High Tension

2003 Horror

French filmmaker Alexandre Aja writes and directs the slasher film Haute Tension, given the English title Switchblade Romance. Best friends Marie (Cécile De France) and Alex (Maïwenn Le Besco) go out to the countryside to visit Alex's parents. However, a homicidal delivery man (played by Philippe Nahon from Gaspar Noé's brutal movies) ends up at their house and starts killing everyone. Alex and Marie fight for their lives with help from several means of weaponry. Switchblade Romance was shown at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival as part of the Midnight program. The film was aquired by US distributor Lions Gate Films in 2004 and quickly put into turnaround as an NC-17 release, though plans for that were scrapped due to a lack of theater support of the controversial rating. Retitled High Tension, the R-rated version is missing one minute of grisly gore and features a redubbed audio track by star Cécile De France. more..

Director: Alexandre Aja

Starring: Cécile De France,Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon,Franck Khalfoun, Andrei Finti

 30 Reviews  4 Awards

Reviews

  • But purely as an exercise in style, this movie has its moments.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    27 May 2013

  • Like all horror films, High Tension builds to a final, sobering flash of chaos that settles all scores. Some viewers will hate Aja's movie for its end-game reveal; others will love it for the very same reason.

    Robert K. Elder - The Chicago Tribune

    27 May 2013

  • A chainsaw-cut above recent entries in the genre: a pure, unapologetic, unironic homage to the likes of "Friday the 13th" that respectfully salutes all the old shtick.

    - New York Post

    27 May 2013

  • Even if you don't buy the ending, however, High Tension makes for ghoulish, sick fun, and Aja, who is already at work on a remake of Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes, clearly takes this horror stuff very seriously. The genre can always use a few more like him.

    Rene Rodriguez - Miami Herald

    27 May 2013

  • For all this, there is one unalloyed good thing to be said for High Tension. When all is said and done, it really does live up to its title. In every other way it's trash, but that truth-in-advertising aspect is a major weight to throw into the mix.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    27 May 2013

Awards

  • Alexandre Aja

    Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival (2004)

     

  • Best Actress

    Fangoria Chainsaw Awards (2006)

  • Best Foreign

    Golden Trailer Awards (2005)

     

  • Cécile De France

    Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival (2003)

Lists

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