High Tension (Haute Tension)
This movie has a 76.09% Approval Rating Based on 23 Reviews Read Reviews
Release Date: Friday, June 10th 2005,
Marie and Alexia are classmates and best friends. Hoping to prepare for their college exams in peace and quiet, they decide to spend a weekend in the country at Alexia’s parents’ secluded farmhouse. But in the dead of night, a stranger knocks on the front door. And with the first swing of his knife, the girls’ idyllic weekend turns into an endless night of horror… Prepare to take a white-knuckle journey into the heart of terror with Lions Gate Films’ HIGH TENSION, the nightmarish story of two girls’ battle for survival at the hands of a sadistic psychopath. Marking a return to the raw intensity of 1970s horror classics, director Alexandre Aja reduces the genre to its bare essentials, building a narrative of growing dread that culminates in a truly shocking climax. Relentlessly tightening the screws of suspense, HIGH TENSION will have you struggling to catch your breath… Produced by Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita", "The Professional", "The Fifth Element"), HIGH TENSION stars Cecile de France, Maïwenn and Philippe Nahon, from a script by Aja and Gregory Levasseur.
Directors Note: HIGH TENSION was originally shot in French as an ode to the 1970s American horror/slasher films I loved as a teenager. When Lions Gate Films decided to distribute the film in U.S. theaters, we were faced with the problem of how to best present the film in English to an American audience. We tried both subtitling and dubbing the entire film, yet neither proved satisfactory for the horror genre. In the end, we re-imagined some of the characters as bilingual and created a hybrid solution, which uses dubbing in the dialogue-driven beginning of the film and subtitling in the latter half. This approach, which is justified by the story, allowed us to retain as much of the original sound as possible, enabling American audiences to experience the film on the same visceral level as French audiences. Additionally, the new version of HIGH TENSION that you are about to see has been re-edited slightly for an R rating by the MPAA, resulting in a running time that is about one minute shorter than the original. I am exceedingly happy with the final English-language version of the film, and I owe it to Lions Gate Films for making it all possible. -- Alexandre Aja, Director, HIGH TENSION
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast:
Cécile De France,
Maïwenn Le Besco,
Philippe Nahon,
Franck Khalfoun,
Andrei Finti,
Oana Pellea,
Marco Claudiu Pascu,
Jean-Claude de Goros,
Bogdan Uritescu,
Gabriel Spahiu
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Related News
New High Tension Clip - Head Rip:
Our buddies from Horror-Movies.ca have a new exclusive clip for Alexandre Aja's upcoming High Tension aka "Haute Tension" and "Switchblade Romance". And boy this clip really shows much, if you know what i mean. It isn't called Head Rip for nothing. S...
High Tension DVD Features and Cover:
Alexandre Aja's "High Tension" will come to DVD on October 11th, and
today Lions Gate sent us the bonus features list. The movie will be
available in a Full Frame VHS Rated R version, a Widescreen Unrated DVD
version, a Full Frame Rated R DVD vers...
High Tension DVD Contest Winner:
Holy man we got so many contests on the go its becoming a full time job to keep track of em. Time to announce the winner of the high tension DVd contest. The winner is Leil Mahjelle Ricafuente. Good job buddy and thank god we only have to write that ...
Aja speaks about The Hills Have Eyes Remake:
Alexandre Aja well known as the director of Haute Tension is now getting ready to film The Hills Have Eyes remake. In a recent interview he commented on what he wants to do with the film. Here is a clip from that interview.
"I think The Hills Hav...
Contest : Win Copies of High Tension on DVD:
Alexandre Aja's "High Tension" will come to DVD on October 11th, and
our favorite horror studio Lionsgate has coughed up copies for us to
give away to all you die hard DVD fanatics! The movie will be
available in a Full Frame VHS Rated R vers...
Win High Tension on DVD!:
Our sister site Horror-Movies.ca is giving away a copy of High Tension to a lucky reader and deadmanwalkin asked us to let you all know you can enter! As if we wouldnt anyways. To enter head here
HIGH TENSION is an intense game of murder and su...
High Tension - 2nd trailer online:
The new trailer for Alexandre Aja's "High Tension" is online at Apple. The story evolves around Marie (Cécile De France) and Alexia (Maiwenn Le Besco) who are schoolmates and best friends. Hoping to prepare for their college exams in peace and quiet...
High Tension!:
Two female students, Marie and Alex, set off to Alex's parent's secluded homestead in the country to relax and study. Come nightfall, Hell pulls up at the front door. Alex is now bound and gagged, taken off, with Marie alluding the intruder. Can she ...
High Tension Unrated DVD coming !:
Good news for all horror fans. Besides releasing the R-rated cut, Lions Gate now decided that the unrated version of "High Tension" (review) also will be available October 11th. Both versions will feature options to screen the film in its U...
Wes Cravens: The Hills Have Eyes Getting Remade:
According to Production Weekly, Wes Craven's classic Horror movie "The Hills have Eyes" is getting a Remake. The remake is scheduled to begin filming late April for nine weeks.
Wes Craven, who wrote and directed the original, will produ...
High Tension is NOT getting hacked up!:
Oh no! High tension is getting slashed up and redone for the upcoming American Market! Ok so yes that is a bunch of crap. When I heard this I started doing some looking and there was no need for me to look far since the folks at ReelHorror had alread...
High Tension Movie Review:
This movie had a release date of June 10th 2005. I was unable to find it showing anywhere in Toronto, but fortunately I tracked down an imported DVD of the subtitled Director’s Cut. One word - UNBELIEVABLE! Without a doubt, one of the best horror m...
