather than just taking at face value what you've seen. I halfway wonder if the twist wasn't in part a snobby French joke Aja decided to play to see if we lulled, summer blockbuster-fed Americans could figure it out and realize that everything works without being spoon-fed exactly how it works.

8 / 10 - which makes it twice as good as the next best horror movie to come out in theatres in a decade. The only thing that keeps it from attaining a perfect 10 is that, although the tension is cranked up high for most of it and the scares are a thing that will haunt you more after walking out of the movie than when you're watching, the suspense does kind of flag unexpectedly in a few key places. Still, given the other 80% of the movie is extremely suspenseful and effectively brutal, this is a small flaw. If you like horror movies, GO SEE IT.

Would have loved this BUT...

[mr__hyde · 6/10 · 7 March 2005]

As many reviewers have said, this is one of the best body pile slashers films made ever, certainly in the last few years. Buckets of blood, great makeup and special effects, and some seriously genius ways of offing the good guys. But we also get one of the stupidest plot twists ever that not only ruins the vibe of the film, but makes the whole script seem completely incoherent. On multiple viewings you see the direction around this twist is actually quite well done, tons of small hints and some gross additions are noticed, but it's not worth it at all. If there was no plot twist, this would have easily gotten a 9 in my book, but it's lucky it got the 6 with that dumb idea tacked on for no reason.

Bloody, intense, psychological terror. A classic film.

[jay-dobrow · 8/10 · 17 October 2005]

There should not be any surprise why Wes Craven chose Alexandre Aja to direct the remake of "The Hills Have Eyes". Aja's "High Tension" delivers what could be the most terrifying scenario in horror history since "The Last House on The Left". Two young women travel to a dreary looking farmhouse to study for important school exams. That same night, as soon as the doorbell rings, the madness strikes, and it strikes hard. The killer in this film holds nothing back, and it will feel as if you had been struck in the stomach by a 2x4. The flick will not let you go until the last fearful scene is over. Highly recommended for serious horror filmmakers.

High Tension

[gjung01 · 19 June 2004]

"Haute Tension" is one of the best horror films I have seen in years. It is appropriately gruesome and shocking and does not take the wise cracking, action movie based horror movie approach that so many recent horror films have taken. The film is well made and paced and builds up the suspense to a crescendo and does not overstay it's welcome. One would have found it unusual for French cinema to be the one to revitalize the horror genre which has become hackneyed and trite in Hollywood (so many want to refer to it as psychological thriller). The story follows 2 college co-eds visiting the homestead of one of the girl's family on a school break. A mysterious man in a mechanic jumpsuit and old truck (reminiscient of the one in "Jeepers Creepers")comes to the house in the night and brutally murders the family, kidnaps the girl and overlooks her friend who has to pursue the killer to rescue her friend. Director, Alexander Aja, does not make a pedestrian, light weight horror film and the deaths in the film are disturbing and brutal. There is no humor or comic relief and the blood literally soaks the camera lens. The sense of dread and the unrelenting suspense and pace makes this a refreshing breath of fresh air from all of the PG-13 rated "Scream" wannabes that have been hitting the multi-plexes. Wes Craven had reportedly seen "Haute Tension" at Sundance and has hand picked Alexander Aja to remake "The Hills Have Eyes" and have free artistic licence since Craven had pegged him as the "future of horror." There is even a plot twist which you will either love or hate but it fits in well with the film. The performances by Cecile de France, Maewenn and the actor who portrays the killer are perfect. All in all, this is a French film that deserves to be seen in American multiplexes and a must see for horror movie fans the world over who have been having to settle for mediocre horror for many years now.

A rush of adrenaline

[The_Void · 7/10 · 7 February 2005]

The title of this marvellous French horror thriller translates directly into English as 'High Tension', and as anyone who's seen it will tell you; it's an apt title. Simply put, Switchblade Romance (to give it English release, and better, title) is a pure adrenaline rush throughout. The film forsakes substance in favour of masses of tension and the result is a film that is guaranteed to get your heart racing. The fact that the film features numerous sequences of extreme gore doesn't exactly hinder it either. There has been a surge of good, inventive horror coming from overseas and independent studios recently; the likes of May, Dog Soldiers and Sleepless being among the best of them, and Switchblade Romance sits nicely alongside the cream of the recent crop. This film follows two friends, Alex and Marie who go to stay with Alex's parents in their country home. However, things go awry when a man breaks into the home and brutally murders the family. We then follow Alex and Marie through a roller coaster ride of tension and suspense as they try their best not get sliced and diced!

The film is very stylishly shot, and this has lead many to label it a 'Giallo'. This is most certainly not true, and there isn't much other than the style of the movie to suggest this. Switchblade Romance is more of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre style horror driven slasher than a Giallo; the film clearly knows this also, with a direct homage to the seventies classic towards it's climax. The amount of gore on display is impressive, and several scenes are certainly not for the feint-hearted. There's quite an array of weaponry in the film also, from the plain and simple switchblade, to much more exciting weapons like barbed wire, various guns, an axe and, my personal favourite, the chainsaw! In fact, I am pleased to report that Switchblade Romance features what is maybe the most brutal chainsaw scene ever! Aside from the weapons and gore, this film is also of note for it's music. The original score sets just the right tone for the goings on - it's atmospheric, but steady and almost like a lullaby, which fits with the film's style nicely. Switchblade Romance also features one of the best uses of original music of recent years, with a great scene that incorporates Muse's "New Born".

