High Tension

Original title: Haute tension

2003
R
1h 31m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

80K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:46

Psychological Horror Slasher Horror Horror

Best friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless nig... Read allBest friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror.Best friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror.

Director
- Alexandre Aja
Writers
- Alexandre Aja
- Grégory Levasseur
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

80K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,509

132

Director
- Alexandre Aja
Writers
- Alexandre Aja
- Grégory Levasseur
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 wins & 9 nominations

Marie
(as Cécile De France)

Maïwenn

Alex

Philippe Nahon

Le tueur

Franck Khalfoun

Jimmy

Andrei Finti

Père Alex

Oana Pellea

Mère Alex

Marco Claudiu Pascu

Jean-Claude de Goros

Capitaine Gendarmerie
(as Jean-Claude De Goros)

Bogdan Uritescu

Gendarme

Gabriel Spahiu

Homme voiture

Director
- Alexandre Aja
Writers
- Alexandre Aja
- Grégory Levasseur
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The camera used during the car-attack scene got so much fake blood on it during shooting that when it was being used on another film later on fake blood oozed from it during the focusing of a shot.

Goofs
The killer takes the ax out of the gas station clerk, so he had to have flipped him over to do so. So it makes sense why the clerk is on his back in a later scene.

Quotes
[repeated line]
Marie: I won't let anyone come between us any more.

Alternate versions
Lions Gate was originally going to release the film uncut with an NC-17 rating theatrically but theaters were not too happy with the idea so Lion Gate cut about 2 minutes for the US theatrical release to secure a "R" rating. The changes were:
Alex's father is graphically decapitated with a bookcase, his headless neck spraying blood. In the R-rated version, the initial killing is implicit rather than explicit, and later, during a flashback, his killing is gone.
The scene of the killer applying a concrete saw to the stomach of the man driving the car was edited shorter
When Alex's mother has her throat slashed, the scene is edited short; most of the arterial spurting, as the killer pulls back her head, is gone. The shot of her severed hand also is removed, leaving no indication of what exactly happened to her.
The scene where Marie strikes the killer's face in with the barbed wire post is shortened and less explicit; Marie hits the killer fewer times, and there are fewer details of the killer's wounds shown.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Mr. And Mrs. Smith/Howl's Moving Castle/The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl in 3-D/High Tension/The Honeymooners (2005)

Soundtracks
A2
extrait from Célébration
(François-Eudes Chanfrault)
Recorded, Performed and Mixed by François-Eudes Chanfrault
(P) 2002 MK2 Music
Editions: 2002 Ciné Nada Music

User reviews657

Review

Featured review

7/10

Not a pretty sight -- POSSIBLE SPOILERS

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