I don't blame the actors or the talented director who guided this confusing mess through an endless series of contrived and mindless twists and turns. Nope. The problem clearly is just this: the script is entirely B.S.

Those who liked Usual Suspects (a film I thoroughly hated) and who enjoy the work of Hitchcock (a director who never did anything for me) ought to get off on this fakery.

Like I said, cast is very good, with the exception of Jake Busey.

Identity brings to the screen a group of people converging on a motel in the middle of nowhere during a terrible storm. When the first bodies appear they soon realize that they are not all what they seem to be...
There are slight hints of Clue and Agatha Christie with a touch of the X-Files so the movie falls into the action/adventure/mystery/thriller/horror type of category.
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Ray Liota, and most of the rest of the cast carry out their performances well (the young couple was not all that exciting).
The plot, the setting, the dialogues, the music, and the special effects, are all good.
In short, Identity is a movie worth watching if you are in the mood for a decent thriller as it will surely provide for an evening's entertainment. 4 Stars

This always comes up on my "recommend a movie" list when friends ask. Even though it's a bit of a slash film, it's not graphic as far as slash films go, and it has a very compelling storyline. It's unpredictable and it's one of those films that make you jump because you realize it actually is possible for something like this to happen, though you may not fully realize that until after the movie ends.

It's not very likely in real life for a bunch of people to get stranded at a motel with an insane murderer, but stick with the movie and you'll find out in the end how and why that happened.

I can't say more without spoilers, and this one shouldn't be spoiled.

This is overall a good film as long as you stay away from spoilers.


I thought that the plot was very interesting but I found the ending to be slightly predictable- the person who ended up commiting the murders and the murder of someone towards the very end was something that I saw coming.

Sort of a Spoiler Here- The plot twist of making the least predictable person the murderer has been played out already.

It was a dark and stormy night. Several strangers, that we are slowly (very slowly) introduced to through a series of out of disordered flashbacks, are force to stay in a sleazy motel. As with all sleazy motels people start to dismantle "Fargo" style. The characters have the audacity to compare their situation to Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" so is the last one standing the culprit? At least we are not treated to a gushy love story overlay.

All the gimmicks in the world can not disguise this common slasher movie as a physiological thriller.

And Then There Were None - Starring: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston Director: René Clair

Ten Little Indians - Starring: Hugh O'Brian, Shirley Eaton Director: George Pollock

[SPOILER WARNING]



.....


the writers didn't pull the cheap trick of telling us that the story we'd been following and the characters we'd been identifying with through the entire movie only existed in some crazy guy's head, and then using their lunatic deus ex machina to tie up their inconsistent plot points. I was enjoying it up until that revelation, at which point I ceased to care.

For all you who missed it

Various inconsistencies, improbabilities and impossibilities in the motel scenes are not actual errors. As this all is happening inside Malcolm's head, there's no reason the rules and geography of the real world would necessarily apply.

Although I can understand why some other viewers either hated it or were put off by it, I must say that I haven't seen a movie that made me think so much while watching it since The Sixth Sense.

Hold on! Yes - The Sixth Sense is a classic, Identity isn't, but the truth is I'm glad I saw it, which is more than I can say for most of the other movies I have seen recently.

I must say that halfway through the movie, I started getting apprehensive about how they were going to explain everything, I was actually expecting to get an ending that would have been both ludicrous and off-putting.

It was neither. The ending made sense plus it had been set up well enough at the beginning. They did not cheat! (Have you seen The Village? Now THAT was a cheat!)

To sum up my opinion of the movie - I enjoyed it, it made me think and I did not feel insulted by the ending. One of the few movies I would actually watch again.

Excellent! It's one you must own. I own this but got it for a gift. They loved it.

it's impossible not to like this movie. it had everything tapped into one, it was great. great cast, john cusack, amanda peet, and ray liotta they made this movie what it is. a thrill ride, that'll keep you guessing from start to finish. the stormy night, the creepy motel, ten strangers getting killed off one by one. who's the killer, everyone's in a panic, nobody trusts nobody, whos's the bad guy, who will live and who will die. this movie keeps you glued to the screen and i think it's that way everytime you watch it. then when you find out what's really going on, you get blindsided. you don't expect it. i sure didn't, but that's what was good about it. you just didn't know what was coming, or who was next, or who was telling the truth. nicely done.

