A Perfect Getaway

Last updated

A Perfect Getaway
Perfect getaway.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Twohy
Written byDavid Twohy
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMark Plummer
Edited byTracy Adams
Music by Boris Elkis
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures [2] [1]
Release date
  • August 7, 2009 (2009-08-07)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$14 million [2]
Box office$22.9 million [2]

A Perfect Getaway is a 2009 American thriller film written and directed by David Twohy and starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, and Steve Zahn. Olyphant, Jovovich, Sanchez, and Zahn portray a group of vacationing couples in Hawaii who find their lives in danger when murders begin to occur on the island, leading to suspicions over one of the couples being the killers.

Contents

Shot in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, A Perfect Getaway was released on August 7, 2009, in the United States. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $22 million on a $14 million budget.

Plot

For their honeymoon, newlyweds Cliff and Cydney travel to Hawaii. After making a travel video in the car, they spend the night in a hotel before driving off in order to start hiking towards a remote beach. Whilst in the car, the two encounter another couple: kind-hearted Cleo who attempts to hitchhike with them and hot-headed Kale who takes her away from them.

On the hike, they are befriended by tourist Nick and his girlfriend Gina. The two couples go forward on their journey together, but tensions begin to arise in the group when a double homicide of an unidentified couple is reported in Hawaii, with a man and woman being suspected as the killers. When the four arrive at a waterfall; Kale and Cleo are also there.

Kale makes vague threats to Cydney, which seemingly worries Cliff. Nick, discovering that Cliff is a screenwriter, attempts to convince him to write a script about him; he was a soldier and had his skull crushed, but survived thanks to an operation where metal plates were put in his head. Cliff lets Nick continue on about this throughout the journey, despite having no interest in making a movie about it.

After moving on, the four go deeper into the jungle and become wary of each other due to the reported murders. However, the tensions die down after they witness Kale and Cleo being arrested for the murders after some teeth were found in Kale's backpack.

Arriving at their destination, Cliff convinces Nick to explore a marine cave with him while Cydney and Gina wait behind on the beach. After Gina looks through photos in a camera, she suddenly screaming at Nick and Cliff. However they ignore her, so she begins to scale a cliff after them with Cydney in pursuit.

Once alone with Cliff in the cave, Nick realizes that he has been tricked as Cliff draws a gun. It is revealed that the real Cliff and Cydney were the unidentified victims of the double homicide, murdered by their impostors. The impostor Cliff is Rocky, the high school boyfriend of the imposter of Cydney, and the two are meth addicts who have been committing the murders to assume the identities of their victims - getting the victims life stories by pretending to be scriptwriters.

Gina, who saw the wedding photos with the real Cliff and Cydney on the camera, witnesses Rocky shoot Nick and attempts to escape. After fighting him off, but being stabbed and shot, Gina runs into the jungle. Rocky tells his girlfriend to mislead the police about the transpiring events while he chases after Gina.

Gina finds some men but Rocky kills them all and seriously injures her before she manages to escape. Rocky's pursuit of her is stopped by the emergence of Nick, who survived the gunshot due to the previously mentioned metal plates. Nick gains the upper hand and holds Rocky at gunpoint, but a police helicopter contacted by Rocky's girlfriend arrives on the scene, warning Nick that he will be shot if he does not release Rocky.

As Rocky tries to goad Nick into killing him, Gina gets Nick to back down. Realizing that she can stop Rocky, who is extremely abusive, and save two people who love each other, Rocky's girlfriend tells the police Rocky is the murderer, prompting them to shoot him when he tries to retrieve his gun.

Travelling back on a helicopter, Nick finally proposes to Gina. She accepts, and they mutually agree not to go on a honeymoon.

Cast

Additionally, Anthony Ruivivar plays Chronic, a guide, and Dale Dickey and Peter Tuiasosopo appear as convenience store employees Earth Momma and Supply Guy. Holt McCallany and Isaac Santiago portray the police lieutenant and the police shooter, while Tory Kittles plays Sherman, one of the kayakers. The real Cliff and Cydney, referred to in the credits as "Groom" and "Bride", are portrayed by Ryan Gessell and Evelyn Lopez.