Switchblade Romance is pure style, and a complete adrenaline rush. Tension isn't in the film, it IS the film. In spite of it's lack of substance, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat and begging for more. Add that to some lovely music, classy acting and enough gore to fill an abattoir - and what you've got is the makings of a cult classic!

More than meets the eye...

[chainsawhand · 7/10 · 23 May 2005]

Every now and then in the horror genre, a new film comes along that's supposed to "Scare the hell out of you" or "Get under your skin and stay there for weeks.". Or maybe it's supposed to be "Terrifying" or "Unsettling". These are all comments that have been made about the new French horror flick Haute tension.The film has been creating quite a stir on horror websites, and has had US audiences itching in anticipation of it's theatrical release.

Haute tension (or High tension or Switchblade Romance, depending on where in the world you see it) is, at it's core, a gory, simple slasher film. Marie and Alex, college students, take a weekend at Alex's family farm to study. They are warmly greeted by her loving parents and younger brother. Then a trucker shows up and proceeds to brutally butcher the family and kidnap Alex, leaving it up to Marie to rescue her friend (and stay alive herself, natch).

The film is well acted, for what it's worth in a movie like this. Emotions range from scared to dying, or from angry to crazy. Marie (De France) is basically the only character in the film from around the 20 minute point, and she makes for a strong lead, apparently having studied at the Jamie Lee Curtis/Sigourney Weaver/Linda Hamilton School for Horror Heroines.

Is it scary? I'm not sure. It is certainly intense, sure to cause many a boyfriend's arm to be squeezed. It's also chock full of stomach-churning violence (although one can assume the US version will be significantly tamer). The gore is off-putting, but very effective, and it serves to heighten the tension rather than distract the audience from it, which is a trick many recent US slasher offerings would do well to learn.

The film is also stylish and well made, never winking, constantly taking itself very seriously, another lesson US horror could take from it. This is no Scream. Rather, Haute tension hearkens back to earlier Craven and Carpenter, strongly reminiscent of The Hills Have Eyes , Last House on the Left and Halloween. The film takes no prisoners and grants no asylum. It is very well shot, with an eye for the perverse, demented beauty in the images of mutilation, death, and torment it depicts.

SPOILERS AHEAD

For those of you who fall into the "never plan to see this movie" category (and if you know me personally, I'm probably going to try to make you watch it, so this is your last chance to turn back!), the film ends with a bizarre twist: after chasing down the evil kidnapper, and beating him in the face with a barbed wire topped club, then suffocating him, Marie rescues the bound and gagged Alex. Alex immediately turns on Marie, and we realize that the killer was MARIE HERSELF ALL ALONG!!! This raises several issues, all of which I've been mulling over for a week now.

First of all, does the movie hold up? Is it The Sixth Sense, where we can watch it again and see it in an entirely new light? Or is it The Usual Suspects, where the ending negates or makes impossible much of the film preceding the revelation? I think it's a little of both.

I figured out the twist early in the film, and viewed it as a battle between opposing sides of a character's psyche. Marie is obviously a closeted homosexual, and due to whatever social factors, has denied herself her impulses. This denial and self hatred has led to the development of an alternate personality, the embodiment of stark masculinity. For the most part, the actions of both characters can be seen as parts of the internal struggle for dominance within this sick girl's mind. Only once does the film truly cheat: we in the audience are shown a security camera's recording of the trucker, a character we'll soon discover is a figment of his quarry's imagination. How does the camera pick up an image that doesn't exist? Otherwise, the dual personalities don't directly interact with each other (until the very end), nor do they simultaneously interact with any other character. When they are seen as two entities, it is purely in her mind.

A second issue I've been considering is exactly what stance is the film taking on human sexuality. Is it suggesting that repressed sexuality in general leads to destructive brutality? Or is it repressed homosexuality that does this? Is it trying to say that inside every lesbian is a fat, ugly, Carhartt wearing trucker? Or is he inside every woman, period?

How about the film's thoughts on what brings out the rampaging trucker within; does he simply wait for the right moment? Is he brought out by masturbation? if so, that's a more chilling threat than a hairy palm or blindness, any day. Or is it rejection? Is it possible to want someone so badly that only by massacring everyone else around can one have that person?

These questions I don't have answers to. I have thoughts on them, but none clear enough or well defined enough to verbalize here. The film's numeric rating is based on the fact that I don't like the answers I think the film leads us toward. I do, however, give the filmmakers credit for putting these issues out there. It's a shame that the vast majority of the film's audience will see only the surface events, and will spend more time thinking about whether it makes sense than trying to answer the important social questions it's asking.

But then maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe it's just a slasher flick, and a damn good one. And maybe it goes too far at the end, trying to be clever. In that case, same rating.

http://www.thestickyfloor.com/

A very stylish, tense film, truly a suspense-thriller-horror

[PyrolyticCarbon · 9/10 · 3 May 2005]

Oh my god. Without a doubt I have not been affected by a movie this much since watching the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre when I was well under age and the movie was certainly more than dodgy. I couldn't sleep after watching that and was very uneasy, multiplied a gazillion times by the imagination of a kid. This certainly had a similar affect on me, it scared me and horrified me, it even surprised me more than any other movie has of late.

