Identity review
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. For those who know me you know about my love for horror films so once a month, I’m going to review and discuss a scary flick. We’ll look at the classics, and some new films, and I want your suggestions on what I should review. I’ll do my best to cover all the different genres within the genre – slashers, ghosts, monsters, etc.
SPOILER ALERT! – These will be reviews so if you haven’t seen the movie you’ll want to watch it first before you read this. Let’s do this.
IDENTITY
Pretty sure I saw this after it’s release and had mixed feelings about it as did many. It has a few things going on simultaneously and is famous for its twist, or multiple twists ending. Identity was released in 2003 but really doesn’t feel aged or a product of it’s time. If you didn’t like it, you’re not alone, my friend.
Well, the first thing to talk about with this film is the cast. Ray Liotta, John Cusack, Amanda Peet, John C. McGinley, Clea Duvall, Jake Busey, AND Rebecca De Mornay! I know that’s not everyone, but that’s a serious ensemble. That’s fun for me because I can think of one movie you can specifically link each actor to.
Two parallel stories are going on throughout this film. A man named Malcolm who has multiple personalities is on death row for murders he is accused of committing and there is an 11th hour hearing to spare him. The other about 10 people stuck in a motel somewhere in Nevada during a nasty thunderstorm. For me the focus of the killer became very secondary but maybe that was the point for acts one and two. A lot of pretty bad stuff happens to these people. Getting into car accidents, their heads being found in dryers, death by baseball bat, etc. One by one they are killed off in a way that does a good job of holding your attention as each key to their rooms are found starting at 10 and working its way down. Whodunnit? We think we know at multiple points in the film, then don’t, then do again…Once we see Liotta’s character is an escaped prisoner, we say okay, here’s what’s going on and this had a nice little story to it. Then it spins on itself, and we find out it was the little boy you had forgotten about who killed these people WHICH is actually just one of serial killer Malcolm’s personalities. Daaaaaaammnn!! I see you James Mangold who also directed Walk the Line and two X-Men movies. Well played.
Well, maybe. This is an interesting film to me for a few reasons. I felt like I was watching themes from multiple other films while watching this. Start with the storyline of the motel. It’s rainy and there is weird owner. Hmmmm. We know that one. Can’t help that vibe though. I really love the backwards chronology of some scenes that give us info on what had just happened to these people, especially the woman getting hit by the limo and Amanda Peet’s character which directly ends up linking her and the woman getting hit by the limo. Obviously, I go to Pulp Fiction whenever there is a non-linear time thing going on. And finally, I got a Friday the 13th vibe. Rainy night with a bunch of people being killed by someone. As the story of the murderer on death row evolves, you become more interested in this and think that these two must obviously connect at some point. No one is ever safe, and you only have an idea of what is happening for maybe 5 minutes until something else happens. I believe this movie was somewhat based on an Agatha Christie novel which isn’t a surprise given the feel of this noir, dark thriller that it honestly is.
So, that ending will get you for sure, but I can’t help think it may have been lost or underappreciated by some. Maybe not. Maybe it was exactly what should have happened. Dare we say this picture has achieved cult status? I think that’s fair. Here’s my advice though. While I may have spoiled the film – which of course I do - you probably noticed I didn’t get too detailed. Stop reading what I think and go watch it. Maybe you need a second time around like I did as well.
Enjoy the trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQkG2x3qTf4