Director: James Mangold
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Rebecca De Mornay, John Hawkes, John C. McGinley, Jake Busey
Running Time: 90 minutes
Synopsis: Psychologist Dr. Malik (Alfred Molina) is attempting to secure a stay of execution for a mass murderer suffering from split personality disorder. Separately, a group of people gather at a secluded Nevada motel during a torrential storm. They include limousine driver Ed (John Cusack) and his actress passenger (Rebecca DeMornay), sex worker Paris (Amanda Peet), correctional officer Samuel (Ray Liotta) transporting a dangerous criminal (Jake Busey), a newly married couple, and a family on a road trip with their young son. The motel manager Larry (John Hawkes) accommodates them all, but soon the guests start to die under mysterious circumstances.
What Works Well: This genre-melding mystery combines elements from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None all the way to slasher horror, and throws in a couple of delicious twists. Thanks to a taut Michael Cooney script, the large group of soggy characters gathered at the motel are introduced with remarkable efficiency, and the parallel timeframe featuring Dr. Malik attempting to convince a judge to spare a killer's life adds the necessary context. Devious plot decoys strengthen the narrative complexity, and the unending nighttime rain storm emphasizes entrenched psychological turmoil. The cast members add quality to memorable characters hiding secrets and guarding against each other as the body count mounts.
What Does Not Work As Well: This is a rare example of a movie that could have been marginally longer to better round-out a few of the key characters.
Key Quote:
Samuel: All right. You want a plan? Everybody want a plan? Here's the plan, okay? No one's gonna move. We're gonna stay here, like this, in this room until dawn. No one leaves, no one moves.
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