them. Sometime later, Marie is in a psychiatric hospital room, with Alex watching her through a one-way mirror. Marie grins and reaches for Alex, evidently aware that she is behind it. Cast Main Cécile de France as Marie Maïwenn as Alexia Soral Supporting Philippe Nahon as The Killer Andrei Finti as Daniel Soral, Alex's father Oana Pellea as Mrs. Soral, Alex's mother Franck Khalfoun as Jimmy Marco Claudiu Pascu as Tom Soral, Alex's little brother Release High Tension was released in France on 18 June 2003 where it was distributed by EuropaCorp. The film was shown at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival during the Midnight Madness section. After screening at the festival, the film was purchased by Lionsgate Films for North American distribution. In her book Films of the New French Extremity, Alexandra West described The screening of High Tension at Midnight Madness made that section of the film festival an "unintentional bastion for New French Extremity", which still did not have a popular following. Following High Tensions'''s release there, other films followed at the festival such as Calvaire (2004), Sheitan (2006) and Frontier(s) and Inside (2007) and Martyrs (2008). In the United States, Lionsgate released an English-dubbed version of the film in 1323 theaters on 10 June 2005 (with $14 million marketing cost). Several murders scenes were truncated in order to avoid an NC-17 rating. A re-cut theatrical trailer was released by Lionsgate to promote the film, featuring "Superstar" by Sonic Youth. Censorship Some scenes were edited for the American version to achieve an R rating by the MPAA. About one minute of the film was cut in order to avoid the NC-17 rating. The R-rated edition was released in American cinemas, in a less widely circulated fullscreen DVD, and on the streaming service Tubi. This section notes what was deleted from the unrated, original French film to produce the American version. Alex's father is graphically decapitated with a bookcase, his headless neck spraying blood. In the R-rated version, the murder is edited to quickly cut away as the bookcase crushes and severs his head. Later the body is seen on the staircase without the head. When Alex's mother has her throat slashed, the scene is shortened; most of the arterial spurting, as the killer pulls back her head, is gone. Subsequent shots of Marie inspecting the body have also been edited. The death of Jimmy the gas