Identity (2003)

62% of critics liked it
(167 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(168,211 ratings)

Ten strangers are brought together during a weather emergency, only to discover a far greater danger awaits them in this suspense-drama. A sudden rainstorm in a remote desert town strands a disparate variety of people at a rundown motel. A convict sentenced to death, Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor… More Ten strangers are brought together during a weather emergency, only to discover a far greater danger awaits them in this suspense-drama. A sudden rainstorm in a remote desert town strands a disparate variety of people at a rundown motel. A convict sentenced to death, Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor Vince), is stuck in transit with his lawyer (Alfred Molina). Ginny and Lou (Clea DuVall and William Lee Scott) are a not-especially-happy pair of young marrieds on their honeymoon. Ed (John Cusack) is a bright and resourceful chauffeur working for actress Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay). George York (John C. McGinley) is a concerned husband trying to find help for his wife (Leila Kenzle, who was struck by Caroline's limo. Paris (Amanda Peet) is a prostitute who wants to move on to a better life. And Rhodes (Ray Liotta) is a police detective who has in his custody Robert Maine (Jake Busey), a dangerous and deranged criminal. As the rain pours down and motel manager Larry (John Hawkes) tries to care for his customers, one by one the unexpected guests begin losing their lives at the hands of a murderer. As the body count mounts, the stranded travelers struggle to find out who the killer is; however, they also learn each of them has a secret, and that their arrival at the motel has not been a matter of mere chance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: James Mangold
Written By: Michael Cooney
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Horror

In Theaters: Apr 25, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Sep 6, 2005
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rex Reed, New York Observer
A lame-brained nut job in search of an identity of its own.
Dennis Lim, Village Voice
A nihilist project in Usual Suspects mode: Nothing is as it seems, because nothing matters in the least.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
[A] very well made horror thriller.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Assorted examples of artificially flavoured humanity ... proceed to panic, bicker and run with the customary perversity that characters in situations like this do toward their gory destinies.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
More than an entertaining thriller. It's a highly original one.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
What's terrific about Mangold is that he doesn't slavishly clone other, earlier films but actually tries to bring something fresh to the familiar.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Scary beyond belief serial killer thriller.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
A good cast is enacting this fancy rubbish; what drew them to the material besides its self-conscious cleverness is beyond me.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
Mangold stretches the pathology parameters into something a bit more depraved and decidedly bloodier, with even a touch of the supernatural. Or does he?"
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
It's been awhile since a murder-mystery thriller really held my attention, and for that reason alone Identity deserves a high mark. But I'm still not comfortable with the ending.
Christopher Smith, Bangor Daily News (Maine)
The cast is game, the twists are clever, the writing is tight.
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy
An ingenious thriller molded from Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". The film's incredibly entertaining even with the measurably predictable twist.
Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
With a top notch cast, wonderful direction, and a great play on an old premise, Identity is a must-see.
Mark Collette, Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)
... every predictable move comes unraveled again with an uncanny discovery.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

John M

This is how thriller should be, Good suspense, good story, nice twists!
Eric A

Great murder mystery film with an awesome plot. Would definitely recommend to anyone that likes the mystery/suspense/horror genres.
Jeff "

Identity is one suspenseful psychological horror thriller. The plot is very well crafted, and is very interesting, intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Director James Mangold crafts an intense film that is equally scary and thrilling. Identity has a good plot with a good… More
Identity is one suspenseful psychological horror thriller. The plot is very well crafted, and is very interesting, intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Director James Mangold crafts an intense film that is equally scary and thrilling. Identity has a good plot with a good cast. This is a fine psychological horror film, that is quite different than most. The film is very effective at building up the tension. Identity works very well and is a very well crafted horror film with lots of chilling moments. The cast deliver good performances and the thrills and chills build up very well. Sure there are things that could've been done better, but for the most part, Identity works well enough to keep you in suspense. The film does have good pacing, and that's the key in delivering a good psychological horror scare. James Mangold takes his time to deliver the overall plot, and the viewer is left in the dark, and is required to keep on guessing till the very end. Identity is a smart psychological horror film with a good story and a good cast. The film has its flaws, but for the most part, the film works well enough for you to build fear and dread, and above all, it keeps you guessing till the end. After all, in this genre of horror, you never know what will happen next, and that's one of the reasons why psychological horror delivers a unique and horrifying viewing experience. Identity may not be a perfect film, but it sure delivers a good viewing experience.
♥˩ƳИИ &

