High Tension (2003) Loved and Loathed in Equal Measure (Review)

Saw may have ushered in a new wave of gritty “torture-porn” horror in the States, but by the time that James Wan’s modern classic hit U.S. cinemas in late 2004, filmmakers in France were already two steps ahead of the curve.

Characterised by bleak tones, grungy colour palettes, and extended sequences of graphic bloodshed, the “French New Wave of Extremity” rocked Europe’s horror scene throughout the first decade of the new millennium; born from a time of political turmoil and social unrest, the likes of Frontier(s) and Inside (both from 2007, and both also now available on 4K and Blu-Ray from Second Sight Films) pushed boundaries when it came to the levels of violence and shocking content that a theatrical release could feature, and many French titles from this era still carry an air of notoriety and taboo about them today. One of the most celebrated and critically-acclaimed titles of this movement was Alexandre Aja’s gruesome cat-and-mouse shocker High Tension (2003), now remastered in 4K by the wonderful folks at Second Sight.

Previously released in the UK under the awesome, albeit deeply misleading, title of Switchblade Romance, the film follows Marie (celebrated Belgian actress Cécile de France), a butch teenage girl spending a weekend away at the family home of her best friend, Alex (French actress-director Maïwenn), in a remote part of the French countryside. From the get-go, it becomes apparent that the closeted Marie wants to, to paraphrase the Studio Killers, “ruin (their) friendship” and become lovers instead, but the rural bliss of their holiday is shattered when Alex and family receive an unexpected visit from a serial-slaying necrophile trucker (I Stand Alone’s Philippe Nahon). A bloody and brutal farmhouse massacre ensues, concluding with Alex’s abduction at the hands of the killer, and Marie in hot pursuit to save her beloved from a nigh-inconceivably horrible fate.

The breakout film of filmmaker Aja, who would go on to direct numerous successful horror remakes as well as original Floridian creature-feature Crawl (2019), High Tension thoroughly proves that its director has an eye for set-pieces and stunning visuals; Second Sight’s new remaster greatly assists in accentuating the technical skill on display here. The sad fact is that a lot of genre films from the turn of the century are becoming lost to time, largely thanks to lack of surviving materials from that transitional time between celluloid film and digital video, and the stigma against the “ugly” visual style of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s means that many premium physical media distributors aren’t interested in preserving the era’s frequently under-seen hidden gems. High Tension was shot on film, unlike many of its counterparts from the decade, but it still brings me great joy to see a cult favourite from 2003 get the shiny new release that it deserves. Other labels should certainly take notes from what Second Sight is doing here.

As for the film itself, the title is rather accurate – the tension is most certainly high for the majority of its runtime. Marie and Alex are not necessarily the most well-defined or immediately lovable characters in the history of the slasher film, yet you nonetheless feel and fear for them once things decidedly go south. In regards to the “extremity” of High Tension, its reputation certainly precedes it, but is also slightly misleading – sure, there are some shockingly and exquisitely violent moments (if you thought the bannister scene in Halloween Kills was brutal, there’s a moment here which outdoes it tenfold), but the film is far more concerned with the potential of violence than the actual act, as well as the thrill of the chase, and Marie’s race against time to save Alex from her depraved captor.

Your mileage may vary when it comes to the High Tension’s pacing; this is a film where the action starts immediately and never stops, and yet our lead seemingly spends 60% of the film watching the villain and deliberating her next move. The success of the film’s storytelling also entirely hinges on its twist ending, the effectiveness of which depends entirely on who is watching and how familiar they are with the experiences and concepts being portrayed and discussed. Loved and loathed in equal measure by viewers and reviewers online, I personally believe that High Tension’s finale is a little messy in its execution, yet well-intentioned and, in a lot of ways, rather inspired.

High Tension is by no means a perfect film – in some areas, it could be considered deeply flawed – yet 20 years after its release, it still manages to be an intriguing and undeniably key title in the canon of French horror cinema, and manages to be thoroughly watchable for the entirety of its duration. Extras on Second Sight’s release include a variety of interviews and behind-the-scenes material, both archival and new, including a newly-filmed chat with director Alexandre Aja. In typical fashion for the label, the packaging and artwork are absolutely gorgeous, more gorgeous than you would expect for a film which features a man doing the nasty with a severed head within its first 10 minutes.

Robyn’s Archive – High Tension