High Tension

The only reason I could enjoy this movie was the fact that I didn't even look at this poster before watching it. This movie was recommended by my friend, and I just blindly downloaded and watched it. At first, I wasn't really enjoying the movie because it just seemed like a typical slasher film - something like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I don't really like slasher films because of its lack in plot depth. 

This movie was directed by a French director Alexandre Aja. While I have a high regard for French movies, I was rather disappointed for the first three quarters of the movie. Nothing much for me to analyze from this movie though. The plot was pretty direct. Well, as all my movie reviews contain spoilers, I will also mention the plot twist for this movie. Turns out, shes the murderer. Somewhere on the brink of personality disorder and schizophrenia. While the plot twist really got to me (because I was totally unprepared and my brain was getting lazy as it was boring in the beginning), watchers still could not resonate with the main actress here - the murderer/psychiatric patient. I'm not sure whether compassion from the watchers was the intent of the director, or it was purely the bloodshed that was targeted. 

Either way, I still can't fully love this movie because there was literally no plot. No background history was given as to why she became that way, how they became friends - nothing. I couldn't feel anything. At most I was shocked when I found out that she was the one killing, but that's it. It was a 5 second shock phase. In that 5 seconds, everything became clear. The clues from the beginning were :

1. I won't let anyone get in between us.

2. I dreamt of myself, chasing myself.

3. The voyeurism - during her friend's bath, and obviously pleasuring herself thereafter.

4. Her facial expressions during her friend's description of having a boyfriend.

5. The overly quick switch of hiding place from bath tub to underneath bed.

6. At one point, I thought - this is the smartest victim of any serial killing movie I've seen -
    something's off. 

Other than the exciting plot twist, I've really got nothing much to say. I enjoyed the soundtrack - New Born by Muse. They finally got the kill right though - I'll give them that. I think I've mentioned before, at least to my friends - if you ever get caught by a serial killer and you have a shot at killing him - make sure he's dead, because they just have a weird amount of strength to return although bleeding all over. In this movie, she had one chance and she maximized it. However, she was killing herself, which also meant she wasn't killing anyone. Hahahaha. Psychiatric patients are awesome, I loveeee them - forever interesting. 

The love for what you hide
The bitterness inside
Is growing like the new born
When you've seen, seen
Too much, too young, young
Soulless is everywhere

 

~ Muse - New Born ~