Movie · 2003 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 30m · R · English
Curator score: 4.2/10 (485.7K ratings)
The secret lies within.
Overview
Complete strangers stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm soon find themselves the target of a deranged murderer. As their numbers thin out, the travelers begin to turn on each other, as each tries to figure out who the killer is.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.2/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.44/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
Metacritic: 64
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
James Mangold
Production
Konrad Pictures, Columbia Pictures
Cast
John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley, William Lee Scott, Jake Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rebecca De Mornay, Carmen Argenziano, Marshall Bell, Leila Kenzle, Matt Letscher, Bret Loehr, Holmes Osborne, Frederick Coffin, Joe Hart, Michael Hirsch
Curator Review
Verdict
A slick, rain-soaked whodunit with strong atmosphere, a committed cast, and a genuinely fun appetite for twists. It works best as a pulpy, self-aware thriller; it works less well if you want airtight logic or a finale that feels emotionally earned.
Best for
viewers who like twisty, high-concept thrillers
fans of stormy, claustrophobic single-location suspense
people who enjoy pulpy 2000s studio thrillers
audiences who don't mind a knowingly absurd third act
Skip if
you need the mystery to be logically bulletproof
you dislike movies that lean hard on late reveals
you want a grounded procedural rather than a genre exercise
you get frustrated when the ending recontextualizes everything in a very artificial way
Overview
Identity is a rain-drenched motel thriller that understands the pleasures of a good setup: strangers, isolation, bad weather, and the creeping suspicion that everyone is hiding something. James Mangold keeps the pace tight and the mood grimy, and the cast sells the material with enough seriousness that the movie’s pulpy mechanics stay entertaining instead of collapsing under their own contrivance.
Worth noting
What makes it linger is the way it treats familiar slasher and mystery ingredients as a game of escalating misdirection. The film is most effective when it’s building dread and letting you sort through the red herrings; it’s less effective when the late-game logic starts to wobble. If you’re in the right mood, though, that wobble is part of the fun.
Bottom line
This is a movie for viewers who like their thrillers a little silly, a little nasty, and very committed to atmosphere. It’s not a masterpiece of plotting, but it is a sharply made, highly watchable genre ride with a memorable setting and a mean streak.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Benjamin Clarke (3.5★) · 2006 likes
Wettest film ever?
bree 🪐 (2.5★) · 1392 likes
the ending completely ruined it for me
SilentDawn (4.5★) · 1028 likes
Identity is one of the finest thrillers that I have ever seen, reveling in genre cliches but twisting those tropes on their head which combines for a silly and utterly delightful little movie. John Cusack and Ray Liotta bring fantastic performances to this twisty story, and they stay serious and focused when it comes to the material. Throughout the film, the main attribute that sticks out is the tight pacing and ominous atmosphere, culminating in a 90 minute film that… more Identity is one of the finest thrillers that I have ever seen, reveling in genre cliches but twisting those tropes on their head which combines for a silly and utterly delightful little movie. John Cusack and Ray Liotta bring fantastic performances to this twisty story, and they stay serious and focused when it comes to the material. Throughout the film, the main attribute that sticks out is the tight pacing and ominous atmosphere, culminating in a 90 minute film that… more
Dennis Duffy (2★) · 763 likes
Didn’t think this was very good but it does have multiple insane 3rd act twists, each one somehow stupider than the last.
2016 · Thriller, Science Fiction, Drama · 1h 44m · PG-13 · Curator 5.8/10 (1M ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A contained suspense film that weaponizes confinement, doubt, and shifting allegiances.