High Lane (Original French title: Vertige) is a 2009 Frenchslasher film directed by Abel Ferry. The film centers around a group of friends who are hunted by a mentally deranged serial killer while climbing a dangerous trail up in the mountains.
Young adults Fred (Nicolas Giraud), his girlfriend Karine and their friends Chloé (Fanny Valette), a nurse grappling with guilt after accidentally killing a young patient; Guillaume (Raphaël Lenglet), who harbors feelings for Chloé; and Loïc (Johan Libéreau), Chloé's unpopular boyfriend, travel to Croatia to climb and hike. They find the starting point closed off with rocks but experienced climber Fred convinces the others, including Chloé's boyfriend Loïc, to cross the track. The inexperienced Loïc is consistently paralyzed with fear, often needing encouragement from Chloé to continue. As their journey progresses, they realize that the trail is more dangerous than they had first thought: an unstable rope bridge collapses after their crossing, nearly killing Karine. With the bridge gone, the group realizes that they can't turn back, and Fred, feeling guilty after persuading the group to hike a closed-off trail, tells them that they need to go to the end as quickly as possible.
Fred climbs ahead with Karine as the rest of the group hangs off of a cliff, but is wounded in a bear trap. As Karine tries to pry the trap off of his leg, the rest of the group struggles as a vertigo-stricken Loïc fails to belay the rope; Loïc ignores advice from Guillaume, jealous and hostile because of the latter's obvious feelings for Chloé. Loïc's support fails and he falls, bringing the attached Guillaume down with him, and the two are suspended as Chloé looks on in horror. Meanwhile, Fred tells Karine to leave him and retrieve the others. Soon after Karine leaves, Fred hears movement in the trees around him as the chain to the trap tightens, and he is suddenly dragged off.
Karine uses a rope to bring help the rest of the group to the top, but when they return, Fred is missing, but Loïc finds blood on the surrounding foliage, and the empty, bloodstained bear trap is found discarded. Karine, though confused as to how he managed to get out of the trap when they couldn't open it before, panics and believes that Fred must have wandered off and gotten lost. Chloé assures Karine that they will look for Fred despite the fact that it's becoming dark and Fred's bag had the flares inside. As they search, Loïc and Guillaume bicker over Chloé and begin to grapple. Chloé, going over to break them up, falls into a pit trap. Karine rappels down and finds a poacher's trap full of spikes; one went through Chloé's arm and she is injured. As they watch Karine rescue Chloé, Guillaume feels they're being watched and tells Loïc, who ignores him. When Karine finally rescues Chloé, Chloé realizes that the trap is a poacher's trap; they wonder what could be the prey.
Rain pours as the group ropes themselves together and searches for Fred. Karine, at the end of the rope, is hit by an arrow through the chest; when she pulls her rope, she finds that it has been cut. A shocked Chloé notices and tries to rush towards her, but Karine is suddenly pulled and dragged away. Chloé, distraught, tries to find her, and Loïc insists that they should abandon Fred and Karine to escape. As they continue on they find a cabin in the forest and enter; inside, a naked and bloodied Fred is lying on a slab, and though Chloé tries to save him, he dies shortly after from shock and his wounds; Loïc covers his body with a sheet.
Guillaume finds a door to the basement and goes down to find Fred's bag; there he also finds animal pelts, shackles, hunting equipment, and hanging severed heads. On the wall is the name "Anton." Guillaume realizes that the poacher, named Anton, must live alone in the cage, but when he tries to tell Loïc, the latter refuses to listen. Loïc pushed Guillaume down the stairs to the basement, accidentally knocking him unconscious. Loïc locks him in the basement and tries to tell Chloé to leave with him (with the lie that Guillaume was trying to abandon the both of them), but Chloé, disturbed at his behavior, refuses. Anton suddenly returns with Karine's corpse, and Chloé is briefly knocked unconscious as Loïc ineffectually grapples with Anton. Chloé regains consciousness and helps Loïc fight Anton, but when she manages to get an advantage over Anton and looks to her boyfriend to help, the cowardly Loïc flees with a flare, leaving her to die. Chloé is quickly overpowered by Anton.