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 Director: James Mangold… More
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 Director: James Mangold Summary: 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. John Cusack, Jake Busey, Rebecca De Mornay, Clea DuVall and Ray Liotta co-star in this spine-tingling thriller that culminates in a surprising twist for everyone concerned -- including the murderer. My Thoughts: "What a twisted movie.. I was hooked from the begining to the very end.. I have never seen a thriller like this before so that made me love it even more.. I was shocked by the ending to find out who was the real killer in that crazy mans mind.. Never would have guessed who it was.. Its always good to put a good thriller in a cheap creepy Motel.. It's the best scenario.. But there were so many twists and turns, you never knew where it was taking you. The characters were great.. LOVED John Cusack.. He was awesome as always.. He brings it in every film.. Never a disappointment. Would definetly watch this movie again."
Emile T

Am I the only one who really hated and failed to believe all of these implausible twists? Twists, by the way, that makes any characters unworthy of the viewer's sympathy or interest. Even without the twists, the movie could hardly succeed at that.
Raymond W

I was really confused by all the twists and turns in the plot.
J P

I thought it was okay. Some of the characters were really annoying. Like the part with the girl who ran into the bathroom crying and screaming. Like cry a river, build a bridge and get over it. The twist sucked too. Sure it was unexpected, but really? The *SPOILER* kid is the… More
I thought it was okay. Some of the characters were really annoying. Like the part with the girl who ran into the bathroom crying and screaming. Like cry a river, build a bridge and get over it. The twist sucked too. Sure it was unexpected, but really? The *SPOILER* kid is the killer? Nobody could kill the kid before the kid killed them? Aren't they all grown adults? Geez. Talk about being weak.
Dean !

A very strange horror with a real twist of an ending!!
Arash X

A flawed film & it's a bit more gimmickly than it shoud be but it's a well-made fun ride & I enjoyed every minute of it, It laso has a fine cast & the other thing I liked about The Identity was the fact that it doesn't try to fool the audience & only… More
A flawed film & it's a bit more gimmickly than it shoud be but it's a well-made fun ride & I enjoyed every minute of it, It laso has a fine cast & the other thing I liked about The Identity was the fact that it doesn't try to fool the audience & only surprise us with a twist it gives us enough clues from the very first sequence
Al S

A totally engaging, riveting, chilling, original and unpridictable edge of your seat thriller. A smart, stunning, well-crafted and brilliant piece of mystery film making. It keeps your pulse pounding and your heart-racing all the way to its mind-blowing finish. A puzzel box of… More
A totally engaging, riveting, chilling, original and unpridictable edge of your seat thriller. A smart, stunning, well-crafted and brilliant piece of mystery film making. It keeps your pulse pounding and your heart-racing all the way to its mind-blowing finish. A puzzel box of suspense in unbarreable doses. You'll wont belive what happens next. Pure ingenious with a great script and cast. John Cusack and Ray Liotta are at their best. A strong and exceptional cast with great performances. Thriller's dont get more explosively entertaining or truly spellbinding than this.
Conner R

A highly predictable film, but it is still fun to watch. The cast actually worked really well together and some of the plot is so bad that it's funny. The schizophrenic personality reveal at the end is the icing on the cake and makes you feel cheated out of a movie.
Anthony L

