User reviews

This movie totally surprised me on every level. I had never even heard of it until recently; when an observant video store clerk noticed how many thrillers I was hiring and suggested it.

Having missed it at the movies, I figured it would be the usual B-grade mystery murder flick, a bit of fun at best. Instead this movie had me hooked from the opening sequence; I almost thought they'd put the wrong DVD in the box!

The story is like one big twisted, turning tunnel- with barely a glimmer of a light at the end. The cast is great, the setting appropriately scary- with no short measure of red herrings to keep you guessing.

The cast really delivers too; the characters are diverse and given enough attention to keep you engaged but not so much as to slow the action down. John Cusack is in fine form as the easily likable ex-cop trying to hold it all together; Jake Busey plays the psychotic to perfection as usual.

I don't usually go in for gore, but there's really barely more than a few hints of blood & guts. Definitely one to watch in the dark with a group of friends to scare the hell out of yourselves. You won't regret this one.

The movie centers a motley group who are looking for shelter in a deserted motel , being caught up in a severe rainstorm and stuck at the strange place , located in the desolate Nevada. They are strangers from all different walks of life : a limousine driver escorting a tarnished television star, parents with a young son whose marriage is broken , a policeman transporting a dangerous convict, a gorgeous call girl, a pair of young newlyweds, and a nervous motel manager are shut themselves up during a rainy night . But , the hosts have been murdered one by one . Who's the killer ?.

The film is a fascinating whodunit, we have got really intrigued from start to finish . The storyline has a twisted plot and the final has an extraordinary surprise.

The flick is inspired by Agatha Christie's classic novel : ¨Ten little indians¨ that has several cinematic adaptations.

In the movie there is suspense , thriller, noisy action , emotion and a little bit gore when the assassinations happen.

All the cast is nice, but interpretations from Rebecca Mornay and Pruitt Taylor Vince are specially riveting . Alan Silvestri musical score and Papamichael cinematography are atmospheric and adequate. It was shot on a huge sound stage at Sony studios in Culver City . Decent direction by the notable filmmaker James Mangold (Logan, Walk the line , Kate and Leopold, Heavy).

Rating 7/10 , above average

I've never before seen a film that made me sit on the edge of my seat practically from the opening credits. And I never got to sit back.

This was a psychological thriller of the best type. There is plenty of opportunity for you to nominate the "bad guy" and while you may be right in a sense you will probably also be wrong. The ending is a real shocker - and I suspect that the typical reaction of many viewers is to say "No way" - but if you think about it, it is the only possible ending. But you have to think about it - and the film is so action-filled that you never have time. SO the realization must come after the closing credits roll.

I'd never seen John Cusack in anything but a comedy before (except for a film called "Max", but I saw that before I knew who Cusack was). He pulled off drama equally as well as he does comedy. An impressive talent.

And an impressive film.

Very few times have I been more excited to see a film than I was to see Identity. With the healthy revival of the horror genre in the last few years, film makers have been doing it right more times than I can remember since the early 80's. I think The Ring has set the bar so high for so many films that now writers are trying to do the next great thing to scare the hell out of you. And every film has a shocking twist to it now a days as well. Think back to films like The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and a few others and it seems that everyone is now trying to give us the next great twisted film. Whatever works I guess. The only danger of that mentality is that when you market a film like the way Identity was marketed, you better make sure that your twist pays off and doesn't make the audience feel cheated. I read Roger Ebert's review of The Usual Suspects and one of the reasons why he didn't like the film all too well is because he felt that the twist was so truculent, so brash and so unexpected that he felt cheated. There was no way that he could figure it out and he felt that the creators of the film didn't play fair with it's audience. While I do not agree with that assessment of The Usual Suspects, I do understand what he was complaining about because that is how I felt here. The twist is so unexpected, so convoluted and so unfair that when it did happen, I looked at my wife and said, "What the hell...are you serious?" And from that point on ( and there was still about 15 minutes left in the film), I just couldn't enjoy what I was watching. I just couldn't buy into what they were asking me to accept. Without giving away the film, a good comparison perhaps is to say that if you were told that your two best friends were in a fist fight and you had to stop them from hurting each other, but then found out that it was all spurious expose, would you really fear for their safety or would you watch with a crooked grin on your face?

Identity is a film that is blessed with a plethora of excellent horror film elements. You have ten strangers that all seem to have some sort of connection. It is a dark and stormy night and the small area in Nevada that they are in is going through a torrential storm. It is flooding the roads so that everyone has to take refuge at a dingy looking Batesesque looking motel. The film starts out beautifully with a terrible car accident that may have been triggered by one of the other patrons when she lost some of her luggage on the road which caused the flat tire and this caused the accident. Everyone seems to be meeting by suspiciously conspicuous circumstances. What they all have in common and why they are all here is the million dollar question.