Spoiled by a cheap slasher scene at the very end. ...Do I smell..Sequel?! Nah, did rotten in the box office to cover the cost, so at best this will have a direct to the bin release.

movie was a pretty good thriller with a twist at the end. a good ending is hard to find sometimes, this one delivers.

Very much enjoyed the film! The Blu-ray disc was HD perfection. Acting, direction, camera work, and all other crafts were very good. The "switch" at the end can be easily perceived by the middle of the story, but it did not lessen the enjoyment. A good night seeing a film at the theater -- the big screen one in my own home that is, sans noisy, rude people, no outrageous priced snacks, no out of focus projection, no soundtrack cranked up to ear drum-breaking level, and no sub-zero air-conditioning. Ah, the way movies should be seen! Identity = good, but rent, don't buy.

A very interesting movie and believe me you are going to be watching with no stop vision of the screen. A good title to see it BUY IT.

The movie begins with a subplot of a killer's interview. Next, on a dark and stormy night, many lives will come together. George York (John C. McGinley - Dr. Cox from Scrubs) along with his wife Alice and stepson Timothy have a blowout. Alice is hit by limo driver Ed (John Cusack) driving movie star Caroline (Rebecca De Mornay). They rush to the closest phone, which is at an out-of-the-way hotel. Joining them for the evening, also trapped by the storm and flooding, is hooker Paris (how appropriate) played by Amanda Peet, and Officer Rhodes (Ray Liotta) transporting a prisoner (Jake Busey - don't Busey's make the best bad guys?), and a young couple whose passtime is arguing.

Rhodes' prisoner escapes, and then people begin to turn up dead. Secrets are revealed, there are arguments, a lot of creeping around in the rain, and nail-biting suspense. But there's more to this movie than just the typical whodunit. Where is the connection between these people? The key to the puzzle is much more complex than you think. The plot twists and twists again in a most satisfying manner. I can't say any more without revealing spoilers.

John Cusack and Ray Liotta give stellar performances, and John C. McGinley is good in everything he does. The film is well photographed and the atmosphere is sufficiently dreary to create the required mood. This is a great movie for a group of friends and a large bowl of buttered popcorn. Keep the lights on. Enjoy!

My son brought this film home from the local rental place and, though having never heard of it, I decided to watch it on the strength of the cast, which is stellar. I must say that it is a highly entertaining, atmospheric, and intriguing thriller that focuses on ten people, ostensible strangers to each other, who, through a seeming twist of fate, meet one dark and stormy night at a seedy motel in the middle of nowhere.

There, a strange fate begins to over take them, as one by one they meet up with a mysterious killer. No one knows who amongst them is the killer. No one knows who is next. Yet, there is apparently a link that binds them all. There is also a parallel story involving a convicted killer that opens the film and continues to be interjected at odd moments throughout the film. It is a story that is also interesting and becomes more so as the film continues.

There are subtle clues along the way that point the viewer in the right direction, in terms of what is really going on. The viewer, however, will generally realize this in hindsight, which is, of course, always twenty/twenty. The pace of the film is relentless. The tension is palpable. The acting is top notch. The direction is first rate, and the ending screams out, "Gotcha!".

This is a surprisingly effective psychological thriller that all those who love films of this genre should enjoy. There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep even the most jaded viewers on their toes. While the performances of the entire cast are uniformly excellent, special kudos go to John Cusack for a truly powerful, memorable performance. Bravo!

I really have enjoyed watching the movie...three times already and I can say that it "tickles" your mind and think a lot of things at the end of it.
Dont judge the book by its cover they say .... and its correct.

