“Nothing bad ever happens in Hawaii”
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good, solid suspense movie that didn’t have a bad story or a lame twist (“The Village”, anyone??) so I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie. Believe me, I was not disappointed!
In “A Perfect Getaway” Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are in Hawaii on their honeymoon. They are the textbook newly married couple, cooing over each other and basking in their love (and turning my stomach). Amid the picturesque scenery of the islands, we learn that there’s been a murder of another newlywed couple. This instantly raises everyone’s awareness, because as Cliff says “nothing bad ever happens in Hawaii”.
While driving to their next destination (a hike through the forest), Cliff and Cydney spot a hitchhiking couple, Kale and Cleo (Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton) and, against Cydney’s better judgement, stop to pick them up. Cydney is clearly uncomfortable at the thought of having two strangers in their car, a fact which is not missed by Kale, who refuses Cliff’s offer of a ride. Everyone is a suspect at this point, including the next person the newlyweds meet, Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and his girlfriend Gina (Kiele Sanchez), who they end up joining on their hike to a secluded beach. When Cliff is finally able to get cell phone coverage, he reads an article about the tragedy and we see that there is a security video of the murderers, which clearly adds to the intrigue.
Timothy Olyphant was by far my favorite character in this movie. His stories about his past experiences become increasingly more ridiculous throughout the movie, but he is just so out-there it’s funny. He referred to himself as “American Jedi”, and as a big “Star Wars” fan of course I got a kick out of that.
Most of the movie I spent trying to figure out who the murderers were, and gathering evidence in my head. Just when I thought I had the mystery solved, the real killers are revealed with a superb twist. We see the murders in flashbacks (which are shown in black and white, a nice homage to the classics) as well as the events that took place afterwards from the viewpoint of the killers.
I was pleased that this wasn’t a movie where the killer magically comes back to life after being shot six times in the chest, or where there are so many loose ends left it makes the whole story a load of crap. There were also a few times when I and most of the audience jumped in surprise, and believe it or not, one part where pretty much everyone in the house cheered. Overall, a suspenseful story that will keep you guessing, with a satisfying ending.
