Like A Shotgun Blast To The Head

Rating: 9/10 (23 June 2006)

I wasn't expecting too much when I first heard about this remake. After all, how many cruddy, unnecessary horror remakes have we had in the past few years? Too many. But when I found out that Alexandre Aja was at the helm, my gore-filled heart started beating a little faster. High Tension was great, so I figured he couldn't do any worse.
Now, having seen it, I can easily say that this is the best horror remake I have had the pleasure to watch. In fact, it will probably end up going down as one of the best horror films I've seen in the last six years (after Uzumaki, of course). In fact fact, I just may have to put this sick little puppy on my Top Twenty List.
Forget what the detractors say. Every minute of this movie, from start to finish, is edge-of-your-seat entertainment. It only gets better from the opening shot onwards. The camera-work is superb, and Aja obviously knows how to make the audience feel uncomfortable, even during the lighter moments (there aren't too many of those). He's even done some things with the camera that I've never seen before in ANY movie.
There are dozens of cringe-worthy scenes in this flick. If bucket fulls of gore are what you're looking for, look no further (I should add that I have only seen the unrated DVD release, so your viewing experience may be a little less bloody than mine was). The special effects are top notch, brought to you courtesy of Nicotero & Berger.
I've got few complaints- for one, sometimes the music was a little too "operatic/epic" for my taste, but overall, this is how horror movies should be done! I should also add that I'm a big Ted Levine fan, so seeing him do his thing made it all the better.
An excellent piece of work, and this movie may someday be considered a true classic in the horror genre. If you liked High Tension, you'll love this! Go out and rent this movie now- if you're a gorehound, or just a casual horror fan, you won't regret it.