A solid script backed up by a great cast, John Cusack, Ray Liotta, John c. McGinley, Alfred Molina, Amanda Peet and more, are all outstanding. Brilliantly directed by James Mangold who also directed Copland, Girl Intrerupted and Walk The Line, this is one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. To say too much about the script would possibly give it away, but in the style of the Agatha Christie's novels 'Ten Little Indians' and 'Murder on the orient express', where people start dying in suspicious circumstances and later they find out they are all connected in some way. In this movie we have ten complete strangers stranded at a desert motel for the night. Sure enough people start getting killed, there is a lot of finger pointing and plenty of twists along the way to keep the audience engaged. The music score is excellent and perfectly captures the mood of the whole movie. Special features include bonus trailers, an on the set documentary and 2 very informative and interesting commentaries. One by the director and one by the writer, the latter being the better of the two. The disc features both cinema and DVD versions, although the DVD version only includes 2 extra scenes that last no longer than 30 seconds each. The only fault I have of the movie is that it seems too much time was spent in the first half of the movie bringing the characters together and laying a foundation forcing the ending to seem rushed through to conclude the movie within the 90 minutes, instead of the film being possibly edited longer. All up though, one of the best thrillers you will ever see. I have seen it many times and it is still good even when you know the ending.

A group of seemingly unconnected characters become stormstayed at a remote motel, where one by one, they begin to disappear. Sounds familiar but promising; while the promise is more than fulfilled though, the familiarity is not, as a classic kind of idea gives way to one of the most original and twist-filled movies around. It's astonishing how cavalier the treatment of this movie was when it first came out, regarding its genuinely shocking ending - I had the misfortune of inadvertently reading the ending in a small ad prior to its DVD release! Even with advance knowledge of the outcome, though, it was still astounding - I can only imagine how jaw-dropping it must be to witness it not knowing. Fantastic suspense; great characterization as played by a cast of well-knowns including John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Rebecca DeMornay and Ray Liotta; excellent production values; and total non-telegraphing of the plot combine to make "Identity" one of the greatest mystery shockers of all time. If you don't know the ending, do yourself a favor and see this one as soon as possible - the turns are some of the most unexpected ever. Even if you do know the gist of it, don't hesitate to see it - it'll still deliver many times over. Indispensable for fans of mystery, drama, horror, or thrillers.

When I first viewed the film "Identity" at the urging of a friend, I figured this was just going to be another slasher type film, which is a genre I have never been a fan of. And in the beginning, I actually thought this is what the film was going to be about. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the film was more than enjoyable, and this was due to a few characters in the film who were able to make this film better than what it would have otherwise been. And credit goes to the writers who gave the film a special twist. Sure, there are some flaws in the film, but when all is said and written, I believe "Identity" was a very good film. The two actors I believe showed true talent in the film was the psychiatrist, Dr. Malick (Alfred Molina) and more importantly, the condemned prisoner Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor Vince).

The film itself is a great study in psychological suspense, which keeps the viewer guessing as to whom the killer is. We start off with 10 travelers converging at a motel on a rainy night and before long, they begin to die one by one: And all in a mysterious, and what some might consider in a supernatural way. Is there an evil presence at the motel? What is causing these deaths? Moreover, something is not right with the guests either. What is their connection to each other? What is it that makes you sense a feeling of dread that there is something supernatural about this motel? Nothing seems to make sense. How are these killings taking place, that just don't seem to add up? This has to be a ghost story, right? On the contrary, we are all in the mind of a serial killer, (Pruitt Taylor Vince) [SPOILER BELOW]

Moreover, this serial killers split personalities are beginning to merge. The only way for him to succeed in becoming whole again is to discard the make-believe world that his mind has created. Therefore, we witness the killings that are perplexing, and yet real to the mind of this killer. Ed (John Cusack) gives a good performance as the limo-driver, as does Rhodes (Ray Liotta) as the policeman/escaped convict, and of course the role of the psychiatrist (Alfred Molina) who is trying to prevent the scheduled execution of the aforementioned serial killer---and Molina gives an excellent acting performance in his role. I highly recommend this film. It is not your usual serial killer film. There is more to this film than meets the eye. It is definitely different than many, if not most of the thrillers on the market today. Recommended. [Stars: 4.5]

My wife and I saw this movie on its opening weekend and both of us were blown away by the storyline and the acting. We've been Cusak fans for quite awhile (me since "Say Anything") and I have always loved Ray Liotta.
The whole movie had this eerie, creepy feeling about it. The story does hold it's own, though it does "borrow" from two masters of mystery; Ms Agatha Christie and Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Once the "twist" comes in, even my wife (who figured out the ending to "American Haunting", "Silent Hill", "The Others") said "OH MY!" and we both bought the movie a couple days after it came out on DVD.
The reason for the 4 star rating was that the "Extended Alternative Ending" added about 3 seconds-if that-to the trip in the van.
SPOILER: I didn't really understand the basis behind most of the victims relation to each other, mainly the birthdates and the states their last names represented; but after watching it a couple times, it dawned on me. What easier way to make up identities for multiple personalities than to have similar dates of birth or names one can recognize (names of states).

