High Tension – Review

Ohhhh what could have been. I still remember my first viewing of this movie with my friends, and it was intense. We all loved it for a while. And then we were all a bit surprised. The experience remained memorable however, and the movie is still worth checking out if you are down for dark psychological slasher movies.

In trying not to ruin the movie itself, suffice it to say that the first acts are a grisly horror affair unlike most others in its graphic attempts to shock and bring extreme tension as the title suggests. Two girl best friends are spending a quiet weekend at one of their secluded family’s farmhouses. Alexia Soral (Maïwenn) and her parents welcome Marie (de France) into the idyllic home, however the night soon brings an unwanted and utterly mad intruder.

This one would only be for those that want shocking violence to go with some excruciating tension. The title is no lie, and the movie provides ample situations to ratchet up the stakes, with many characters sweating out their choices and heading towards their fates.

The movie does stumble a bit in the latter chapters act with some plot swings that may, or may not work for the viewing party. It is safe to say that one has to use their imagination quite a bit to really make the movie’s story fully work, however to be fair the script does plant all the seeds for its larger swings in earlier acts, or at least tries to.

I think this movie would have been better without some of its turns and if it had stuck to its core tension-building idea, however maybe that was too generic for the creators. That being said, it is still a stressful viewing experience for those looking for horror, and is fraught with anxiety. Violence level is HIGH however, and it is graphic.