Sometimes all you need to make a good movie is beauty. More specifically, I’m talking about beautiful locations and beautiful people. A Perfect Getaway is an entertaining thriller following two couples on a dream vacation that turns into a nightmare when a killer begins stalking them. The story is taking place in Hawaii but the movie itself was shot in stunningly gorgeous Puerto Rico. The landscapes themselves are enough to make this movie worth watching. You’ve got lush vegetation, a heavenly coastline, and scenic mountains, what more to want from nature?
A Perfect Getaway slowly builds its story and characters. This means that the action starts in the second half of the movie, so just be ready for that. I have no problem with this formula as I considered the movie itself to be a vacation from all of those intense thrillers I’ve been watching lately. Speaking of those, the director and writer of this movie, David Twohy is no stranger to them. He worked on The Fugitive, The Arrival, and the cool Vin Diesel vehicle Pitch Black. He also wrote the script for the charming and highly underrated eighties fantasy movie Warlock.
Moving on, if you’ve ever been on this type of vacation, you’ll recognize this electric atmosphere right away. The air is simply full of possibilities and dangers, depending on how you look at things. I for one am the rational one, taking all the precautions and thinking absolutely the worst of people. And yes, I would rather pass up a great experience of skinny dipping if I smell something fishy. To some, that might seem like boring paranoia, and to others, rational thinking. And this is what makes A Perfect Getaway such a fun and surprisingly thought-provoking movie. What would you do in that situation? And who’s the one you should be looking out for?
Cliff and Cydney decided to spend their honeymoon in Hawaii. The natural beauty of this place simply blew them away. They soon make friends with another couple of tourists, also enjoying everything that Hawaii has to offer. However, when the four of them find out there’s been a murder on the island and that the killers are still on the loose, the entire mood of this trip is going to change. Now, they will have to look over their shoulders and rely on each other for strength. Until something happens.
Steve Zahn was the perfect choice for the lead man along with Milla Jovovich. Apart from them we also have Timothy Olyphant and young Chris Hemsworth. I highly recommend you check out the unrated director’s cut featuring a running time of 1h 48m. It’s just a little bit longer than the theatrical cut but those ten minutes make all the difference. Finally, if you’re looking for movies like A Perfect Getaway, check out Turistas, The Ruins, and if you’re up for something really nasty, Eden Lake.
Director: David Twohy
Writer: David Twohy
Cast: Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Dale Dickey
Fun Facts: A lot of the dialogue had to be replaced after the shoot was over using ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement).
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0971209/