Chloé and Guillaume, shackled to the wall in the basement, hear Anton eviscerate the corpses of Fred and Karine. Though Chloé is close to escaping from the shackles, Anton returns and takes her upstairs to kill her. Meanwhile, Loïc's flare dies and he reluctantly returns to the cabin. Guillaume, fighting to save Chloé, escapes his bonds and yells through the basement trapdoor for Chloé to call the poacher Anton. The poacher pauses, and Loïc appears to attack Anton. An enraged Anton chases a fleeing Loïc, giving Chloé enough time to escape and free Guillaume. Guillaume wants to escape to the nearby cable, but Chloé insists on saving Loïc.
Anton chases Loïc with a crossbow and shoots Loïc in the leg, but Loïc fights Anton, stabbing him and hitting him with a rock several times, though he flees to the cable before killing him. However, he misjudges the distance and ends up on the wrong cliff, and in escaping Anton climbs down an unstable cliffside ladder. Loïc calls for help, and Chloé and Guillaume arrive. Guillaume initially tries to pull him up, but is overcome by hatred and anger from Loïc trapping him in Anton's house, and lets him fall to his death off the cliffside. Guillaume tells Chloé that he had slipped and the two embrace; however, it's cut short when Anton shoots a crossbow arrow through Guillaume's head, killing him.
Chloé charges at Anton with a knife and attacks him. The two fight, but Anton gains the upper hand and begins to beat her. Chloé says his name, making him pause once more, and she cuts his neck with the knife. Though she has an opening to kill him, a flashback to her dead patient makes her realize that she cannot do it. Leaving him to die, Chloé escapes to the cable and in tearful joy begins the descent to safety. However, she leaves her knife behind, and Anton takes it up and goes to the cable in a fit of rage. The last shot is of Chloé traveling down the cable, and a loud snap is heard before the film cuts to black, implying that Anton managed to cut the cable. The film ends with the note that only chloe was escaped and Loïc's body was found; Fred, Karine, Guillaume remained missing.Chloé escaped, and a mental serial killer named Anton also killed by chloe, countless people go missing in the Balkans past every year.
Guilhem Simon as an adolescent, Chloé's deceased patient
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 60% based on reviews from 5 critics.[2]
John Fallon of Arrow in the Head gave the film a score of 6/10, commending its direction, suspenseful setup, and score, while criticizing its cliche-ridden second half, writing, "All in all Vertige's last block never lived up to its first half but as whole I really enjoyed it and I recommend it for the striking camera work and wow mountain climbing scenes alone."[3]Bloody Disgusting lambasted High Lane, finding that while its climbing scenes and gruesome set pieces were enjoyable, the film as a whole was "annoying" due to its bad acting, obnoxious score, uncharismatic villain, and "hackneyed script."[4] Patrick Cooper of CHUD.com opined that High Lane was "a well-acted, well-directed, well-shot film, but sadly one that brings nothing new to the table"[5] while Coming Soon's Robert Sims called it "predictable but effective" and "the European answer to The Hills Have Eyes."[6] While Dread Central's Scott A. Johnson expressed distaste for High Lane's nonsensical flashbacks, unlikable characters, and nebulous plot developments, he still gave the film a score of 4/5, calling it "a remarkably intense ride that keeps the audience cringing on the edge of their seats" before concluding, "The bottom line is simply this: High Lane is tense. It's taut. It's a nerve-ripping thriller with a dash of slasher thrown in for good measure."[7]