Soon everyone is settled into the rooms but other eerie events just keep popping up all over the place. And then finally someone dies. And in a most heinous of ways. She has her head cut off and placed in a dryer. Pretty gruesome stuff. But what is the significance of everyone being here and why can't they get out? It is almost like they have been brought here by some mystical force and it is keeping them here. Radios don't work, cars won't start, the storm is flooding everything except the motel and to make matters worse, there is a psychotic prisoner chained to the bathroom wall in one of the rooms. Add to the story that they all share the same birthday, some strange names and the you now have one seriously confusing film. And that is where the films stops being suspenceful and confusing and it heads into the absurd.

There are enough red herrings introduced in the film as well to throw you off of the real deal but some of those red herrings would have made a more compelling story than they one that the writer's want us to believe. But what does keep the film flowing is the actors. With a film blessed with a cast that includes Amanda Peet, Ray Liotta and John Cusack, there is never a dull moment. Cusack carries the film and every second he is on screen he makes you listen. He has come such a long way from his days in films like Sixteen Candles and The Sure Thing. I have never seen him better than he is here.

But ultimately what transpires in the last half hour of the film is what put me off. That is not to say that it will put a typical viewer off the film off, it probably won't. I have talked to many people that saw the film and loved it. They liked the twist, they liked the outcome and they liked how it all played out. I can't really tell you why I didn't care for it, but I just didn't. And this is coming from a guy that loved the twist in Fight Club, Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects. Go figure. Maybe I didn't feel cheated in those films the way I felt cheated here.

6.5 out of 10

Maybe the best thing to do is just judge for yourself.

To be honest I didnt want to watch this movie but it was my wifes turn to choose so I had no choice. After 20 minuites into the movie I was so glad it wasnt my turn to choose. This movie was absolutely fantastic. The Premise as you will read here on IMDB or on the back of the dvd in the shop/rental store seemed very lame to me but I was so wrong.

It starts off as a classic "Whodunnit" movie but then flips and twists on its head so many times your left astounded. I cannot imagine anyone who would not enjoy this movie, It keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and I loved every minuite of it. Throw in an all star cast (Cusack and Liotta are fantastic here) And you have one Hell of a movie.

10/10

You Have to watch this, Trust Me :)

Identity has a strong premise. . . Until it unravels on itself. First and second act are brilliant, building tension in an isolated motel. It's dark and gritty and builds tension around its mystery so well. And then it feels like the writers were only focused on trying to trick the audience. The third act is embarrassing. Using an overused trope, and badly misrepresenting an often misrepresented illness, it tries way too hard to be clever, ending up being ridiculously stupid. Hard to get into without spoiling the "twist" but seriously, the "twist" is weak and ruins a great build up. Not to mention they end the film on another "twist", which despite being well set up through hints it still feels predictable from a writing standpoint.

It was so close to being great. . . Just needed a third act which was smart, instead of trying to be smart.

I want to start off by saying the postives.

• the first half of the film is really interesting and good
• the characters and cast is amazing
• the realization of the characters true selves is ironicly good
• very interesting and dramatic scenes at least in the first half
• the whole plot idea is unique

Now for the negatives which ultimately makes this film not half as good as people say.

• the 2nd half of the film is really bad
• the ending is given away half way through and you know that everything your watching is fake leaving little imagination or suspense towards the end
• there is no twist and the plot seems to end way too quickly. Then there's 30 mins of the film where your just waiting for it to end because you already have expierenced the plot twist and its now anti climactic.
• the murders are hard to follow and are not very exciting at all
• there's way too many "convenient" scenes that is caused by crappy writing. Oh the blonde girl opens the door and can only see the shadow of the murderer so nobody still knows who the killer is, pathetic.
• too many random things happen that were not foreshadowed at all and is just more lazy writing. Why did the car blow up randomly without any foreshadowing whatsoever?
• the ending isn't a twist and is really anti climactic and cheesy. All suspense is lost and with the typical last scene just leaves no satisfaction for the viewer at all.

Summary: The first half was really interesting and really promising. All to be let down by a really crappy ending and 2nd half. There's too much lazy writing, typical and cheesy scenes that make this a lowsy 6/10 for me. Not the type of movie that deserves this much praise.

A+

Every so often I like to go into films knowing very little about them. It's gratifying not hearing any news stories, or Internet rumors, or early reviews before you see a film because you can genuinely feel surprised by every passing minute of it. In the case of Identity, I only saw a trailer for it once in theatres and I saw various TV spots before its release, but other than that I knew nothing about the core of the story. I went in with no preconceived notions or opinions. For a change I was being a submissive film viewer.

After the credits rolled (by the way I rarely stay until the end of the credits) I was so amazed and surprised by the film that I had just experienced. Identity is a highly original, beautifully constructed, and a mildly scary film that will (excuse my language) do a serious mind f*** on your brain.

