Viewed in
2011
Formats
HDTV
Premise
A bunch of strangers, including John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet, are stranded in a motel during a rainstorm, but one by one they die mysteriously.
Liked
Nice balance of suspense and horror, second act.
Disliked
Third act.
Thoughts
I enjoyed the second act because it had a really nice melding of psychological thriller and scary horror. There was a cool twist where things go a bit supernatural, lifting it beyond just a pure slasher flick. The acting and production value were top-notch. I can't imagine how incredibly annoying it must've been on set to shoot the entire film in constant rain.
Overall, the reveal was interesting, however, that last third was a complete letdown. Without spoiling it, the solution to solving the characters true problems just felt so Hollywood. I understand you can't really story-tell psychological issues like they do in real life, that'd be a boring slog. So I honestly don't know what the middle ground of resolving everything intelligently and entertainingly at the same time.
I appreciated the effort from the film makers of Identity, especially in terms of acting and execution. While the writing had some strong moments, I think the writer painted himself into a tough corner.