DVD Talk's Kurt Dahlke gave the film a 2½ out of a possible 5, and wrote, "Despite awesome early action and slow-building tension, High Lane ends up muddled and clichéd. Newcomer director Abel Ferry grabs a couple of obvious elements, one old and one new, and doesn't do much to doctor them up. Even unvarnished, Ferry's can't fail first half works marvelously, but when things ultimately devolve into chaotic cliché, only the undiscriminating, and those new to horror, will remain tuned in."[8] James Dennis of Screen Anarchy labelled the film "a familiar slasher/redneck horror" and went on to say, "For half its running time High Lane manages to be a tense, if not original, rock-climbing thriller – a French Cliffhanger for teens. But, half way through, when the threat becomes human, things tumble down hill and first time feature director Abel Ferry loses his way."[9] Fellow Screen Anarchy reviewer Todd Brown was more lenient towards the film, writing, "The great strength of Ferry's Vertige isn't necessarily that it surprises but that, with the exception of one unnecessary plotline, Ferry serves up a collection of realistic characters in a stunning natural environment with lean, brisk efficiency. This is a film that knows what it is, that knows what its audience wants to see, and delivers precisely that with a minimum of fuss and bother."[10]
Rob Hunter of Film School Rejects gave the film a B+ grade, and wrote, "Director Abel Ferry isn't reinventing the wheel here, and he never pretends to be. His model is clearly a mash-up of films like Wrong Turn, Wolf Creek, and the Norwegian thriller Cold Prey, and he succeeds at least in part. Working against him and his film though is a screenplay featuring at least one ridiculously annoying character, a villain with no clear motivation or reason to be, and a recurring series of flashbacks for one character that serve zero purpose. Other than these three issues the movie is a fast moving and fairly solid genre effort."[11] Todd Martin of Horror News gave the film a glowing recommendation, writing, "I went into Vertige, a new horror film from France with high hopes and I am happy to report that I wasn't let down in the very least. I thought that it ruled and think that anyone who is into slasher flicks like I am will enjoy it."[12]
Related Research Articles
Python is a 2000 made-for-TV horror film directed by Richard Clabaugh. The film features several cult favorite actors, including William Zabka of The Karate Kid fame, Wil Wheaton, Casper Van Dien, Jenny McCarthy, Keith Coogan, Robert Englund, Dana Barron, David Bowe, and Sean Whalen.
Idle Hands is a 1999 American teen horror comedy film directed by Rodman Flender, written by Terri Hughes and Ron Milbauer, and starring Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba, and Vivica A. Fox. The film's plot follows the life of an average lazy stoner teenager, Anton Tobias, whose hand becomes possessed and goes on a killing spree, even after being cut off from his arm.
Jeopardy is a 1953 American crime drama directed by John Sturges. The black-and-white film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Barry Sullivan as a married couple, and Ralph Meeker as an escaped convict. The film was based on the 22-minute radio play "A Question of Time".
Two Evil Eyes is a 1990 anthology horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and Dario Argento. An international co-production of Italy and the United States, Two Evil Eyes is split into two separate tales, both based largely on the works of Edgar Allan Poe: "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", directed by Romero and starring Adrienne Barbeau; and "The Black Cat", directed by Argento and starring Harvey Keitel, which blends a number of Poe references into a new narrative. Both of the tales were filmed and take place in contemporary Pittsburgh.
Children of the Corn: Revelation is a 2001 American slasher horror film directed by Guy Magar. It is the seventh installment of the Children of the Corn film series. The plot follows a woman who travels to Omaha, Nebraska in search of her grandmother, and finds her apartment building to be overrun with mysterious children who seem to be emerging from the adjacent corn field. The film stars Claudette Mink, Kyle Cassie and Michael Ironside.
Severance is a 2006 comedy horror film co-written and directed by Christopher Smith. Co-written with James Moran, it stars Danny Dyer and Laura Harris. The film tells a story of group of British and Canadian co-workers who go to a remote mountain forest in Hungary, where they become victims of murderous attacks by a group of poachers.
Paranoid is a 2000 independent thriller film, directed by John Duigan, which was made for theatrical release but subsequently received a limited international theatrical release. It was released directly to video in most countries. It stars Jessica Alba and Iain Glen.
