archer_dra

Hidden is one of those movies that has a lot of promise, but doesn't deliver like it should.

The movie starts off well, with a well shot sequence of the characters scrambling through the forest. The early movie also does a good job of presenting pieces of information through character dialogue that the viewer has to add together.

Problems occur as the movie progresses. The pacing remains the same throughout the movie rather than picking up towards the movies climax, so the end product feels monotonous. None of the characters are particularly appealing. Elements go unexplained. The effects shots, although practical and done mainly through a variety of camera techniques, are overdone and cartoonish. The movie makes good use of a variety of shots and camera angles, but these are introduced almost immediately, there's nothing kept for the end of the movie to make it stand out. At one point almost all that can be heard is the sound of wind rushing over a microphone which, although it's supposed to add to the drama of the scene, is just distracting.

Hidden is based around a good (although somewhat familiar) idea. The problem is in the execution. The fact that this is the first large-scale production for the director shows.

I don't pretend to be an expert film critic. I do, however, know good horror when I see it. The basic idea behind High Tension has the potential to make an exceptional horror film. And while the film begins promisingly, sadly it falls flat towards the end.

High Tension goes back to what horror films should be based around: real fears that we have all had at some stage in our lives. What would YOU do if a stranger forced their way into your home? Would you run and leave your family and friends behind, or would you stay and try somehow to avoid the terrible fate staring you in the face. The concept has the potential to provide great horror viewing. In its ambitiousness, however, the film sells itself short. The desire to have a clever and surprising film has instead led director Alexandre Aja down the path of predictability, to a twist that is blatantly obvious to any serious horror fan.

So what does the film do right? The film's settings are outstanding, providing the viewer with an added sense of seclusion and helplessness. Philippe Nahon is perfect in the role of the psychopath. His calmness throughout makes his character all the more disturbing. The female leads Cecile De France and Maiwenn Le Besco give solid performances.

There are, however, serious weaknesses to the film. My biggest grievance with the film is the plot twist. As I said, for those who are serious fans of horror, like myself, the ending is predictable. The twist also creates serious gaps in what would otherwise have been an easy to follow and understand plot. Apart from a couple of scenes that I really felt were more worthy of laughs than screams (but that could just be my warped sense of humor) the film up until the twist is very good. The ending, however, allows the story to fall flat and causes the viewer to leave the film feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

High Tension is certainly worth watching. It successfully combines several 'cheap' scares with more drawn-out suspense building sequences. The film boasts a substantial amount of gore, but manages to escape being dragged down by this. Overall, I think High Tension is more suited to the casual horror viewer than the committed fan, who may find the ending too familiar. In my opinion, the film would have done better to remain firmly planted in the horror genre, rather than attempting to take on psychological-thriller tones. Despite this, however, High Tension manages to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. My only advice when it comes to this film is to watch for yourself before buying.