I kind of liked it up until the ridiculously stupid ending!
Bruce B

I saw this I think at the movies when it came out, and maybe again on DVD. But after reviewing it again last night, I wonder if there is a alt ending, because I sure don't remember that twist. Its a awesome movie from start to finish. John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet are… More
I saw this I think at the movies when it came out, and maybe again on DVD. But after reviewing it again last night, I wonder if there is a alt ending, because I sure don't remember that twist. Its a awesome movie from start to finish. John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet are at there best. Has some pretty creepy parts, really liked when the bodies disappeared. No less then 4 1/2 stars on this one.
Film C

ooh i love this movie you never see the ending comng great twists and a great storyline worth a watch
Lorenzo v

"As I was going up the stair / I met a man who wasn't there. / He wasn't there again today / I wish, I wish he'd go away" Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when… More
"As I was going up the stair / I met a man who wasn't there. / He wasn't there again today / I wish, I wish he'd go away" Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one. REVIEW Identity is far from perfect. At first glance it is a haven for Hollywood rejects and those at the end of their careers, but it also defies the typical ideals of Hollywood film making. This is not a horror, not a thriller, not a drama, not a crime or action film. Yet it has elements of all of these and creates a film that stands alone against the usual Hollywood fare. It revolves around a group of people trapped in a cheap roadside motel synonymous with "Psycho" and other clones that have since failed to make the grade. Their lives intertwine before they meet and one by one they come to be in the place that many of them would breathe their last. For the most part, the plot then becomes typical slasher flick cinema and it would be easy to be complacent and think that this is the sum of "Identity" and decide that you have seen enough. Then it takes a bizarre twist of fate and you are no longer sure just exactly what it is you are watching. All I can say is that in spite of the flaws, Identity evolves into one of the cleverest films of recent memory. Refreshing, intelligent stuff that would make it difficult to dislike and a must for anyone who likes to watch a film that is just a little different. Had this had a little more hype, a few clever marketing campaigns and it would go down as a cult classic for the early 21st century.
Chris W

This is a highly entertaining psychological horror/suspense thriller lead by a great director, and acted by a wonderful ensemble cast. Not the best film ever, but still highly watchable and clever, and worth watching at least once.
Derek D

A good cast, but this film only slightly kept me interested as it went along. I really thought it was Ray Liotta the whole time, killing people in this motel just like he has continually killed his career. Bang! Corrina, Corrina...John Cusack is dead. Bang! Operation Dumbo… More
A good cast, but this film only slightly kept me interested as it went along. I really thought it was Ray Liotta the whole time, killing people in this motel just like he has continually killed his career. Bang! Corrina, Corrina...John Cusack is dead. Bang! Operation Dumbo Drop...McGinley's gone. Ray...what happened?
familiar s

All I'll like to say about this movie is: wtf???
Ginny

A very late post: <center><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/77/69/66/7769669_gal.jpg" width=200></center><p… More
A very late post: <center><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/77/69/66/7769669_gal.jpg" width=200></center>"That's not possible. I was standing right there. I saw what happened. We all saw what happened..."Heres a movie thatll grab you and get you stuck on your seat from start to finish! The first time I saw this movie, I was absolutely psyched out! It reminded me of 2 of my all time favorite books (*Book titles intetionally withheld for the review.) Although the plot story might be somewhat familiar, it still holds something that it can call its own. Borrowing 2 different concepts from separate genres and intertwining them together didnt mess up this movie at all, infact, the it resulted into a interesting story with more than a handful plot twists that are just... to die for, hehehe! Overall, I do think that the blending and execution of the story was well made, the casting, acting and script were fitting. This was a gorgeous mind-ckuf movie. Worthy of seeing again, and again, and again! --- Well, unless youre one of those people who seem to be contented to "know it all" already yet totally missing out on why it was done such and such.. Dont be too cocky, you mightve missed out something. Easter Egg: If you get the main characters history, (or if you ever paid any attention to it) yould actually see something interesting when you finish this movie. Otherwise, yould think differently. Directed by: James Mangold Genres: Horror, Mystery & Suspense
Lewis C

Clever little suspense film, I (surprisingly) didn't guess the ending.