Identity
Length: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Website: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/identity/
Release Date: 2003-04-25
Cast: John Cusack, Jake Busey, Rebecca DeMornay, Clea DuVall, Ray Liotta
Director: James Mangold
Screenwriter: Michael Cooney, James Mangold
WorkNameSort: Identity
Our Rating: 2.50
A car accident on a rainswept road strands 10 strangers at a seedy motel, where they soon find themselves being systematically picked off by a ruthless killer. One potential victim verbally acknowledges the obvious similarity of their predicament to “Ten Little Indians;” it’s the first of several self-conscious blunders this movie makes as it seeks to escape its B-picture constraints. The story ultimately takes a bizarre left turn into metaphysics — which is a nice way of saying that mystery lovers should steel themselves for a bald-faced cop-out.
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2003.