COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - HIGH TENSION (SECOND SIGHT FILMS 4K UHD)
The New French Extremity movement at the dawn of the new millennium was a revelation for the horror genre. In North America, the genre was coming off of a slew of Scream slasher clones while also becoming aware of the blossoming J-Horror movement that would heavily influence Hollywood in the following years. It was a good time for independent horror, with outfits like Artisan Entertainment (now Lionsgate) pumping out more titles straight to DVD catering to both mainstream and indies regularly. France has not historically been known for their horror films, despite a legacy of transgressive cinema horror was never a dominant genre. That was until films like High Tension (Haute Tension) came along. These films would change the landscape of the genre by imprinting onto it a unique and brutal style of storytelling that is as much nihilistic as it is horrific. Now, the legendary folks at Secon Sight Films have given Alexandre Aja’s landmark film their deluxe limited edition treatment with a brand new 4K UHD transfer. Does this monumental film still hold the same impact some 20 years later?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A weekend away becomes a living nightmare for two best friends when a deranged killer breaks into the home, slaughters family members, and takes one of the friends hostage. A white-knuckle pursuit to find their friend before they become his next victim ensues.
HOW IS IT?
High Tension is an inherently divisive film. While most horror fans won’t object to the storytelling, many who have seen it will recall the ending and how it can make or break this particular film. Yours truly was someone who historically derided this film based on its ending, even though the rest of the film is damn near perfect. Watching this again with fresh eyes reinvigorates the excitement that this film and the ones that would follow in its footsteps cultivated back in the early 00s. The ending still doesn’t really add up, but it also doesn’t break the film as much as it seems. Instead, what stands out ahead of that ending is a film that can best be described as one of the most intense, brutal, and relentless horror films of the modern era.
The setup is elegant simplicity; two girlfriends go up to the countryside to stay with one of their families only to have a killer enter the home and systemically murder everyone in it. The premise is nothing new, and yet everything about High Tension feels fresh. Sure, there were violent movies before this, but few were able to create the kind of nerve-racking tension that Aja and writer Grégory Levasseur do here. Much of this has to do with the claustrophobic and isolated setting of the countryside that makes survival feel even more futile, but also the pace at which the action starts and doesn’t relent until the end. So much of what slashers got wrong up to this point was that a high body count does not equal a scary movie. What High Tension demonstrates is that a more intimate and confined space coupled with grotesque and crunchy violence is far more effective than just a simple killing spree. The performances are also so dialed in and engaging that you are never taken out of the film because of bad dialogue or seemingly poor decision-making. Cécile De France (Marie) and Philippe Nahon (The Killer) have the lion’s share of the work here, and they both deliver equally aggressive performances akin to their respective characters. Nahon’s killer is so grimy and gross that you can almost smell him through the screen, and he is surely a villain you won’t soon forget.
*** SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RUIN THE END ***
There is a lot of praise to heap on this film, but it would be disingenuous to not talk about the ending. While the majority of the film is a masterclass in simple, but effective horror, the ending does a number on the integrity of the plot and overall logic in the film. The idea that Marie is the killer just simply doesn’t add up when you consider the different perspectives that the film asks you to assume. It becomes almost mind-numbing to try and figure out how we are shown scenes involving the killer where Marie is not present, and how that would work in this instance. Still, the ending isn’t the movie killer that most, including this reviewer, thought it was. In hindsight, the film works best if you just don’t think too hard about it. It doesn’t entirely deter from the rest of the film as much as it keeps it from being in the pantheon of perfect horror films. That said, it still deserves all of its flowers for the way it harmonized violence and tension to usher in an entirely new wave of genre films that are still some of the most effective horror movies of all time.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
No strangers to putting out high-quality releases, Second Sight Films has once again delivered one of the best transfers for a film in dire need of a new one. Not only were the original negatives used for this restoration, but the transfer was approved by Aja himself. The UHD is presented in HDR10+ and preserves the original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Overall this is an impression update on the previous releases, in particular the DVD here at the crypt. What is most noticeable with this transfer is the improved dark shades throughout. Previous releases were often darker with less distinction in those moments, so things are not only much clearer but also cleaner looking. Images from this release are used throughout the review and below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
One key difference between the previous release of High Tension and this one is the removal of the 7.1 DTS-HD audio and the inclusion of a 5.1 DTS-HD track. While this may signal a downgrade, the overall integrity of the audio seems to not only be intact, but unaffected. The original 7.1 track also retained a hybrid French language with an English dub, whereas this release only includes a French language option with English subtitles. Not a major loss here given that the 5.1 track is great and dubbing often ruins the overall experience in modern films. The sound is well-mixed and you get a perfect blend of the brooding backing soundtrack against the spikes in excitement and action.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
When it comes to special features, Second Sight releases are well, second to none! In alignment with their other stellar limited edition releases, High Tension gets the deluxe treatment here both in terms of physical packagin, and the contents held within both the box and the disc. Starting with the discs, Second Sight has not only carried over some archival material from previous releases, but also produced new content exclusive to this release. The first of which is a 35 minute interview with Alexandre Aja titled An Experiment in Suspense. This interview covers a lot of ground stemming from how Aja and writer Grégory Levasseur first met at age 11 to collaborating on their first short film together. What stands out from this dense interview is just how unique High Tension was at the time of release. Aja and Levasseur had trouble finding the right distribution given that horror films were not really prevalent, and also how the story itself came to be. A shared love of horror movies combined with an infusion of ideas from their favorite authors became the tapestry that is High Tension. In some ways this kind of explains the ending, or rather the lack of logic leading up to it, while alos providing a genuine understanding of the passion that was deployed to create this film.
The other feature we took in for this review was the 19-minute interview with writer Grégory Levasseur, The Man in the Shadows. This covered similar ground that the Aja interview did, but went into more detail about the technical aspects of the filmmaking with a greater emphasis on the practical effects. Especially hearing Levasseur talk about working with legendary effects artist Giannetto De Rossi (RIP) who famously worked on such films like Dragonheart and Zombie. Between the two interviews and the 70-page booklet of new essays about the film, this is a dream package not just for fans of the film itself, but also for those who appreciate the commentary about this film and the broader New French Extremity film movement. A full list of the special features included in this release are captured below.
Special Features
Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
UHD presented in HDR10+ created by Second Sight Films and approved by Director Alexandre Aja
New audio commentary by Dr. Lindsay Hallam
An Experiment in Suspense: A New Interview with Alexandre Aja
The Man in the Shadows: A New Interview with Writer Grégory Levasseur
The Darker the Better: An Interview with Cinematographer Maxime Alexandre
The Great French Massacre: An Interview with Special Effects Artist Giannetto De Rossi
Only the Brave: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on High Tension
Archive 'Making of' featurette
Archive Interview with Cécile De France
Archive Interview with Maïwenn
Archive Interview with Philippe Nahon
Limited Edition Contents
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by James Neal
70-page book with new essays by Anna Bogutskaya, Prince Jackson, Stacie Ponder and Zoë Rose Smith
6 collectors' art cards
LAST RITES
Despite a rocky ending, High Tension is still one of the most brutal and affecting horror films of the modern era. Second Sight have given this film the treatment it deserves by combining well-produced supplementary content with their passion for providing the best audio visual experience for home video. A high-recommend from the crypt!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at AIM Publicity and Second Sight Films for providing a review copy for the crypt! High Tension is available NOW and can be purchased via Second Sight Direct!
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