The twist is cleverer than the genre should allow but needs you to be totally into the film to accept it - the cast and the direction are both quality in quite an exciting and enjoyable movie

Rating: Null/10 (18 April 2004)

In the middle of a rainstorm, the judge and lawyers involved in the case of murderer Malcolm Rivers (due for execution the next morning) are called together to discuss evidence that the defence believe had been illegally suppressed. Meanwhile a series of accidents, damaged phone lines and flooded roads means that a group of strangers are forced to hole up at a motel. When the prisoner of a cop escapes and a murder occurs, they group together to try and capture him. However with him dead the deaths continue - each with a room key forming a morbid countdown as the remainder try to survive the night.
For the majority of this film (more or less the first hour) the film is a standard horror thriller that is quite thrilling as the guests are picked off one by one. However more or less on the hour comes a twist regarding the connection between the guests that is at first silly, but then actually quite clever - even if it takes a bit of swallowing. From then on it continues in the same vein, with this twist changing our perception of the action onscreen. I imagine about as many of the audience will scoff at the twist as will accept it and like it. I liked the twist and thought it was pretty clever even if I have to acknowledge that it is pretty touch and go for a minute or so at least. The deaths are a mix of gory and shocking (without pushing it to an 18 certificate) and the first hour is pretty effective in terms of tension and drama.
The director opens with several clever shots that freeze frame before moving onto the next scene - this is pretty slick and helps start the film with a good sense of urgency. His direction within the motel is hardly original but again it works well enough. The heavy rain serves to put walls around the motel (ie by not being able to see further than the perimeter) and this also increases the tension and the feeling of being trapped. Of course it's not brilliant as it is really still just a slasher thriller but it is an effective one. The cast go a long way to helping this by having quite a few big names as well as pretty good performances. Cusack and Liotta are both good despite the temptation to slum it in this. They both up the tension and the urgency by their performances. Peet is the standout from the rest but McGinley, De Mornay and others all do well. In the hearing Vince is as good as he always is when called upon to do a character with darting eyes and he is effective doing what he does (as little as that is here).
Other than the big name actors, many people will wonder what about this film made it stand out so much that it got good critical reviews. I think the critical twist will annoy as many people as it pleases and you do need to have been absorbed into the story by the hour mark to really appreciate it. I'm not a big fan of this genre but I enjoyed this movie and suspect that fans of this type of film will as well.