10 Horror Movie Twists That Pissed Everyone Off

3. The Illogicality Of Marie As The Killer - Switchblade Romance

High Tension
Lionsgate

Yep, anyone with even a fleeting interest in horror could've predicted Switchblade Romance would've rocked up at some point here.

The film that put Alexandre Aja on the map in a major way, Switchblade Romance - aka Haute Tension, aka High Tension - rocketed along at breakneck speed as best friends Marie and Alex are tormented by a demented killer who has butchered Alex's mother, father and younger brother.

Muse's utterly bangin' New Born is a song featured throughout the film's trailer and utilised in the movie, and that tune perfectly captures the energy and relentlessness of so much of Switchblade Romance. With Marie bound and gagged in the back of the killer's truck, Alex manages to sneak on board as the action powers cross country in a way akin to a classic road movie - all as the killer amasses a few more kills along the way.

At first, the reveal that Alex is actually the killer and had imagined it was someone else carrying out this carnage, that was absolutely a brilliant little twist. Then, you start to actually think back throughout the film and realise how this makes zero f**king sense.

There are countless scenes that are simply impossible, and there is the bizarre scene where the burly truck driver persona gets oral sex from a decapitated head way before Alex and Marie even turn up in Marie's hometown.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.