A Perfect Getaway

This film deceives not only the audience, but also itself. It is an example of how NOT to write and direct a thriller with a surprising point, at least if it is supposed to be as interesting on the second viewing as on the first. David Twohy should go back to placing emphasis on the visuals and atmosphere and not putting too much strain on his brain. (13/12/2009)

I can't help it, but for me, this movie definitely wasn't as pleasant of a surprise as I had hoped. The plot was entirely predictable, and because of that, it felt poorly executed and poorly anchored to me. What was presented at the beginning doesn't match with what is happening, not in a way that tricks the viewer like in "The Sixth Sense," but simply playing a game with the audience, which, in my opinion, doesn't work. (14/04/2016)

Quite solid, until the awkward and jaded twist, the audience doesn't know who is who and what is what. Unfortunately, the final action-packed 20 minutes completely destroyed my positive opinion of this film. The natural setting is good, and so is the work with it. The performances are decent, especially Timothy Olyphant, who is quite sharp. However, as I already mentioned, the twist is absolutely pointless. (02/01/2010)

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)

A very pleasant surprise. It’s true that the beginning (i.e. the first hour) could be a lot faster or shorter, but it’s not boring for a second. Likeable characters, a beautiful landscape and fun dialogues, those are the main reasons why I didn’t have any problem with this film and its initial slow pace. The last twenty minutes are brilliant, fast and tense, with a gimmick here and there, like slow motion preceding fast motion. The only flaw in this otherwise perfect thriller are those ten minutes of exposition that may be justified, but up until then the viewer is led by the nose and this scene comes right when the film starts gaining speed, so it’s hard not to look forward to the end of that explanation. Very good summer thriller. 7/10 (18/10/2009)