Hello Steemians !

This is a series where I review movies, in which I’m going to talk about films that I recently saw or that I particularly liked. I’m not a specialist in movies but I really love watching them.

---

A little disclaimer first, I really don't like movies with a really bad writing or story. If there is a lot of clichés it would be hard for me to really get into the story so you may say that I ask a lot from movies I watch ! Just to give you an idea, movies like Shutter Island, Fight Club or Inglorious Bastard are the kind that I really love.

Description and Cast

---

Info
Year	2003
Kind of film	Psychological Horror film
Director	James Mangold
Writer	Michael Cooney
Music	Alan Silvestri
Starring	John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, Rebecca De Mornay.
Running time	90 minutes

Story

---

A convict named Malcolm Rivers awaits execution for several vicious murders that took place at an apartment building. Journals belonging to Malcolm were discovered mis-filed in the case evidence, so it was not introduced during the trial. Malcolm's psychiatrist, Dr. Malick, and his defense attorney argue that the evidence was suppressed and move to stay the execution with this additional evidence that Malcolm is legally insane. With this late evidence brought forth, a midnight hearing takes place, to determine if the journal is adequate evidence to grant their motion.

Meanwhile, ten strangers find themselves stranded in the middle of a torrential rainstorm at a remote Nevada motel, run by Larry Washington. The group consists of an ex-cop, now limousine driver, Ed Dakota; Caroline Suzanne, an actress popular in the 1980s; Officer Rhodes, who is transporting convicted murderer Robert Maine; Paris Nevada, a prostitute; newlyweds Lou and Ginny; and the York family, George, Alice and their nine-year-old son Timmy who are in crisis because Alice has been struck by Ed's car.

Overall Impression

---

First, let me say that I wasn’t expecting that. I mean I was ready for a horror movie, that was what I signed for and then bam ! A psychological thriller appear !
I guess you won’t see it coming either because the beginning of the film is pretty classic for a horror movie. I mean if you have never seen a bunch of people gathering all together somewhere for a particular reason, you don’t have watched enough horror movies. For instance, just think about a group of young people gathering in a house deep in a forest.

Another reason why I enjoyed this movie is because of the characters, they’re not that deep but you know they saw some mess up things. Concerning them also, you’ll be trying to figure out more about them during the entire movie with the little piece of information they dropped here and there.

Anyway, I can’t say much without spoiling the entire movie because the story, as great as it is, is quite straightforward. However, I think that what the film is trying to make us feel in order to blow our mind at the end. For me at least, it succeeded quite well.

On the other hand, even if I liked that movie, it wasn’t as great as the others I introduced you to. Indeed there was a plot twist but it doesn’t change the entire movie. I’ll stop here because I’m about to say too much, see you in the spoiler part for more information !

Spoiler Alert

---

So, I was saying the plot twist wasn’t that great and that’s because it can be cut from the movie, it’d remain as great as it is. I mean it has such a little impact on the scenario that it nearly doesn’t have importance at all. I think the scenarist wanted to add a plot twist to an already well-made horror movie.

Furthermore, concerning the rest of the movie, it’s pretty obvious if you think about it. There are 10 people in a hotel during a horror film and they’re cut from the outside world. So you bet they’re all going to die one by one and that the killer is one of them. And that’s exactly what it is, they’re going to find one corpse after another.

Finally, I really enjoyed this movie is because of the characters as said earlier. Since you know one of them is the killer, you’ll suspect each of them and the movie don’t give you a single hint on which one it could be. Actually, it does give you hints but for all of them so that’s even more disturbing. Of course, it’s the one you least expected to be and it’s the little boy !

I hope you liked this movie review ! Don't hesitate to give me advice or simply tell me what you think of this. Watch another Got Popcorn here.
I choose movies because of comments to my movie posts so if you want to suggest me a movie to watch you're at the perfect place !

See you next Sunday !