Hands Down the Best Horror Film in Years, as well as the First Great Film of 2003

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2003)

"As I was going up the stairs, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, I wish I wish he'd go away."
-Certain to become a classic quote among horror movies.
Many great things can be said of James Mangold's "Identity", but one thing is for sure; hopefully this will inspire future horror films to try something new for a change, which in this case is a clever story. After endless years of such wretched teen horror fare and formulaic retreads, here comes a movie that manages to be both scary and smart. Such films as The Sixth Sense and, more recently, The Ring, have been likewise, but this movie gives both of them a run for their money, big time. It also has what I can easily say is one of the most shocking endings of recent memory. I've seen the movie twice so far, and the ending has stuck with me thus far.
With talent like this involved, you'd figure this movie had to have something going for it. It's not everyday you see actors like John Cusack and Ray Liotta in a project like this. You've got to give them credit because they obviously spotted the cleverness of the script. Had this been your run of the mill scare flick, I'm sure they would've passed. The real standout of the cast is John Hawkes, as the shady motel proprietor. Hawkes, who I remember in bit parts in Rush Hour and The Perfect Storm, can easily be compared to Steve Buscemi, but he provides the best lines in the movie, not to mention the funniest.
As far as the plot goes, I don't want to reveal anything beyond what the trailer and ads have, which was thankfully not a whole lot. In fact, it's one of the best trailers of recent memory because of that. All that needs to be said is that if you're looking to be really frightened by a movie, but don't want to endure the standard cliches, then "Identity" is a must see for you. I certainly hope that it will generate massive box office attention before the summer movie invasion, because it truly deserves to be a hit.
**** out of ****