Identity The night before his execution, a psychiatrist manages to obtain an additional hearing for a condemned serial killer, aimed at proving his mental illness. The same night, while the prisoner is being transferred from prison to the hearing location, ten strangers, each with their "skeleton in the closet," meet due to a terrible storm: a limousine driver (John Cusack) with an 80s star (Rebecca DeMornay); a police officer (Ray Liotta) escorting a murderer (Jake Busey); a call girl (Amanda Peet); a newlywed couple (Clea DuVall and William Lee Scott) and a family in crisis (John C. McGinley, Leila Kenzie, Bret Loehr), all find refuge in a rundown motel managed by a sinister night watchman (John Hawkes). The relief of finding shelter is soon replaced by fear when the ten travelers begin to die, one after another. They will soon realize that, if they want to survive, they must uncover the mystery that brought them together in that place and on that night... Reading the plot, James Mangold's film could immediately be categorized as the classic slasher that follows the now well-established schema of the gradual elimination of characters, up to the final solution of the enigma: the ten little Indians begin to be killed one by one while new truths are discovered, because no one is what they seem, everyone has a purpose and a terrible secret to hide, all trapped in an unsettling trap. Until the end, one believes to know something, to know broadly what could be the final twist to discover that in reality it is not so, and it is precisely for this reason that one can define "Identity" one of the best thriller-horrors of recent years. The story is truly original, it is a well-constructed puzzle, rich in twists and with characters with complicated and mysterious facets that make the whole even more engaging. Interesting and particularly well-chosen is also the choice to retell, through a series of backgrounds, the stories of the various protagonists and the reasons that led them to find themselves all together in the motel. Perfect also the setting: the storm and the small motel best convey the claustrophobic sense that assails the protagonists throughout the time. Finally, the cast, rich in known faces but without first-rate stars, is well-assembled and absolutely up to the task, especially in its two excellent main protagonists Ray Liotta and John Cusack. A well-directed thriller, well-acted, original and rich in suspense... can you ask for more? (...especially these days...). Highly recommended.
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