Film Review: Identity (2003)

M. Night Shyamalan at this stage of his career doesn’t seem likely to gain the same reverence as ultimate author of innovative thrillers as Alfred Hitchcock did. If he does in the future, there will be new category of “best Shyamalan films Shyamalan never made”. One of the possible candidates is Identity, 2003 film directed by James Mangold.

The film is structured two plots that seemingly run separate from each other. The first begins with Malcolm Rivers (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince), a convicted murderer who is, a day before his scheduled execution, brought to courthouse where his defence attorneys mount last minute attempt to save his life by claiming that the new evidence, backed by psychiatrist Dr. Malick (played by Alfred Molina), proof that their client was actually insane during the murders, The second plot is set in isolated motel somewhere near Las Vegas where group of ten strangers get stranded during stormy night. With roads blocked and cell phone communications breaking down, their predicament becomes even worse when they start getting killed one by one. As killings continue, it becomes obvious that it is all work of a murderer which is one among the original ten.

Michael Cooney’s script was obviously inspired by Agatha Christie’s famous novel And There Was None a.k.a. Ten Little Indians, while director James Mangold obviously paid homage to Psycho and many other cult horror films and thrillers that take place in the middle of nowhere. The audience, however, would most likely pay attention to mind-bending twists in the same league with the one in The Sixth Sense and many other thrillers that made M. Night Shyamalan famous. Before the twist actually happens, Mangold directs film very well, helped by ensemble cast which includes both big stars like John Cusack or Ray Liotta and character actors like Pruitt Taylor Vince who appears specialised in role of sinister characters. The best impression is, however, given by Amanda Peet in a role of prostitute that, in a way to seems to challenge horror film conventions, appears to be this film’s version of Final Girl. However, the very twist happens a little too early in the film, leading to rather predictable, cliche-ridden and generally unsatisfying conclusion. While relatively successful at the box office, Identity was greeted with little enthusiasm among critics, for which Mangold later blamed Adaptation, a critically acclaimed (and much better) film released few months earlier, with some of the content having certain similarity with the latter’s film premise. However, even without such context, most viewers today are likely to see Identity as a film that failed to live to its true potential.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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