The less you know about Identity's plot, the better. This is the kind of film you need to go into knowing very little about. There are a few twists, plenty of scares, and also a very surprising ending that will have some people disappointed, or praising its creativity. I'm definitely in the latter on this one.

Identity is also a masterpiece of atmosphere. Something that I think is the most important aspect of any movie in this genre. Whether it's Halloween, setting the scene for small town horror, or The Ring, drenching us in very dark and Gothic scenery, atmosphere is what makes or breaks a horror film. Thankfully Identity succeeds by creating an atmosphere that is truly frightening and visually impressive. The motel is a perfect setting for the proceedings that take place throughout the night.

A nice ensemble cast rounds out Identity's many incredible attributes. John Cusack gives a very good performance as Ed. Cusack has always been good at playing the 'everyday normal guy' and he uses this to great effect here. It's a layered performance that offers some surprises throughout the picture.

The other high profile performer is the always-reliable Ray Liotta as Rhodes. Liotta never seems to disappoint whenever he's performing, even in sub-par material. He's just as good as he usually is in this picture and he uses his sometimes-abrasive personality to its utmost potential.

Amanda Peet gives her best performance to date as Paris. She has some nice moments where she's allowed sprinkle some comic relief throughout an otherwise dreary picture. However, when she's required to exhibit real fear, she is more than capable. She also shares some good scenes with Cusack during a few key moments in the film.

Clea Duvall and William Lee Scott supply some youth and tenacity as Ginny and Lou. Duvall probably has the role typically called the 'scream queen role' in most horror films and she does well with what she's given. There were times that I could genuinely feel her fear. Scott is given less to do as Lou but he does have some good scenes with Duvall that requires a decent amount of emotion.

John Hawkes and John C. McGinley are also adequate in supporting roles. Hawkes is given a fair share of the comedic lines and for the most part he plays the part well. McGinley fairs better as the husband who must tend for his injured wife and social inadequate stepson. If I felt sympathy for anyone the most, it was his character.

Rebecca Demornay is given very little to do as the failed movie actress but there are some funny jokes made at her expense as one character asks her 'didn't you used to be that actress?' This is some clever commentary on Demornay's obviously fledgling career. The same can be said for Jake Busey as the convict, who is given little to do and seems out of place when paired with the more talented actors in the picture.

What's important is the work these actors do when they're all together. This is very much an ensemble and they play off each other's fear. Their reactions to these situations make the picture all the more frightening.

On the other end of the story, Alfred Molina brings a bit of substance to his role, despite have limited screen time as the psychiatrist and Pruitt Taylor Vance will shock, amaze, and terrify you as the murderer waiting for his execution. Vance's portrayal is very frightening, and an ultimately brilliant performance. Given the limited screen time he does a lot with the role.

Identity is filled with secrets, surprises, and scares that will have moviegoers talking for quite some time. Much like The Ring it has the potential to have some word of mouth appeal. However, don't listen too much to what people have to say about it because it's best to experience this modern masterpiece of fear, knowing very little about it. I guarantee you will be surprised.

"Identity" has some solid performances by several fine actors, not the least of which are John Cusack and Ray Liotta. The story and the plot have terrific potential. It could have been a great movie, despite being a somewhat shameless rip-off of a short film made a couple of years ago that manages to tell the exact same story in about 20 minutes (sorry, I don't recall the name of the low-budget, black and white short that appeared as filler between features on the Sundance Channel).

Unfortunately, this movie blows it BIG TIME at the end. I don't want to give it all away, but this is one of those movies that would have been an excellent psychological thriller if the writer and/or director hadn't decided that it needed a big surprise ending. They achieve this ending by suddenly splicing in a bunch of extra scenes at the very end that turn all of the build-up in the rest of the movie into nothing more than a bunch of red herrings. The ending chosen opens up a bunch of huge holes in the story that can only be explained away by a variant of the old "it was all just a dream" cop-out ending. Personally, I hate it when a film makes such a transition in a glaring, rough way that almost takes the viewer by the back of the neck, shakes him violently and screams in his face, "No, look stupid, we fooled you! Now look at all the things we didn't let you see during the rest of the film! Thanks for your $8.00, schmuck." I suppose the film makers HAD to do this, though, since the movie's twist is otherwise given away halfway through the film, at which point the balance of the movie is utterly predictable to anyone who hasn't been watching it with a burlap sap tied over their head. Clearly, desperate moves were called for in order to achieve a blockbuster ending. Did I say blockbuster? Change that to "lackluster."

This film could have raised a very interesting and original question about the nature of personality (and identity -- get it?), but instead, it lets itself be turned into "Psycho" meets "The Sixth Sense." Instead of "I see dead people," it turns into "I don't see dead people."