If you have any preconception about foreign cinema being weaker to Hollywood then you have hardly spent enough time watching foreign cinema and too much time engrossed in poor romantic flicks with Clooney et al. You really need to get out and grab some of that Japanese, Spanish and French cinema action. It's easily had and there's a lot to it, far better movies...anyway, I find myself digressing again.

From the outset this movie pitches itself as a hard horror, it isn't going to pull any punches and it's going to show you like it is, harrowing and horrific. That said, the story then turns to a slower pace and you find that it's mixing the suspenseful thriller in with the moments of full on horror, and it's done so well. Too well in fact, and watching the psychotic at work is sometimes shocking.

It rides a fine line between schlock horror and suspense horror, it manages to combine the two without falling into a complete gore flick. It is gory mind you, very gory. I was eating a couple of biscuits during the movie and I stopped until it was finished, even then I wasn't sure.

That's where this movies strength lies, it really pushes the boundaries of between those two types of movies but keeps its feet firmly in the suspense, and tension area. The film is exceedingly tense, and it's raised slowly to begin with, but creeps up at every set piece, and it's not long before the shocking and surprising final set piece is upon you. That in itself is terrifying, and as it unfolded on me I was stunned.

Part of me thinks that this movie could have done much better without all the horror, but I'm not sure that the film would have carried on the tension and suspense alone, it's the very presence of the horror that adds to and heightens the pressure.

A very stylish, tense film, truly a suspense-thriller-horror to be proud of from the French. Please Hollywood, don't remake it.

That movie had potential...

[funnycommentor · 6/10 · 11 January 2023]

The plot of the movie was kinda interesting, even though it was similar to every other slasher movie. The storyline was kinda well-written, even though there were too MANY plot holes during the movie. The characters were very interesting, but not really well-developed. The filming location of the movie was just nice, nothing wow. The killcount of the movie was really bloody and gory, I really liked every kill of that movie. Of course, it was a really intense movie and there were too many chase scenes. In my opinion, it was a really nice slasher movie and it definitely had potential, but the ending twist totally RUINED the movie... Sadly, the plot twist of the movie wasn't really good and it wasn't well-developed. Overall, it was an average slasher movie that it could have been way better, if the ending twist was more clever and well-explained... By the way, I would definitely like the idea of a remake, but they should definitely change the ending twist (if they're planning to make a remake)!

Craven and Hooper would be proud, unfortunately, so would Shyamalan.

[baumer · 9/10 · 18 October 2005]

The 70's and 80's produced what I consider to be the best horror films ever made. There were more independent films being made 20 and 30 years ago and that led to less studio intervention. I seriously doubt Sam Raimi could have made his classic gore fest THE EVIL DEAD if The Weinsteins were behind the scenes. And I know for a fact that Tobe Hooper would never have gotten away with what he did to make Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE as shock inducing as he did. And finally, what I consider is the most disturbing film ever made, never would have been made if guys like Michael Ovitz were behind it. Could you imagine if Ovitz was visiting the set of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, took a look at the dailies and then said, "okay, that intestine part has to go, the slapping of the naked girls has to be trimmed down and the fellatio part has to be edited." Last House would not be the classic that it is today and it certainly would not be a paradigm to all horror films that many aspire to make today.

Now, what we have are a plethora of films that follow in M. Night Shyamalan's footsteps after his monster and genre defining hit SIXTH SENSE. It's a great film that puts the suspense back in horror. And as much as I love Sixth Sense, as much as I respect what Shyamalan has done to help redefine horror, too many of today's film makers try to emulate him and screw things up.

HIGH TENSION, for the first 80 minutes of the movie is a true testament to the basic primal animal that we are, or can be. It is an uncompromising and relentless attack of our senses, our nerves and our being. It shreds the neo horror film ideology that THE RING and Sixth Sense seemed to invent and instead grabs a hold of your intestines and squeezes and then twists. It is about as intense of a film as I have seen in quite some time. While not as sick and depraved as Last House on the Left, it treads in the same water. This has the look and feel of a 70's guts on the wall horror film and for that, I applaud Alexandre Aja for writing and directing a film that looks like it had very little studio intervention and as such the film is about as shocking a film as you will see from any North American distributed film.

High Tension's strength is that it is about as violent and blood soaked as any film from the period that it pays homage to. Gone is the horror film blueprint that teens seem to love today. This is a film made by a director that grew up perhaps admiring some of the greats from three decades ago. You can see homages to films like Friday THE 13TH, MADMAN, THE STEPFATHER, and of course Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There are at least 4 scenes in this film that truly shocked me. The violence is real, it is macabre and it is brutal. Blood spills, it flows, and it sprays. I have never seen someone get their throat slit, but I would imagine it would something like it does in this film.

The pace of the film is frenetic and at about the twenty minute mark, the dialogue pretty much stops and what we have is a cat and mouse game. Aja does his talking with chainsaws, barbed wire and a switchblade. There is much attention to detail in this film and I guess that sort of justifies the end, which is about as beguiling as any legerdemain present in any of the films since Sixth Sense.

