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Movies / On DVD / High Tension
High Tension

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High Tension (2005)

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Reviews Counted:125

Fresh:52

Rotten:73

Average Rating:5.3/10

Consensus: There is indeed a good amount of tension in this French slasher, but the dubbing is bad and the end twist unbelievable.

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Synopsis: In the 1970s, moviegoers reveled in a new sub-genre of horror films that were low on plot, required only the most basic acting skills, and called upon dumb teenagers to die onscreen deaths in a... In the 1970s, moviegoers reveled in a new sub-genre of horror films that were low on plot, required only the most basic acting skills, and called upon dumb teenagers to die onscreen deaths in a multitude of strange and horrific ways. The slasher movie was born, and with it came classic features such as THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, HALLOWEEN, and FRIDAY THE 13TH. The genre enjoyed a postmodern revival in the late-20th and early-21st centuries with films such as SCREAM and SCARY MOVIE, but French director Alexandre Aja (FURIA) hauls the slasher film back to its roots with his gore-addled romp HIGH TENSION. Like the most effective additions to the genre, HIGH TENSION's plot is elemental, and simply serves as a springboard for Aja to deliver lashes of blood and guts. Alex (Maiwenn Le Besco) and Marie (Cecile De France) are two teenage girls who head out to Alex's family home in the French countryside. Once there, their idyllic and peaceful time is abruptly disturbed when a maniac breaks into the house and butchers Alex's parents. The shadowy figure captures Alex and throws her into his van, while Marie escapes and sneaks into the vehicle in order to save her friend. By affording very little screen time to the unhinged protagonist who attacks the family, Aja creates a genuinely scary villain, recalling Wes Craven's treatment of Freddy Krueger in the first NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movie. While the violence is explicit and the girls fit perfectly into their roles, Aja prevents the film from lapsing into parody by packing a mind-bending twist into the plot. A valuable and fun addition to the canon of slasher films, HIGH TENSION shows there is still plenty of life left in the genre. [More]

Starring: Philippe Nahon, Maiwenn Le Besco, Cecile de France

Starring: Philippe Nahon, Maiwenn Le Besco, Cecile de France

Director: Alexander Aja

Director: Alexander Aja
Screenwriter: Aja Levasseur, Gregory Levasseur
Producer: Luc Besson, Alexandre Arcady, Robert Benmussa
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Reviews for High Tension

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Aja's rip-roaring romp certainly gives horror fans more than their money's worth.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
10/06/04
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Sight and Sound

If this film is any indicator, [Aja and Levasseur] know their horror.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
09/23/04
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus

A gorehound's delight.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
08/17/04
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is a slick and sick little movie that will get under your skin and stay there for weeks.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
05/14/04
Justin Bowyer
Justin Bowyer
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This unsettling, relentless horror film is so gruesome that it keeps you squirming from start to finish.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
01/30/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Gory European gothic horror doesn't come any grittier and weirder than it does when a couple of would-be lesbian college girlfriends retreat to a weekend at the secluded farmhouse of one of their parents to study for their final exams.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
07/02/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

The last three fourths of this film are basically like the last five minutes of Halloween -- total fear and total suspense.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
06/18/08
Lucius Gore
Lucius Gore
ESplatter

Haute Tension is like a French art-house essay on slasher-movie cliches, and as such is good nasty fun.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/17/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

A cinematically sound but sub-par horror flick readied for the American mass market by the addition of English credits and some truly atrocious dubbing.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
07/27/07
David N. Butterworth
David N. Butterworth
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

In its best moments, the film is reminiscent of such seminal slasher pictures as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
10/30/06
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
05/12/06
Bob Grimm
Bob Grimm
Sacramento News & Review

It's a movie that needs to be seen by all horror fans because it serves as a reminder of just how good a "slasher film" can be.

Full Review Source: Dread Central | comment Comment
01/30/06
Johnny Butane
Johnny Butane
Dread Central
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/07/06
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Haute bloodbath.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
11/04/05
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The French slasher High Tension definitely lives up to the promise of its title.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
08/12/05
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for High Tension

October 10, 2008: Exclusive: Alexandre Aja talks Mirrors and Piranha 3D
We caught up with Aja for his only UK interview to learn more about the movie as well as his latest project, a 3D remake of Joe Dante's classic Piranha. More...

October 04, 2007: Trailer Exclusive: Parking Lot Thrills, Chills in P2
RT's got the first trailer for November's horror-thriller P2, from the people who brought you High Tension! More...

June 08, 2006: Box Office Preview: "Cars" Battles "Omen" at Theaters
Racing into theaters across North America, the computer animated film Cars aims to take over pole position this weekend targeting family audiences. Those looking for a good... More...

March 07, 2006: Run for the "Hills" Game! Creeepy....
Normally an online game/promotional piece wouldn't be all that newsworthy, even if it is one hosted by IGN Filmforce. But since I keep hearing how good "The Hills Have... More...

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