High Voltage (2018) Review: Yes, for someone seeking an eccentric rock-and-roll horror film

Is High Voltage (2018) worth watching? Yes, for someone seeking an eccentric rock-and-roll horror film. Stan Steamer and GrobeStreet make their case on Slept-On Cinema episode 38.

Hear their full argument on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Overcast.

Rotten Tomatoes vs our verdict

The Qualification List recorded 33% critics and 23% audience on the matching 2018 film's Rotten Tomatoes page checked October 1, 2026. Scores can change. The hosts' verdict: it is a niche, imperfect, energetic movie whose unusual form is exactly what makes it interesting to the right viewer.

What is High Voltage about?

A shy singer in a struggling band survives a lightning strike and suddenly becomes an electrifying performer, but the new talent carries a terrible cost. This is the 2018 David Arquette film also known as Hollow Body, not the other films named High Voltage.

The Slept-On Cinema case

Stan is candid that the film will not work for everyone. Grobe counters that a movie can be a great fit for its audience without being a unanimous favorite, and this one has a personality he has not found elsewhere. The episode brings in guests connected to the production for its second half. In the Draft, Grobe selects a post-lightning performance, emphasizing the band's transformed stage energy. Later he praises the quasi-documentary mix of behind-the-music footage and polished movie images. That unusual combination, not a claim of perfection, is the hosts' case.

BOLOs before you watch

• The band's visual transformation after the lightning strike.
• A conspicuous white chair.
• The contrast between documentary-style footage and staged performance.

Who should watch it?

Choose it if you like offbeat rock horror and are happy with a movie that tries a strange structure. If you want a conventional concert drama, the hosts explicitly flag that this is a niche pick. The episode opens spoiler-free, so listen for the setup and BOLOs, watch the film, then return for the Draft and the rest of the defense.

Keep the movie night going

Try our movie-night guide review, browse the complete episode list, or hear this episode on Acast.