The secret lies within.
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.
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Character
Grave, contemporary, intimate and bleak.
- gravecomic
- contemporarynostalgic
- intimateepic
- warmbleak
- sparerichly built
Who loves it, who doesn't
22 profiled raters. Loved most by The Provocateurs; disliked most by The Prestige Hunters.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is John Cusack the best thing in Identity?”
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“Is this James Mangold's best work?”
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“Are the characters only there to move the plot?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- John Chardon TMDB · May 20197/10
His story's so unbelievable, I think it just might be true. Identity is directed by James Mangold and written by Michael Cooney. It stars John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amada Peet, Clea DuVall, Rebecca De Mornay, Alfred Molina, John Hawkes, John C. McGinley, Jake Busey and Pruitt Taylor Vince. Music is by Alan Silvestri and cinematography by Phedon Papamichael Jr. Inspired by Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, Identity pitches 10 characters trapped at a motel who begin getting killed off one by one... If you are going to do yet another take on Christies superb literary source then at least bring some freshness, so how nice to find that Identity does in fact ironically have its own. Set up is suitably in keeping with murder mystery shenanigans, there’s major flooding and our host of characters are bound to a shabby motel run by a shabby John Hawkes. On the edges of the frame we have another story where multiple killer Malcolm Rivers (the wonderful wobbly eyed P.T. Vince) is under interrogation to test for insanity to stave off his impending execution. Mangold uses flashbacks to put the various characters at the motel, in how they came to be there. There’s a creative ambitiousness about
Read the whole review on TMDB - The Movie Mobon TMDB · Aug 20227/10
**Overall : One of the best plot twists I have ever seen!** Identity masterfully surprises and misleads every step of the way. What seems to be a run-of-the-mill slasher flick at a rundown motel on a stormy night is anything but average. With incredibly clever writing, Identity is a wild ride that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Even if you are a pro at guessing who the killer is or catching plot twists before they happen, you will be shocked again and again by the twists and turns Identity takes. While it isn't a perfect movie, its creativity and rare brilliance make Identity a must-see film.
Read the whole review on TMDB - Dr Nostromoon TMDB · Nov 202510/10
96/100 The story revolves around a group of people trapped in a desert motel that start dying off one by one. Both the viewer and the character's in the film come to the same conclusion - this doesn't make any sense. And that's when the twist is revealed. Absolutely brilliant!! Well written with fully fleshed-out characters and exceptional acting. One of my all-time favorite, profoundly twisted films. -- Drnostromo.com
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Cast
- John CusackEd
- Ray LiottaRhodes
- Amanda PeetParis
- John HawkesLarry
- Alfred MolinaDoctor
- Clea DuVallGinny
- John C. McGinleyGeorge
- William Lee ScottLou
- Jake BuseyRobert Maine
- Pruitt Taylor VinceMalcolm Rivers
Crew
- James MangoldDirector
- Michael CooneyWriter
- Phedon PapamichaelDirector of Photography
- Alan SilvestriOriginal Music Composer
- David BrennerEditor
- Cathy KonradProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
Phone Booth 200377% alikeBoth grave, intimate, contemporary.
Searching 201874% alikeBoth contemporary, grave, intimate.
The Guilty 202174% alikeBoth grave, contemporary, intimate.
Split 201772% alikeBoth contemporary, grave, intimate.
Hush 201672% alikeBoth intimate, grave, contemporary.
Saw 200471% alikeBoth contemporary, grave, intimate.
The Invisible Guest 201770% alikeBoth contemporary, grave, intimate.
Talk to Me 202370% alikeBoth contemporary, grave, bleak.
Twelve Minutes 202181% alikeGame · Both grave, intimate, contemporary.
Abe VR 201669% alikeGame · Both grave, contemporary, intimate.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
