There’s nothing better than a good, unexpected twist in a movie. You have the iconic all-timers like Charlton Heston At the end we see the Statue of Liberty Planet of the Apesor Luke learning Darth Vader’s true identity The Empire strikes backthat will always be at the forefront of conversations. But these surprise endings are far from the only twists that deserve this attention. Back in 2003, director James Mangold and writers Michael Cooney have come together to create a thrilling little thriller that offers a huge twist – a film that continues to captivate new viewers more than two decades later.
Mangold’s 2003 thriller identity is a film that you may not hear much talked about these days, but it has one of the craziest and most unforgettable twists in film history. It is A slim little thriller set in a roadside motel during a storm This has led to several road closures. Several strangers arrive under mysterious, similar circumstances, hoping to wait out the storm – but one of them is a murderer, and one by one they begin to fall. The star-studded cast includes John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda PeetAnd John Hawkesand they help you delve into the seedy world of the motel. However, once you get comfortable, the rug is ripped out from under you You can tell that this is not a simple thriller after all.
The unforgettable “Identity” ending
It should go without saying, but We’ll dive deep into spoilers hereSo if you want to experience the end of “Identity” without knowing anything (which is the best way), stop reading now. If you’re still here, let’s talk about how identity comes to an end.
In addition to the strangers in the motel, there is a subplot throughout identity that has Alfred Molina as a psychiatrist for a criminal sentenced to death. In the middle of the night – in the middle of the storm – an emergency hearing is called in which Molina’s character must prove that his patient should not be executed. When a detective (Liotta) shows up at the motel with a prisoner (Jake Busey) in his care, one begins to wonder if this ties the two stories together; but that would be too easy, right?
The motel is full of twists and turns involving the charactersbut they mainly serve as rabbit holes that distract you from the truth of the situation. When the psychiatrist sees his patient Malcolm (Pruitt Taylor Vince) it turns out that he suffers from dissociative identity disorder. According to the doctor, childhood trauma caused him to create multiple personalities in his mind, and one of those personalities is the murderer responsible for the murders that landed Malcolm on death row. Things are getting crazy here.
As it turns out, These diverse personalities are the people in the motel. Everything that happens in the motel, every single character, exists entirely in Malcolm’s head. None of this is real, at least not in any tangible way. From Liotta’s thug posing as a cop to Peet’s prostitute trying to build a better future, each of them is a personality that lives in Malcolm’s head. The motel scenario was created with the help of the psychiatrist hoping that the other personalities could figure out which one of them was the murderer and eliminate themproving that Malcolm would no longer be a threat. Essentially, not every minute of the film’s main plot was actually real.
But that’s not all…
As if a twist wasn’t enough, identity throws one more at everyone before it ends. Almost everyone in the motel is dead, and some of them – including a little boy named Timmy – disappear completely. When only three remain, it becomes clear that Liotta’s character is the murderer, and Cusack’s detective-turned-limousine driver takes him to the ground with his last breath. This leaves Paris, the former prostitute, as the only survivor and she flees to Florida and the newly acquired orange grove that awaits her.
After he is released from death row and sent to a mental institution, Malcolm is seen saying the same thing as Paris after she made it to the orange grove, alluding to the fact that she is the only personality left in his mind and he can be at peace while they try to recapture his true self. But as she is tending to an orange tree, someone comes up behind her. Timmy, the boy who disappeared after both his parents died, stands over her with a garden tool, preparing to kill her. The little boy was the murderer all alongand he takes over Malcolm’s body on the way to the hospital. In the very last moment of the film, Malcolm, controlled by Timmy, is seen killing his psychiatrist and seemingly escaping imprisonment.
“Identity” just got a major upgrade
While identity is currently not available on any known streaming services, but is currently in the home entertainment spotlight. Tuesday saw Arrow video are releasing a brand new 4K Blu-ray edition of Identity that completely remasters the film and ensures that it looks just as good as it did in the cinema 23 years ago.
Arrows 4K Edition of identity gives the film the rich layers it needs to really stand out, something that has been difficult with previous DVD and Blu-ray releases as the film largely takes place in the dark and pouring rain. This transfer has incredible texture, and It captures the look of the early 2000s in a way that will make any fan nostalgic. The release also features brand new interviews with Pruitt Taylor Vince and producer Cathy Konrad, as well as several previously published commentaries and deleted scenes.
- Release date
-
April 25, 2003
- Duration
-
90 minutes
- writer
-
Michael Cooney
