A Perfect Getaway

Up until now, this film had passed me by from quite a distance. After watching it, that fact really stings. A very likable cast with a tightly written story and a script without holes? That already indicates that viewers won’t be bored. And I definitely wasn’t—on the contrary, I was royally entertained. The first half-hour serves as a nice introduction, and even in those moments, I was already trying to guess which couple would end up being the killers. The story ran like clockwork, and the tension thickened with every passing minute, which is exactly what you want. I also want to praise the chosen setting because the Hawaiian Islands, with their beautiful nature, worked perfectly as a contrast to the chilling atmosphere. Steve Zahn is usually a comedic actor for me, but the fact that he played a meth-addicted, murderous maniac so well? I wouldn’t have expected that from him. The rest of the cast also did their part as they should. The last 15 minutes were full of heart-stopping moments where you were really rooting for the "normal" couple to make it to the end unscathed. For a smaller budget, this was a fantastic result. More films like this, please. I give it 79%. (30/05/2017)

A fantastic hit and one of the biggest surprises of the year. After a series of flops (which were more or less his own fault), Twohy manned up and made a terrific thriller that feels like Hitchcock came back from the dead and went to Hawaii to make another of his classics. A calm romantic introduction outlines the characters, only to be followed by a fairly unoriginal (those who have been watching will remain calm) twist and a perfect final half hour, which (also thanks to the music) is an absolutely crazy sprint full of exaggeration (skull-cracking) and undying adrenaline. The replacement Zahn and a decently acting Milla work well, but Timothy Olyphant is an otherworldly tough guy who can high-five Woody Harrelson for the sharpest tough guy of the fall season. 4 ½. (04/11/2009)

Such a stylish twist occurred to me long ago and I’m glad that somebody (Twohy) finally managed to get it into such a well-cast movie. That foxy Milla got to me again, back in great form after having a baby and the snappy-tongued Timothy “American Jedi" Olyphant who surprisingly often grabs all the attention for himself. Kiele Sanchez from Lost was just made for this type of movie and it was good to see tough guy Chris Hemsworth, who convinced me that he really does have the balls for Thor. And otherwise... wonderful landscapes, but that is somehow expected from this kind of movie. (24/10/2009)

It's not shocking, it's not terribly clever, but it's damn funny! I was surprised by Steve Zahn, who certainly didn't resemble any of his "usual goofballs", and I was pleased by the nice actresses with Milla in the lead, but Timothy Olyphant was clearly the best of all. His character may have acted like something out of a cheesy B-movie, but the way he played it was breathtaking. Director Twohy deserves praise for the hellishly dense atmosphere and for the fact that the film doesn't get boring even in the passages when the characters just talk to each other. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the ending, but I'll give it four stars anyway. (20/11/2010)

This is exactly what I needed! Sitting tensely at the screen, guessing who's who. It's unbelievable how many emotions ran through me during that hour and a half. The cast and the script are above standard. The best people were chosen even for the smallest roles. Despite the pleasant beginning, we get into a mysterious atmosphere that you could cut with a knife. It is only after the denouement, when the cards are laid on the table that the real show begins. Even though the action ending may seem a bit comical, I enjoyed it to the last drop. 4.5 stars. (05/02/2012)