I do appreciate Cusak's roles nowadays, but I think he's being too typecast as a romcom star. Come over to Drama, Jon! It's a lot easier to win an Oscar or Golden Globe when you star next to Newman, Hanks, and are directed by Spielberg and Howard.

James Mangold Identity is one hell of a movie. The twist is amazing, didn't see that coming. The ending will shock you to pieces. John Cusack and Amanda Peet are superb in their roles, he plays a former cop and she plays a hooker trying to get home to Flordia. Clea Duvall also appears in this film, Duvall was previously in Girl, Interrupted (another Mangold film). This film kept me interested for all its 90 minutes. Great direction, top-notch acting, and awesome plot. Identity is the best pyschological thriller of all-time, I highly recommend this engrossing little film.

This is one of those 'little' films that sneaks under the radar. I was hooked from the start and amazed at the end. If mysteries and puzzles ala '6th Sense' are your forte, this is the film for you. CAUTION you must think to view this terrific film.

Even though the plot device of characters with split personalities or multiple personalities has been done before, Identity is at least clever with it. This is a really good movie.

The movie goes like this: 11 people end up at a motel due to a bad rainstorm and flooding. Once there, the people start getting knocked off one by one. Think of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None meets Psycho.

There's the former cop turned limo driver played by John Cusack, driving a self-centered movie star played by Rebecca DeMornay.

The former prostitute trying to get to Florida to grow an orange grove played well by Amanda Peet.

The young, newly married couple who are far from happy, played by Clea Duvall and William Lee Scott.

A convict and the deputy escorting him to another prison. Played by Jake Busey and Ray Liotta respectively.

The misogynistic hotel manager who has a couple of secrets.-John Hawkes

An older married couple and their young son.-John C. McGinley, Leila Kenzle, Brett Loehr

The events happening at the motel are cut in every once in a while by a late-night meeting going on between a psychiatrist and a judge and several other people. The psychiatrist's patient, Pruitt Taylor Vince, looks like Uncle Fester from The Addams Family and is about to be executed shortly after. The shrink is trying to convince the judge that his patient need not be executed. For most of the time watching the film, you don't understand what the people at the motel have to do with this other subplot. Some might be confused as to what the heck is going on, but the tie-in is pretty clever.

Some spoilers below.


The people at the motel are the 11 different personalities of the Uncle Fester dude that he developed because of years of abuse and neglect. One of these personalities is responsible for a murder rampage the guy went on, which is why he is on death row. The shrink is trying to convince people that he can get one of the personalities to kill the evil personality so Uncle Fester won't do anything else evil.

The 11 are there to do battle but don't know it. The doctor eventually taps John Cusack's former cop limo driver, who signifies the strong, good but flawed personality, and tells him what he has to do.

Problem is, more than one personality is bad, and it becomes a red herring fest to figure out who is responsible for the murders.

It is oodles and noodles better than Twisted and Taking Lives and Hide and Seek and Secret Window and plenty of other thrillers that have come out in the past 5 or so years. But I guess this still isn't saying much is it?

Anyway...

Very nice way to spend a late night.

It would never win an Oscar. Who cares?? A fun, spooky movie, kind of campy and fun. A great rainy-night movie, especially since it takes place on a rainy night. This movie was made to entertain, and entertain it does. Loved the twisty little ending.
If you like Dennis Lehane novels, you might like this! Kind of a "Shutter Island" feeling to it.

..One of those movies where you have to watch it twice to pick up on all the little details. Not a blockbuster movie but definetly passed the time nicely on a rainy Sunday! I'd watch it again.

This is a smart, well made thriller. A take on the 10 little Indians theme, 10 strangers find themselves at an old motel being bumped off one by one. In the middle of this, we are shown scenes of a madman who is about to be sent to his death being defended by reason of insanity. How does this fit in to the movie? Well the twist ending explains it all. What raises this movie is the all star cast of young and older stars. Nothing was obvious, and I was left guessing through much of the movie. It is worth watching again to see if you can pick up any clues you might have missed the first time around.

