A Perfect Getaway

A Perfect Getaway (2009) is an action-thriller delivered by writer and director David Twohy. The film concerns a newly wed couple, Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) who are set out to backpack in the remote mountains of Hawaii as their honeymoon.  At the beginning of their journey, they hear news that another set of honeymooners has been murdered by a couple. Soon, Cliff and Cydney are presented with two sets of suspects. The first is an intimidating and menacing hitchhiking couple, Cale and Cleo, (Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton) angry that Cliff and Cydney denied them a lift. The next is Nick and Gina (Timothy Oliphant and Kiele Sanchez), an outdoorsy/camping pair who give off the aura of being too good with a knife.

Twohy allows this guessing game to be central to most of the film. While Cliff and Cydney travel with Nick and Gina, they run into Cale and Cleo again. Twohy places suspicion on each couple, inviting the audience to indulge in speculation and deliberation. A Perfect Getaway takes about an hour before it springs its biggest plot twist- although this hour is not spent waiting for something to happen. The twist is a clever and genuinely surprising one and Twohy is successful in shocking the audience and, more significantly, compelling them to re-watch the entire film. Furthermore, the plot twist does not mark the ending of the movie. It marks the beginning of entertaining (while potentially over the top) action scenes that also carry twists and suspense.

David Twohy’s A Perfect Getaway is a suspenseful and surprising action film that is happy to be just that. It does not try to delve into psychological-thriller territory and simply keeps audiences guessing and on the edge of their seats.