The ending has to be mentioned because as I'm sure many of you know by now, the ending is unnecessary chicanery. It just didn't need to be there. But to be fair, the film does allude to the road it is embarking on, it just seems like an extrinsic path. The denouement of the film, can be a distraction and take away from the raw emotion the film does a great job of making you feel up until this point. And if you examine the film, you'll realize that what you have seen for the last 80 minutes is pretty much impossible. I took all of that into consideration before writing this review. And what it comes down to is this: The films is so perfect before the preposterous ending, that you can kind of ignore the impossibilities and chicanery. If you can just see the film for all of its brilliance before the last ten minutes, you'll love the pure terror that this film presents us with. But just a word of warning. The ending is misleading and dishonest.

This film is an amalgamation of Last House and Sixth Sense. The twist, which may have been attractive to the talking heads in charge of the studio, also takes away from the artistic integrity of the film. I, as other reviewers have mentioned, would much rather a psycho killer gone mad than a film that has to deceive us with a SLEEPAWAY CAMP type slap in the face. While Sleepaway Camp is a good film but not nearly in the class of High Tension, the ending fit there. Here, it is just plain wrong.

High Tension scores a 9/10 from me because it is about as good a horror film I have seen in the last ten years. The last 10 minutes drags it down to a 9 instead of a 10, but this film is raw, it is primal and it is made with ingenuity and care and it is a true homage to the horror films that I grew up with. This is truly a must see for any horror fan.

Not a pretty sight -- **POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

[LondonOnMyMind · 7/10 · 23 October 2005]

As a horror film fan, I have wanted to see "High Tension" for a while, ever since I saw the delectably violent trailer and clips. It does not disappoint in the gory violence department, but I found it to be too short, with an abrupt ending. Still, the film is a haunting exploration of the darkest corners of the human psyche; a portrait that doubles, or maybe masquerades, as a slasher.

Cécile De France is good in the role of Marie, showing grit, nerve and, dare I say, tension when the role calls for it. Maïwenn Le Besco is also good as Alex, although her role does not demand much from her, except for a few scenes of considerable emotional range.

Two of the best aspects of the film are its cinematography and music. Cinematographer Maxime Alexandre paints the film in bluish, metallic, detached hues, that contribute to the effects of truly unapologetic on-screen violence. Composer François Eudes' score is an audio picture of disturbed peace and chaos brewing in the idyll of normalcy. Had it not been for these two elements, the film would not have been half as effective.

"High Tension" is not a must-see film by any means, but it is a must for art-house and horror film fans.

7/10

French slasher with a wrong turn

[cadwallon1969 · 1/10 · 25 October 2020]

Spoiler: Was Ok...up until the "twist". A standard slasher fest, with suitable buildup and personable characters - but with a sexy French flavour. But yeah, nuh. No indication of the pending plot twist. In the beginning, who was (ahem) having relations with the head in the truck? Alex was in the car asleep! Where did the truck come from? Where did the weapons come from? Who did the farm belong too? Where were all the pictures of girls from? If he was obsessed with her girlfriend - why all the pictures? And why kill her family? Even psychos need a (sort of) motive! Why was "Alex" so beaten up? Was she fighting herself? It lost me completely with the circular saw - I, as a 186cm 100kg man couldn't wield that thing. And she used it like it was a Dremel. I laughed and deeply disturbed my wife.

Uncompromising shocker, NOT for the faint of heart!!

[Libretio · 9/10 · 6 February 2005]

HAUTE TENSION

(USA: High Tension /UK: Switchblade Romance)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital Surround EX / DTS

After witnessing the massacre of an entire family at their isolated country home, a young student (Cécile de France) goes in pursuit of a depraved psychopath (Philippe Nahon) who has taken her friend (Maïwenn Le Besco) hostage.

The real deal. A return to the bleak intensity of 1970's/80's horror by a director (Alexandre Aja) clearly in love with the genre. As such, it's no surprise to find Italian makeup maestro Giannetto de Rossi (ZOMBI 2, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, etc.) credited in the opening titles, and his work - allied to Aja's ultra-realistic approach to the material - is among the best of de Rossi's career. One of the most frightening movies to emerge from Europe - or anywhere else, for that matter - in recent memory, HAUTE TENSION pits a terrified heroine (de France, giving an unrestrained, highly physical performance) against an unstoppable force of nature (Nahon) who proceeds to steal her innocence clean away. Set amongst the splendors of rural France, Aja's film uses the wide open spaces to generate foreboding from the outset (beautiful cinematography by Maxime Alexandre), and his use of music and ambient sound is masterful. Once the violence erupts in earnest - about twenty minutes into the picture - Aja cuts dialogue down to an absolute minimum and strikes a level of intensity that few horror films have achieved in recent years, and the pace remains frantic throughout. De Rossi's gore effects are explicit and plentiful, but the director balances these outrageous visuals with a series of poignant brushstrokes (eg. a dying victim pleading not for help, but for an explanation of the tragedy which has befallen her), adding small touches of human warmth to an otherwise fierce brew.

Some people have complained about a climactic 'turnaround' which appears to come out of left-field, but their protests are groundless. In fact, this jaw-dropping sleight-of-hand is entirely in keeping with the director's off-kilter intentions, and most viewers will relish an opportunity to dissect the narrative on second viewing, where various 'contrivances' and 'lapses in logic' are revealed as nothing of the kind. Aja and co-scriptwriter Grégory Levasseur aren't interested in mollycoddling the audience or leavening the material with wisecracks and 'post-modern' references to genre movies past and present; they simply want to scare the hell out of you, and in that, they have succeeded magnificently. HAUTE TENSION is an instant classic, deserving of every accolade. An uncredited Luc Besson (THE BIG BLUE, LEON, etc.) acted as co-producer on the film.

