A Perfect Getaway

A Perfect Getaway is one of those relatively simple thrillers that succeeds because of taut direction, a relentless pace, and a nice line in keeping you guessing. There’s also a rather neat twist that works surprisingly well (especially as when you start thinking about it, it’s amazingly gimmicky. They even talk early on in the film about red herrings and screenwriting trickery).

Cydney (Milla Jovovich) and Cliff (Steve Zahn) are starting their dream honeymoon on an idyllic Hawaiian island. Things come slightly unstuck when they begin hearing about a possible local serial killer with a penchant for killing honeymoon couples. While much of the evidence that they may be in danger is based on hearsay and conjecture, tensions begin to rise as they wonder whether there really are killers lurking on the seemingly beautiful island, and if so, who it might be. Is it the slightly odd look duo they talked about the killings with? Are the hiking couple that Cydney and Cliff join up with, Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and Gina (Kiele Sanchez), hiding something? Or are they getting scared over nothing? As always in this sort of film, nothing is as it seems.

While he got rather sidetracked with The Chronicles Of Riddick, director David Twohy returns to the slightly hokey but effective thrills he employed in Pitch Black (although without the aliens), where it works because you’re never sure what’s going to happen next. Kudos, as always, must go to Steve Zahn, who may often get shoved into low-rent comedies, but who is one of the most watchable actors around, and is absolutely excellent in these sorts of films (he single-handedly made Road Kill a real winner).

However it is true that that while fun, A Perfect Getaway does offer the sort of small-scale thrills where if you waited to watch it on DVD, you wouldn't be missing out too much. I’d whole-heartedly recommend you watch the movie at some point though, as it is a fun ride.

If you do go to see it at the cinema, just let the film wash over you and don’t try to think about what’s actually happening too much, as you’ll enjoy it a lot more if you're not just waiting for the twist.

Overall Verdict: A fun ride that delivers plenty of entertaining thrills. It’s by no means a masterpiece but A Perfect Getaway certainly works.

Reviewer: Tim Isaac