Identity 4K 2003

It’s obvious that all songs are about love and all psychological thrillers are about serial killers, but "Identity" is simply a gem compared to similar films; I watch it over and over, and I enjoy it every time, even though I know exactly how it will end. The huge advantage of this film is that the main focus here isn’t the ending, but every scene, every shot, every line of dialogue—and it’s all thanks to the following elements.

First, the incredible atmosphere: an abandoned hotel, lashing rain, flooded roads, and a sense of being cut off from the world. We’ve seen this a hundred times before, but it’s executed so masterfully!

Second, the characters: every single one is a joy to watch and listen to, right down to the most minor ones. It’s hard to single out any supporting characters, since everyone is caught up in the crazy whirlwind, but if I were to start listing my favorites, I’m afraid I’d end up covering the entire cast—from Paris, Edda and Rhodes, all the way to the lady who lay unconscious throughout the entire film. But the actress (an aging Rebecca De Mornay), the hotel owner Larry (an actor who, his whole life—starting with *From Dusk Till Dawn*—has played minor characters who get shot), and the neurotic heroine played by Clay Duval—all fit so wonderfully into the story that the result is a “perfect canapé”: harmony in proportion, nothing superfluous.

Third, the interesting, non-trivial dialogue—concise yet gripping. A minimal number of clichés, save perhaps Edd’s confession about his professional failure, but name me a movie without repetitions.

Fourth, of course, the brilliant, truly unexpected resolution. From the very beginning, the creators of "Identity" played mind games with the audience, threatening to resolve everything in a traditional and one-dimensional way, but in the end, they surprised us. Respect. From the middle of the film, as soon as a string of corpses began to pile up, they could have taken the first, easy route—a standard maniac killing everyone in sight—or followed their own schizoid plan. What could be simpler, considering that a serial killer—ready and waiting—was already there? Or the second easy route: without even breaking a sweat, blame it all on the bloodthirsty ghosts of the dead Native Americans mentioned in the film. But what we saw at the end was, of course, the best.

And finally, fifth, thanks to the cast. A more mature and handsome Cusack, the brilliant Amanda Pitt, and Ray Liotta—whom I’ve suspected of being a psychopath ever since I watched *Turbulence*—carried the plot so masterfully that I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. I especially want to single out Pitt: not only is she a rare, classic beauty, but she also gives it her all, delivering a performance that’s 100 percent believable. Great acting, Amanda—please, do act more often in solid projects like "Identity".

As for the reference to Agatha Christie’s "The Little Black Girls", I’ve read the book more than once, but I don’t see any particular parallels. There are no more similarities than in a hundred other plots where the characters are methodically killed off one by one. What I did find, however, was a nod to Daniel Galoua’s "The 13th Floor", as well as the film of the same name, where the characters discover they are not at all who they thought they were.