(French dialogue)

In Pursuit of a Killer

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 6 July 2021]

"High Tension" could've been and would've been better if it didn't go the dual personality route. The whole movie we were led to believe that a strange man (Philippe Nahon) came to Alex's family's house and killed them all. We were led to believe that Marie (Cecile de France) was able to hide from the killer and then pursue the killer who'd kidnapped Marie's friend Alexia (Maiwenn). Then, when the movie was about to conclude we found out that Marie was the killer the whole time and she only imagined (or was taken over by) the other personality. That would've been a nice twist except:

A.) I've seen that twist too often ("Fight Club" did it best).

B.) It was hard to reconcile what really happened with how Marie imagined it.

Marie saw another man, she hid from this man, she ran from this man, she pursued this man in a totally different vehicle, she fought him and presumably killed him. I can stretch my imagination and reconcile much of it, but I can't reconcile the two different vehicles. How could she have been driving the Jeepers Creepers truck with Alex in the back as well as the yellow sports car (unless the yellow sports car didn't exist)?

"High Tension" was a decent movie, but it would've been better if it had honestly stuck to the thread it was on: a determined woman pursuing a kidnapper/killer to rescue her best friend. Not to say that the dual personality angle wasn't good, it was actually quite cool because who'd expect a woman to be a crazed homicidal maniac, but the execution wasn't the best.

A waste of time

[druid3 · 1/10 · 25 June 2005]

Despite all the nice things that people have to say about this film, the "plot twist" in it makes it an utter waste of time.

Spoilers follow, although I doubt I can spoil the movie any more than the director already did. Although I doubt it makes a difference because my complaint has to do broadly with the plot of this film, my review is based off the US theatrical release.

It starts off as a fairly standard chainsaw massacre type of flick, which to be completely honest, has never been my favorite genre, and ends as something I didn't think existed: a slasher flick with a plot so awful that it loses any value it may have had as a simple gore fest. It turns out that the main character has multiple personalities and is also the killer, or something to that effect. It's very hard to say exactly what happened in the movie because after that revelation, it is obvious that 99% of the movie must be dismissed as nonsensical.

If this trite twist is done in a clever way, it can make piecing together the plot preceding the revelation an interesting endeavor, but this movie didn't bother with being clever. The main character would have to be in two different places at the same time in the film so many times that there is no point in trying to put it all together. There is a car chase with vehicles driven by different aspects of the personality; one aspect rides to a remote house with her friend, the other drives a souped up murder wagon there. Obvious holes such as one personality getting an injury which persists through the remainder of the film in a car wreck which wouldn't have happened if she were actually in the other unwrecked vehicle the whole time, plague this film.

This is laziest attempt of a director springing a twist on the audience that I have seen. Picture some dimwit introducing their self to you as Chuck, having a conversation with you, then proudly revealing their name is actually Aja and that they really outsmarted you. Yeah, quite a zinger there, Aja. When the rest of a movie becomes completely nonsensical due to the addition of a plot twist, perhaps that twist could have been left out.

The film looks as though they decided to appeal to the psychological thriller market ( a genre where this sort of stunt is painfully common) so they filmed an extra scene or two and tossed it in to let the audience sort it out. It's obvious the director didn't try.

In the end, nothing fits together. The events as depicted in the movie obviously didn't happen the way they were shown to the audience. What did happen? Did anything actually happen or was it a psychopath's delusion? What was the point? A film that leaves itself open to interpretation is not a bad thing in itself, but in this case the audience has nothing to interpret because they are given nothing to work with and there is little incentive to bother.

The highest tension imaginable

[abisio · 24 February 2004]

Let's clarify first. Haute Tension is not Friday 13 or Scream. While the first was really an exploitation movie and the second is more focused on comedy than in horror, this one, as the title suggest is only concern of giving you the creeps and by the end twist your mind in the most Lynchenian way.

Young women (Alex) and her best friend (Marie) visit her parents. Out of the blue a killer appears killing the whole family and kidnapping Alex and Marie follows the killer, trying to rescue her friend.

Is that all? Well, not really. There are a lot of unexpected surprises that I can not spoil here. The movie is built on logic situations (not in teens taking bath, drinking or using drugs) but in everyday people that suddenly get attacked from some monster (if you think is unreal just read the news). The killer personality has some kind of development. We barely see his face, but his acts follows a certain logic, which makes him more horrifying that any Jason on the market. HE IS REAL!!!

But are the actors the ones good enough to transmit you their fear and despair and create the thrilling environment this movie required and very few others are able to get.

Now to the gore. The killings are really far beyond the usual cruelty and blood of this kind of films. The killing of the kid is the only one that the director decided to soften a little, but compensate with the disgusting / funny `Texas Chainsaw' homage.

By the end, the movie takes an unexpected twist, somehow related to sexual repression, that takes a while to accept and probably many will dislike, but overall this is one of the best slayer movie made and a real horror film, like the ones made twenty years ago when people HAD THE FREEDOM TO SEE OR CREATE whatever they wanted, not like today's ABSURD POLITICALLY CORRECTNESS aka CENSORSHIP.