Yeah, as you can probably tell from all the five-star and one-star reviews here, IDENTITY is a mixed bag. But it has three great things going for it. Firstly, every character has his own mystery, and these mysteries all are solved in fresh, entertaining ways. Secondly, the performances are all top-notch. Thirdly and most important, this is the best role of John Cusack's career, and this fact alone is worth whatever price you pay for this movie. Let's face it. Normally Cusack is relegated to sex comedies. Here he plays a take-charge ex-cop, not only a character of justice but of morality, even in the face of extreme hardship. Don't take my word for it. See IDENTITY.

A whodunnit movie with a twist! Very original - I never saw it coming!

Without giving away too much, this movie is both figuratively and literally a great gigantic migraine headache. Headaches of any kind have never been enjoyable. This one is no exception.

If it weren't for John Cusack and Amanda Peet, they would have never been able to produce this movie with the absolutely non-plot storyline. Why does Cusack even agree to star in such a dumb movie? He has talent, as well as Peet - at least I think so.

Spoiler follows... as if anything could spoil something this lame. Do I actually have to award any stars at all? What a waste of a star. Dang!

The previews looked great. I was really looking forward to this stellar, star-studded cast in a *ah-em* "film" full of atmosphere. So, this film LOOKS great; it is wonderfully shot. The acting is very good. That's the best I can say for it. It's the story stupid.

This *ah-em* "film" actually left me feeling angry and cheated when I saw it in the theater and I can only think of one other film I'd ever seen that left me angry and feeling cheated: "History of the World Part I"

I'm very surprised that Liotta and Cusack agreed to do this... did they even read the entire script? Anyone who gives this movie more than two stars does not know anything about tension, suspense, mystery, and plot development. If I had to vote for the lamest thriller of all time this would surely be it (DeNiro's Hide and Seek is a close second).

There's a point in the movie where any astute viewer will say to himself or herself "oh, this is all in somebody's head" At that point, anyone with half a brain realizes there isn't a real character to invest in, i.e., worry about. You can't invest yourself emotionally in someone who is a just make-believe person in some nut-job's head, no matter how nice or attractive the make-believe person might be. Who really cares if the make-believe person in the nut-job's head gets carved up or pick-axed to death? "Oh no! Look out little figment of the nut-job's imagination, the killer is right behind you! Run little figment of the nut-job's imagination, run!" Paaaaahleeeeze! There are no characters to invest in so the premise does not work. This was so stupid I'm surprised to find myself writing a review. Note to self: "how stupid am I for wasting my precious time writing a review for something that was so stupid?" The fact that this *ah-em* film appears to have garnered an average of 4 star reviews is the only plot twist this *ah-em* film has going for it. I mean, I knew the general public were easily pleased but COME ON FOLKS. This was lame! Lame Lame LAME!

A few months later I saw the movie (DVD) Apathy (I think that's the title) with Nick Cage. That particular film was actually released earlier than Identity. Cage's character has a brother who keeps talking about making a movie that takes place in someone's head and Cage's character considers totally stupid. The plot described for that make believe movie idea is what became Identity in real life. I had to laugh right out loud when I realized someone had tested the concept. Average movie-going audiences sure are stupid. Even my friend liked Identity and couldn't understand why I thought it was so stupid.

It's incredible how many movies come out and get buried away to quickly... like this one. Not much "HOOPLA" about it... didn't see too much advertising... and so the only reason I actually saw it, was a relative brought it back from the States and gave it to me as a gift.
One word : HECTIC!
Great cast (John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Ray Liotta, et al) all get intertwined in a story that just keeps you guessing and pointing fingers.
The setting (your basic horror/thriller ingredients), a dark and stormy night, plenty of rain and a group of strangers get stuck together at a creepy motel.
One by one the "Ten Little Indians" start dissapearing... and now we have to find out who is responsible...
A nice bit of jumping back and forth from "present" to "past" adds to the suspense.
Expect a stunning "USUAL SUSPECTS" style, break-neck twist that comes at you out of nowhere!
John Cusack has also always been one of those hugely dependable and under-rated actors and he is superb in this... as is Ray Liotta.
DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST FILMS I'VE SEEN... GO AND GET IT!!!