High Tension Website Online!:
The webite for High Tension (Haute Tension) is now online, but as of right now it only looks to be a teaser site. You can watch the trailer and sign up for updates - and that's about it.
I have seen this film and I have to say that it is a ...
High Tension Movie Review by Retro:
High: Being at or near the peak Tension: Mental, emotional, or nervous strain Possibly one of the most appropriate film titles of all time, High Tension doesn't fail to deliver exactly that. Marie and her best friend Alex are visiting Alex's family h...
Exclusive: 26 new High Tension Pictures !:
Together with our sistersite Horror-Movies.ca, we are very happy to present you 26 exclusive new pictures for Alexandre Aja's movie "High Tension". Aja's masterpiece is scheduled to come to cinemas June 3rd, 2005. This movie really shows fans what th...
Lions Gate Horror:
As a horror fan, I just have to say, "I love Lions Gate". They constantly bring (to the big screen and dvd) some of the best horror films around, with the likes of "Saw", "Open Water" and the uncut version of "Haute Tension".
Now, they'...
Rotten Cotten SAW T-Shirts.:
RottenCotten the kings of Horror Clothing are doing the official T-Shirts for SAW and they completely kick ass. Quotting their website:
This is the beginning of what we hope will be a long and profitable relationship with Lions Gate Entertainme...
New High Tension Clip online - HEAD:
Lionsgate provided our buddies from Horror-Movies.ca with a new clip for High Tension. The clip is entitled "Head". Be sure to check them out, for the title isn't Head without a reason. But be warned, it is NOT PG13 it contains strong sexua...
High Tension DVD: Worth the Buy!:
Alexandre Aja's "High Tension" came out on DVD on October 11th, and now its time for our verdict! High Tension is an intense game of murder and survival, which will rattle viewers to their core. Marie and Alexia are classmates and best friends w...
Day of the Dead Contagium by Paul:
Teasers are meant to hook us, the potential audience, into going to see the film. That teaser has only "scared" me away. Where was the fear? The tension? What was that oh-so-terrible "dramatic" voice over about? It grates me to the very core that dir...
Making High Tension Sell:
High Tension is a movie that is either going to do ok or bomb. Their wont be any middle ground. An interesting article showed up in The Times that talks about just that. Lionsgate is well aware their movie is either going to work or not. And nobody, ...
The Hills Have Eyes Movie Remake:
How appropiate. I just reviewed this film not two nights ago and here it is being remade. Call that timing or what? You can read that review right here. Anyway Diabolical Dominion had an interview with director Alexandre Aja, who directed High Tensio...
Official Synopsis and Cast for The Hills Have Eyes Remake:
Fox Searchlight provided us with the official synopsis for Alexandre Aja's remake of "The Hills Have Eyes". Wes Craven, who directed the original film, will produce together with Peter Locke and Marianne Maddalena. The new screenplay is written ...
Win Autographed High Tension Poster:
Thanks to Lions Gate we were able to provide you guys with this great contest. The winner will recieve a poster for High Tension signed by the lead of course, Cecile De France. I'm really looking forward to this movie especially after reading MacRead...
High Tension Poster Online:
The one sheet for the upcoming Lions Gate film "High Tension" is now online and I have to say that I'm not to impressed with it. It's a decent poster, but it's far from translating to the viewing the tension, horror and balls out terror you wil...
High Tension Clip Online:
Our friends over at Arrow in the Head got their hands on a really nice clip from Alexandre Aja's upcoming "High Tension." But beware for this clip shows some graphic images.
In the French Horror movie, two female students, Ma...
2 new High Tension Clips !:
Lionsgate provided our buddies from Horror-Movies.ca with 2 new clips for High Tension (review). One is entitled "The Gas Station" and the other new clip is entitled "The Woods". Be sure to check them out. But be warned, it is NOT PG13...
High Tension Official Website Updated!:
According to Horror-Movies.ca the official High Tension website has been updated with a comment from the director himself, Alexandre Aja. I haven't had the chance to see this pic yet but I have heard nothing but great things about it. Also Aja really...
New on DVD October 11th 2005:
Christmas is coming and that means 2 things. Lots of great dvd releases up until Xmas and we are all going to be piss broke. lucky us! Today is a big day with a ton of great titles being released. Here is the roundup of stuff you are going to wanna c...
New on DVD October 11th 2005:
Christmas is coming and that means 2 things. Lots of great dvd releases up until Xmas and we are all going to be piss broke. lucky us! Today is a big day with a ton of great titles being released. Here is the roundup of stuff you are going to wanna c...
High Tension - new internet only trailer:
Lionsgate released a new internet only trailer for Alexandre Aja's upcoming "High Tension". In fact i guess it isn't a real trailer, its more a clip of cut together scenes from killings that appear in the movie. Its very well done, but beware, for th...
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First i have to say, that i watched the uncut European Version on DVD. So it can be that it is slightly different than the version for the American market. But anyways, WOW. What a movie. Just read on for my review.
The story evolves around Ma...
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Horror Movies.ca has a Steamy new Video for High Tension:
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Hakeems High Tension Review:
A good horror movie has to keep me at the edge of my seat, if it does, I can forgive pretty much everything else be it bad acting or a bad ending or no gore, nudity or adult language. These last 3 points are very important for me, because if the movi...
Kiefer Sutherland Mirrors Trailer:
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