Psycho Killer... qu'est-ce que c'est?

[hokeybutt · 7/10 · 21 October 2005]

HIGH TENSION (3+ outta 5 stars) An effective little thriller... marred a bit by a muddled ending which raises more questions than it answers. A pair of young female students drive out to the secluded country home where one's family lives. During the night a mysterious truck arrives and over an hour of bloody mayhem ensues. Trust me, the less you know about the plot from this point on, the better you'll enjoy the film. It's very suspenseful and very gory... the movie is heavily influenced by many screen horror classics, from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" to "Friday the 13th" to "Scream". It definitely makes up for with style what it lacks in originality. Cecile De France makes an appealing heroine with her butch haircut and attitude. Her strong, unrequited feelings for her girlfriend give the drama an extra edge. I definitely would have liked the movie more if not for the weird plot turns in the final act. The movie was working so well up to that point... it didn't need to strain so hard for such a "clever" twist.

A Good Horror Film But Fails in its Ambition to Rise Above a Slasher Pic

[awwelsh-1 · 7/10 · 13 October 2005]

High Tension is really two movies rolled into one film. First, High Tension is a horror movie. This is not a PG-13 Hollywood horror film. It's done in the style of 70's horror films ... very raw, graphic, and uncompromising. Viewers that are easily put off by gory and grim depictions of violence will hate this movie. But for viewers that like their horror films intense and unrelenting, you'll be satisfied with High Tension. Like older horror films, High Tension relies on tense situations, atmosphere, and graphic imagery to create a feeling of strong unease. Watch this film in the dark alone ... it is one of those rare horror movies that will actually deliver on its promised scares.

Unfortunately, in the last quarter or so of the film, the director attempts to elevate High Tension beyond just a well-done derivative of classic horror films, and introduces a twist in the tradition of The Sixth Sense or Fight Club. Where High Tension succeeds as a horror movie, it fails as a smart thriller. It is not so much that the twist is unnecessary ... it was an interesting premise and, had it been done properly, could have made High Tension a great stand-alone film. But the twist is implausible and does not withstand even the slightest bit of scrutiny. The twists in The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects, etc., were good because you could go back, re-watch the films, and still buy into the surprise.

**WARNING -- SPOILERS AHEAD** In High Tension, there is no male killer ... Maria has killed her friend's family and abducted Alex herself. She has Dissociative Identity Disorder -- or a split personality. The killer is a creation of her own psyche; she has been watching herself commit the acts of violence in the film. While this is an interest, albeit not original, twist, there are several things in the film that make this implausible. Where did Maria get the truck the killer drives? If she has been driving Alex in the truck, how was she able to drive the gas attendant's car out into the woods? And if she was not run off the road by a depraved male killer, how did she sustain the injuries on her head and arm? The twist just does not hold up to any scrutiny.

Stylish and Terrifying; A return to classic late 70's Horror.

[NateManD · 9/10 · 16 July 2005]

In order to fully appreciate "High Tension", it's best to see it in its original language and uncut. There has been a lot of hype about this film amongst gore hounds and horror movie buffs. I'd have to say it lived up to its reputation. Although the story is very simplistic and nothing original, "High Tension" still manages to grab the viewer. It has flawless lighting and camera work, great acting and a truly disturbing psychological intensity. The story concerns the tomboyish yet sexy Marie, played by Cecile De France. Marie and her friend Alex plan a vacation away from the big city. Marie is to stay with Alex and her family at their farm house. Little do they know of the psychotic serial killer who is on the prowl, driving his old van through the country side. The killer, played by Philippe Nahon of "I Stand Alone", is a deeply frightening man. He carries a strait razor and at one point even has the nerve to give himself fellatio with a girls decapitated head. Yuck! The killer invades Alex's home and wrecks havoc on her family. The violence is extremely brutal and unrelenting. The bloody realism may cause some viewers to turn their head. The film becomes more insane from this point on turning into a endless pursuit of cat and mouse. Some critics have complained that the film contains certain plot holes. I felt that by director Alex Aja leaving certain things unexplained, it added to the intensity. Very suspenseful and horrifying, no wonder why they called it "High Tension". It sure gave me tension. The reason I recommend seeing the film in its original french version, is because the acting is so believable. Dubbing only takes away from the amazing performances. Also not to mention the MPAA taking their own strait razor to the film, slashing it down to an R rating. I highly enjoyed "High Tension". It marks a return to the style of old school horror directors such as Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter.

Extremely gory, taut suspense thriller.

[shanfloyd · 7/10 · 15 July 2005]

To put it simply, "Haute Tension" is one of the most gory slasher movies I've ever seen. It's dose of bloody violence can only be compared to classics like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" etc. But apart from gore, the movie also contains good suspense (yes, right from the start), shocking plot twists (I really couldn't sense the main twist until they showed the surveillance camera video), solid acting by Cecile de France and Maewenn le Besco (who, by the way, looks like Steven Tyler's real sister) and intelligent direction by Alexandre Aja.

Yes, all these comprise a perfect horror/thriller movie for the summer. And it's interesting that this is not from Hollywood.

