2003 French slasher film
High Tension (French: Haute tension, French pronunciation: [ot tɑ̃sjɔ̃]; also known as Switchblade Romance in some English-speaking countries) is a 2003 French slasher film directed by Alexandre Aja, co-written with Grégory Levasseur, and starring Cécile de France and Maïwenn. The plot focuses on a young student who travels with her classmate to visit her family at their secluded farmhouse, where a murderer breaks in on the night of their arrival.
High Tension was theatrically released in France on 18 June 2003, and was screened at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the "Midnight Madness" section, where it was acquired by Lionsgate Films. After being re-dubbed in English and re-edited to secure an R-rating, Lionsgate then spent $14 million for a wide release in the United States on 10 June 2005, where it ultimately grossed only $3.6 million. It received mixed reviews from critics.
The film has been cited as being associated with the New Extremity movement.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.