Lake Placid 2 is a 2007 American made-for-television comedy horror film directed by David Flores. It is a sequel to Lake Placid (1999) and the second installment in the Lake Placid film series, telling the story of man-eating crocodiles who terrorize the local community. The film premiered on April 28, 2007 on the Sci-Fi Channel and was released direct to video on January 29, 2008.
Kill Theory is a 2009 horror-thriller film directed by Chris Moore in his directorial debut and written by Kelly C. Palmer.
Livid is a 2011 French supernatural horror film written and directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo. It is their follow-up to the horror film Inside.
Abwärts is a German film directed by Carl Schenkel. It was released in 1984.
Lake Placid: The Final Chapter is a 2012 American made-for-television action horror comedy film directed by Don Michael Paul, written by David Reed and stars Elisabeth Röhm, Yancy Butler, Paul Nicholls and Robert Englund. It is a sequel to Lake Placid 3 (2010) and the fourth installment in the Lake Placid film series, telling the story of killer crocodiles who terrorize the local community. The film premiered on September 29, 2012, by Syfy and was released on DVD on February 19, 2013. As the title suggests, it was originally intended to be the final installment in the series, but was followed by Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, a crossover with Anaconda film series in 2015.
Aftershock is a 2012 disaster horror film directed by Nicolás López and was written by López, Eli Roth, and Guillermo Amoedo, from a story by Roth and López. The film stars Roth, Andrea Osvárt, Ariel Levy, Natasha Yarovenko, Nicolas Martinez, and Lorenza Izzo as a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub in Chile when a massive earthquake hits and quickly learn that reaching the surface is just the beginning of their nightmare.
Belle and Sebastian is a 2013 French adventure drama film directed by Nicolas Vanier. It was based on the 1966 French novel Belle et Sébastien by Cécile Aubry, which in turn was based on the 1965 French TV series. The film was the first of a trilogy, as the second film adventure Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues, was released on 9 December 2015, with the final film being Belle and Sebastien: Friends for Life, released in 2018.
Intruders is a 2015 American horror thriller film directed by Adam Schindler and written by T.J. Cimfel and David K. White. The film stars Beth Riesgraf, Martin Starr, Jack Kesy, and Rory Culkin.
Dead 7 is a 2016 post-apocalyptic zombie horror western film written by Nick Carter, directed by Danny Roew and produced by The Asylum. It aired on SyFy on April 1, 2016 in the United States.
The Evil is a 1978 American supernatural horror film directed by Gus Trikonis and starring Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine and Victor Buono. Its plot follows a husband-and-wife team of doctors who attempt to open a rehabilitation center in a mansion built over a gateway to hell.
Gnome Alone is a 2017 animated fantasy comedy musical film directed by Peter Lepeniotis and written by Michael Schwartz and Zina Zaflow, from a story by Robert Moreland. The film was first released in November 2017 in Cyprus, Greece, Romania, and Israel. The film received mixed reviews. Produced by Vanguard Animation and 3QU Media, the film stars the voices of Becky G, Josh Peck, Olivia Holt, George Lopez, Patrick Stump, and David Koechner. It follows a young girl who moves to Tenderville, suddenly pairing up with a group of gnomes and her awkward neighbor in an attempt to defeat a pack of rabid and hungry beasts called Troggs.
Lake Placid: Legacy is a 2018 American-South African made-for-television Horror film directed by Darrell Roodt and stars Katherine Barrell, Tim Rozon, Sai Bennett and Joe Pantoliano. The film premiered on Syfy on May 28, 2018. It is the sixth installment in the Lake Placid film series. The film has its own story that tells the origin of how the crocodiles got to be in Lake Placid.
Run is a 2020 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Aneesh Chaganty, and written by Chaganty and Sev Ohanian. The film stars Kiera Allen as disabled teenager Chloe Sherman, who begins to suspect that her mother, Diane, has been keeping a dark secret about her upbringing. The film has connections to other films by Chaganty and Ohanian and is the second installment in the filmmaking duo's Searching film series.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