I truly enjoyed director James Mangold's "Cop Land" and was looking forward to spinning this one on DVD - "Identity" has one of the best ensemble casts assembled in recent years and gets off to a great start.

But then it all comes apart, and the script just gets way too smart, toying with the audience as if the scriptwriter was thumbing his nose at the viewers and saying: "Hey I AM smarter than you."

And I hate it when people do something like that. I am all for twists in films - some the greatest films of all time are built around such a premise, including "The Third Man", "Sixth Sense" and "Rashomon". But "Identity" ends up being too smart for its own good and the twist really leads to a unfulfilling conclusion.

But "Identity" also has lots to recommend it - the great cast, Mangold's terrific pacing and the nice chills that come along at a clip in the first two-thirds of the movie.

The story? Well, one dark rainy night, a bunch of characters get stuck in a motel in Nevada that could give the Bates Motel from "Psycho" a run for its money. There's the limo driver (John Cusack) transporting a movie star (Rebecca DeMornay), a young couple that just got married in Las Vegas, a prostitute (Amanda Peet) who's heading back home to make a fresh start, and a cop (Ray Liotta) escorting a nasty convicted murderer (Jake Busey).

But when the cast starts getting killed off one by one, tensions flare up and a desperate hunt begins for the killer.

At the same time, all of this is somehow tied in to a psychiatrist (Alfredo Molina) in a faraway city trying to prove that a serial killer (Pruitt Taylor Vince) is insane so that his execution - slated for the next morning - can be stayed.

Just how are these two situations connected? Well, you'll have to watch "Identity" to find that out!!

This one's a nice ride, but when you do reach the destination, you only end up feeling like you've been taken for a ride.

Alright, i live in Hong Kong and this movie was never put on the widescreen here. I bought this DVD just out of its cast. From reading the description at the sleeve of the DVD, i do not expect to get much out of it, assuming just another killer-among-the-group-in-a-contained-place sort of movie. But as it turns out, it makes my jaw drops.

Going through the review before writing this one down, i do not understand why some of the folks are so mean and critical about the film. If you have a habbit of reading review before making your purchase, you probably won't find one film without a 1-star rating, whether deemed helpful or not.

The point is, if you really have to be so picky, you can always find things to critize. But just do not forget one thing, what you are watching is just a story, and there is one thing in film called the "suspension of disbelief". Not even in reality that you can find all things explainable or logical or even sensible!!! And please do not compare this film with Hitchcock's, for his reputation in psychological thriller has already convinced some part of you to believe his film is great even before the title sequence ends.

Back to the film itself, i am not going to prasie once again for what others did. What i wanted to add is that when the final mystery unfolds, it reallys makes my jaw drops. Surpirse at the same time but also an anti-climax. Beacuse what seems to be the reality is now just a twisted imagination of a convicted murderer, so why cares more what happens in the motel afterthat anyway? With all the suspense gone, i am just waiting to see how the film is going to wrap up without further expectation.

However, i do want to give a merit to the director for his attention to details of the plot. Seldom you will see this kind of film without any contraction in its plot (at least i have found none) Throughout the film, you will see very very subtle evidence hinting towards a more supernatural ending rather than just some fxxp-up psycho who happens to kill people for fun. One point to note is with all these killing, there is hardly any gore at all, so the horror is convinced to you psychologically rather than through some cheap visual violence.

This 2003 film is a mystery as well as a horror film. Ten strangers are stranded in a desolate motel on a stormy night. One by one they are getting murdered. It's a classic mystery as the guilt seems to fall on several characters. There's also an interconnected story about a murderer whose psychiatrist is trying to get a last minute reprieve.
John Cusack plays the part of a limousine driver who has once been a cop. Ray Liotta plays a cop who's transporting a prisoner. There's also a newly married couple who argue a lot, a prostitute who's giving up her way of life and another woman who's been injured in a accident as well as her husband and young son who never speaks a word. There's also a strange motel clerk with secrets of his own.
But this is not a usual "whodunit". No way. The connection between the individuals in the motel is much stranger than that. And when this connection is finally revealed, I was annoyed. To my humble tastes, it was too contrived as it wanders into the unknown realms of the human psyche.
Yes, it held my interest. Yes, there was some good acting. But I hated the ending and felt the writer had played a rotten trick on the audience. That's why I can only give this film a lukewarm recommendation.