A knockout

[Maciste_Brother · 9/10 · 29 July 2006]

By the time I saw HAUTE TENSION, or HIGH TENSION, I knew everything about it: story, reviews, ideas stolen from other sources, etc. So when I put the disc in the DVD player and watched it, I was ready to trash it. When, lo and behold, the film knock me out completely. Yes, even if I knew *everything* about it, surprise twist and all, I was still riveted by it. And unlike many who said that it doesn't make any sense at all, well, nope, it does make sense. In fact, the execution of the twisted story is almost perfect. I can't find any faults with it at all. It's a true nightmare come to life. And dare I say, there's actually an endearing quality about the way it was directed. The director and writer clearly understand people with obsessions and people who have a hard time differentiating reality with their own created reality. In the end, it achieves something I've never seen before: this is one of the most intimate horror films I've ever seen.

But on the other hand, because we're dealing with someone with a distorted view of the world, every action and event, no matter how small it is, takes an almost grandiose aspect, which gives a quasi-operatic quality to the film.

I loved everything about it: the cast, the look, the gore, the cinematography, the editing, and mostly the music. That soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a horror movie since, well, maybe HALLOWEEN. Excellent moody music. I need to buy the soundtrack.

This is one of the best horror films since the original Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE. I've seen a lot of bad horror films and it was refreshing to see a horror film that actually delivers, and on so many levels. A must see for fans of horror.

(I watched the original French version. Don't know how the dubbed version is)

A genuinely tense and gripping film

[UberNoodle · 7/10 · 25 June 2005]

Well I know how we all hate to read on the net, in fact it has been proved that it's harder to read than with books, so I will put this review backwards(ish) for all those with itchy mouse-wheels ...

It had been a while since I had heard about Haute Tension, to when I finally got to see it, and I was very impressed! It is a taut horrific thriller with buckets of blood and shocks that don't go for "cheese" because it can't pull off reality. Haute Tension is one of those films I am glad I didn't watch with other people. I am not a social film watcher, and this film is so involving that, to it's credit, and my irritation, it creates too many opportunities for the more vocal out there to shout, "don't go in there!", or "are you stupid?"! Fantastic film - well for the first 90% of it anyway. That is not to say that the last 10% is terrible - it isn't, it's great - but nearing the end, the film stumbled ever so slightly and I never truly recovered.

The last scene is still impactful, though, and the ride you take to get there is thoroughly rewarding and gripping. After buckets of blood, and several nail-biting scenes of mayhem, the film ended ... but rather abruptly. Maybe because I was so enthralled by this film, that didn't notice the passage of time, but I actually checked my watch at the end - this is indeed a short film at only 1 hour and 27 minutes.

The blood and gore was great, though I don't know if I am just desensitised, but was it all that extreme? From the hype, I had expected more, which led me online to see if I had watched a cut version. I looked at Beaver and Rewind and saw that the answer was no - it was full. Maybe I should take a break from horror films for a while. However, I guess that since this film aimed for a mainstream release, the general public was MUCH easier to shock than horror veterans.

I am a huge fan of horror, and I loved the visuals and sound for this film. It is a gorgeous film to behold, and it isn't marred by MTV editing, or cheap manipulations (though there are a few scare-standards in there, that I wish directors wouldn't use anymore, because we can see right through them!) The music is great, and besides the more fevered playing of the song by Muse, the soundtrack supports the film very well, rather than just providing more marketing options for CDs, which over the other side of the world, has too long been the "Hollowood" trend.

I won't go into the story, as I there are multitudes of resources online that will explain it all better, but it is interesting to see the reaction of viewers to this film. They are truly divided, some proclaim this film to be shear genius, and other's, derivative. All I can say is that apparently the film is a remake (or re-imagining?) of a Deen Koonzt novel turned 1997 TV miniseries called "Intensity" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118350/). At least this fact could help stem the claims that this film has copied in more ways than one from some other, lessor films.

Go and see it! Enjoy! Go in as BLIND as you can (not literally, as the soundtrack is more minimal than most). I mean, have no expectations, or prior knowledge as to the story, and you will be surprised by this gem of a film.

Maybe I'm just stupid?

[velvetbluu · 2/10 · 29 August 2022]

Obvious spoiler warning, but the plot twist just doesn't make sense to me. Marie is the killer, but she was there pleasuring herself with a severed head BEFORE arriving with Alex? She's inside with Alex when her brother is shot, but is also the one outside shooting him? Who does she beat and strangle to death near the end of the movie? She separately drove 2 different vehicles from the gas station to the forest near the end of the film? That doesn't even make sense. She's seen in the same frame as the "killer" several times. There's literally no explanation for any of this, making the "twist" hold next to no weight. If your explanation is that Marie was imagining all of it, then nothing the audience has seen really matters at all, so what's the point? All in all: uninspired, lazy, and perhaps most egregiously, boring.

So close to perfection........... alas

[andy_gza · 9/10 · 24 July 2004]

This movie was so close to being my premature best of the year, It was just a straight up Stalk and slash movie, It is a rare thing for me to find a movie that makes me squirm and get as excited as this did, It had everything, No motive serial killers, terribly splattery original deaths (The first one for example!) And chase scenes etc. Then it got too clever, The makers obviously didn't have enough faith in the picture the way it was up to that point and tried to take it one step beyond for the ending, for me that was a lotta steps back! It somehow made all that came before it not as great as it had seemed, And most definitely will ruin any future viewings of this film.