Big deal. It could've been a good one. Now it's poop.

If it weren't for the strong performances by Cusack and Liotta, I would've given this one a 5/10. I'll give it an extra point for those guys, though.

For a start,i would like to say that this film is worth seeing.It is one of the best psychological thrillers that exist so i highly recommend to those who like this kind of movies.The plot was very nice,the twist also and the cast outstanding.Cusack,Liotta,Peet and Hawkes did their best and the result was excellent.I liked a lot the flashbacks that were made -mostly in the beginning. Furthermore,the idea of the whole film was terrific.On the other hand,speaking frankly there was an excessive gore and emphasis on the murders that didn't impress me;a big part of the movie was "dedicated" to murders.Another thing that i didn't like was the continuous rain that made me feel tired,seeing again again the storm. Moreover,what i liked most-contrary to many people- was the end of the movie.It was unpredictable and,besides that,it is one of the few thrillers that you cannot find out the end easily.It was very interesting and made me sit tight on my couch .If you don't pay attention for a while you will "get lost". I should not forget to refer to the hot presence of Peer that embellished the movie apart from her casting abilities. Lastly,you should make sure that you will be 100% concentrated on the film in order to understand what is happening cause i regard it as one of the most difficult movies to understand.It is certain that this film will dominate you with mystery and in parallel make you think a lot of things that will be predicted wrong in the end. I would give 9 -at least- out of 10 to Identity.

Good mystery movie to watch it is a edge of the seat good direction and great performance from all characters the movie is one of the favourites.

Let me tell you that I will give away nothing about the plot in this review and no spoilers will be included.

The movie is really a multi genre film. Thriller, Suspense, Horror but I would definately put it more into the mystery category.

The story is hard enough to explain but trust me see the movie and you will not regret it.

The acting is perfect, each character is played extremely well by their respective actors, Ray Liotta, John Cusack, Amanda Peet and many others really do make this a top notch movie and one that will keep you guessing right till the final credits.

I must also state that this movie involves one of the biggest twists that I have ever seen in a movie since the sixth sense or even the others. The twist is unforgettable and is enough of a reason to go out and see this amazingly written and directed edge-of-your-seat-thriller.

Let me finish by saying that I gave this movie a perfect 10, you cant beat it and for a genuine shock and thrill see this one because I know that you will enjoy it.

The ending killed the cool atmosphere the film made

At the start of the movie, Dr. Malick is evaluating Malcolm Rivers, who is about to be executed for a series of murders, unless Malick can convince those who need to hear that Rivers was insane.

Then a seemingly unrelated series of events take place. And while we don't see Malick or Rivers again for a while, they are somehow connected with these events too. Exactly how I've never quite figured out.

The one common thread is that all the parties involved (except Malick) are driving through rural Nevada in heavy rain that is causing so much flooding everyone will end up at this one motel. A hooker who wants to grow oranges in Florida, the spoiled actress Carolina Suzanne and her driver Ed, the York family, newlyweds Ginny and Lou, and Rhodes, who is transporting prisoner Robert Maine.

Motel clerk Larry calmly checks everyone in, not exactly upset by all the chaos. But there's no working phone, and one of the potential guests seriously needs emergency help. Ed tries, but there's too much flooding to make it to a hospital and even cell phones don't work.

Ed, a former cop, tries to take charge of the situation, though Rhodes seems to think he should be in charge. And then people start dying. And the prisoner escapes. The newlyweds are in Room 6, and the number falls, making it look like a 9. The main clues to the murders are keys found with the bodies, and the keys seem to be showing up in sequence--10, 9, 8, 7 ...

So who will survive? Who is really behind the murders? And how are Malick and Rivers connected to all this?

I found the early scenes fascinating. Everyone was connected to everyone else, and if one event hadn't happened, none of the others would have. Eventually, I was just plain confused because I didn't know what was going on.

And when the murderer was finally revealed, he or she was not really revealed. I felt like I had heard three different possibilities but not been told which one was the right one. Then again, maybe I was told more information than was needed, and some of it was irrelevant. But I can't believe they would go THIS far ...

There were a lot of good acting performances. I genuinely dislike John McGinley, but he played a totally different character here than what I am used to. He seemed compulsive and somewhat mentally ill but genuinely desired to do the right thing.

Gary Busey was scary and almost funny, not too different from some of his other bad guy characters.

Bret Loehr didn't have much to do early as the little boy who had lost one parent and seemed likely to lose two more. But he was quite good later.

John Cusack carried the movie. He showed frustration but also competence. His character wasn't perfect but he wanted to do the best he could and didn't have patience with those who didn't care about others or couldn't handle the situation.

And Rebecca DeMornay did the demanding celebrity routine quite well.

I'm not going to recommend this for family viewing because some of the bodies are hard to look at.

It's mostly a worthy effort.