My advice, DO NOT buy this due to word of mouth, Rent it first, Horror fans wont regret it, I didn't. Like I say, It was fantastic to a point, but that point, just cant be climbed for me. so close to perfection......... so close

Story:2/5 Acting: 4/5 Scare factor:5/5 Gore:4/5

A (very) bloody rip-off.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 5 June 2010]

For the first sixty minutes or so, Haute Tension is an uncompromising, brutal, nerve-shredding, edge-of-the-seat thriller—not surprising since virtually every one of those minutes is a blatant steal from Dean Koontz's brilliant, brutal, nerve-shredding, edge of the seat novel Intensity. Unfortunately, after the hour mark, director Alexandre Aja gradually steers his narrative away from Koontz's novel, presumably in a futile effort to disguise his plagiarism, and the film slowly falls apart, culminating in a ridiculous twist ending that makes a mockery of all that we have seen thus far.

For fans of Intensity, it's a particularly frustrating experience: not just because the Koontz receives absolutely no credit for his work, but also because Aja's handling of the author's material is so good. If only Aja had adapted the whole of Koontz's book (preferably with the author's approval), we might have had one of the greatest horror movies of all time; instead, we get an hour of absolutely stonking stuff (the opening home invasion, in particular, is flawlessly handled and amazingly gory), which are followed by twenty more minutes of reasonably solid cat-and-mouse action, and then that bloody awful finale.

For all the excellent stuff 'inspired' by Koontz, a rating of 9/10 seems fair; but for stealing the plot without giving the author credit and then having the nerve to tack on a dumb ending, I deduct three of those points, leaving the film a final score from me of 6/10. Worth a watch (especially for gore-hounds), but impossible to wholeheartedly endorse.

When Tired Ideas Go Bad

[fortey · 4/10 · 29 August 2007]

This will contain spoilers not just for this movie, but Fight Club too.

To this film's credit it has some decent atmosphere and once in a while lives up to its title. However, everything that is wrong here far outweighs the good.

On a simplistic level, the language is ridiculous here. Boy-like Marie and her horse-faced friend Alex are off in the country and dubbed horribly into English. But only sometimes. Randomly, some of the movie is in French, which I guess is to give the impression some people really are French and some aren't? Or not. I have no idea, but it doesn't matter. By the time you hear Marie yell "Alex" for the millionth time you'll probably wish the whole thing was dubbed.

The people in the film may as well be replaced with robots that have processors working on about 64K of programming for all the diversity they're showing. I guess they have human emotions, probably, but only insofar as I assume that about everyone human. In this movie, everyone picked 2 emotions out of a sack and had to stick with them for the whole movie.

I have heard people call this movie brilliant and perhaps they did so with a straight face. I have also heard the director valiantly try to explain every one of the incalculable plot holes in the movie. And his explanation works with one caveat. Foe those not in the know, this movie gives us a rehash of a familiar idea, a multiple personality disorder. When the twist is revealed anyone with an ounce of sense will start to question how on Earth it's even remotely possible. And honestly it isn't unless you accept the director's explanation - the whole story is being told as the nut job killer would have told it, so everything makes sense in the nutball killer's head.

Well, guess what? That's dirty pool. Ever read a story where at the end it was all a dream? That's just as lame as what the director did here. If the whole story must be filtered through the insane killer's perspective, and it must be or it doesn't make any sense and can't make any sense, then what's the point of the whole story? There's no ground for it to be structured on, why should I even believe that any character in the movie is real? How can I know what the pick and choose to be real? The only sensible answer is that the stuff that makes sense is real and everything that doesn't make sense is from the killer's whacked perspective. That's also a horribly stupid answer and it's bad story telling. The story couldn't work logically so they made it illogical.

The director also thought he was being clever giving subtle clues that maybe Marie was a little nutty herself and that's great, but it's not clever when the killer is introduced as clearly a totally separate entity. You can't have it both ways. At least in Fight Club you never see anyone speak to both Brad Pitt and Ed Norton at any one time, they are never together with extra people and recognized as separate entities and when the flashbacks show they're the same it makes sense. In High Tension's flashbacks, they avoid the non-sensical moments, like the car chase, like Alex getting the knife, like the entire scene at the gas station, none of which work in the one person scenario unless we accept the director's weak explanation that it's all the killer's perspective.

And if it is all the killer's perspective, why not have a chorus line of dancing goats? We can't trust anything we're seeing anyway, so who cares? In a nutshell, that single flaw is why the movie can't work at all. In an all or nothing reality scenario, High Tension gives you nothing and that's the only way it can make sense.

Possibly worse yet is the fact that this movie may as well be 100 other movies. Cut out the failed attempt at a plot twist and what do you have? Every slasher movie I've ever seen. There's nothing new here and certainly nothing scary with scenes that are obviously inspired by earlier films and nothing but gore to keep it afloat. Well I can mix my own corn syrup and red food coloring at home, thanks, and I don;t have to read subtitles half the time to do it.

The movie tried and it failed. If the director needs to constantly try to explain himself, he failed. The story should work on its own merits and this movie doesn't. It's only worth watching if you want to see how to totally butcher a twist ending into something that makes no sense at all.