Soundtrack

  1. "Hey, Hey, Hey" — Tracy Adams
  2. "Paradise" — RooHub
  3. "Need Your Love" — Aswad
  4. "Boom Chic Boom Chic" — Tracy Adams
  5. "Red Dress Baby Doll" — Tracy Adams
  6. "Ghetto Chronic" — Tracy Adams
  7. "The Wretched" — Nine Inch Nails
  8. "I'm Yours" — Jason Mraz

Marketing

The film was promoted with several videos posted to YouTube. The reports, attributed to the fictional news agency Global Digital News created by Universal Pictures, [3] detailed a string of homicides targeting honeymooning couples. They were posted to a YouTube channel designed to look like a local news station. [4]

Release

The film was released in the United States on August 7, 2009 and grossed $5,948,555 in its opening weekend. [2] The film made £418,703 in its first week in the United Kingdom and reached number 10 at the UK box office.[ citation needed ] Worldwide, it grossed $22,852,638.[ citation needed ]

The unrated director's cut DVD and Blu-ray were released on December 29, 2009. [5]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 62% based on 138 reviews, with an average rating 5.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "While smarter than the average slasher film, A Perfect Getaway eventually devolves into a standard, predictable, excessively violent thriller." [6] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. [8]

The New York Times referred to the film as a "genuinely satisfying cheap thrill". [9] More mixed reviews include the Times Online , which gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, adding that it is a "smart" thriller but is a "little too tricky for its own good". [10] Additionally, The Guardian rated the film 60% and said that the film is a "flawed but entertaining thriller". [11] Michael Phillips gave the film 2 1/2 stars (out of four) and stated that A Perfect Getaway "has the fortitude to venture off the beaten path of formula." [12]

Timothy Olyphant was the first runner-up for Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Fifth Element</i> 1997 film by Luc Besson

The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, as well as co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, and Chris Tucker. Primarily set in the 23rd century, the film's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth, which becomes the responsibility of Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his cab. To accomplish this, Dallas joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against the impending attack of a malevolent cosmic entity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milla Jovovich</span> American actress (born 1975)

Milica Bogdanovna Jovović, known professionally as Milla Jovovich, is an American actress and former fashion model. Her starring roles in numerous science-fiction and action films led the music channel VH1 to deem her the "reigning queen of kick-butt" in 2006. In 2004, Forbes determined that she was the highest-paid model in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sienna Guillory</span> English actress (born 1975)

Sienna Tiggy Guillory is an English actress and former model. She portrayed Jill Valentine in several entries of the Resident Evil action-horror film series. Other prominent roles include elf princess Arya Dröttningu in the fantasy-adventure film Eragon, and the title role in the TV miniseries Helen of Troy. She has appeared in TV shows including Fortitude, Stan Lee's Lucky Man, and Luther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Zane</span> American actor (born 1966)

William George Zane Jr. is an American actor. His breakthrough role was in the 1989 Australian film Dead Calm, a performance that earned him a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor. He has since appeared in numerous films and television series, notably playing the main antagonist Caledon Hockley in the epic romance disaster film Titanic (1997), for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Larter</span> American actress (born 1976)

Alison Elizabeth Larter is an American actress and former model. She portrayed fictional model Allegra Coleman in a 1996 Esquire magazine hoax and took on guest roles on several television shows in the 1990s. She made her film debut in Varsity Blues (1999), which was followed by the horror film House on Haunted Hill (1999). Her role as Clear Rivers in the first two films of the Final Destination horror franchise earned her a reputation as a scream queen.

<i>Resident Evil: Apocalypse</i> 2004 film by Alexander Witt

Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a 2004 action horror film directed by Alexander Witt and written by Paul W. S. Anderson. A direct sequel to Resident Evil (2002), it is the second installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is loosely based on the video game series of the same name. The film marks Witt's feature directorial debut; Anderson, the director of the first film, turned down the job due to other commitments, though stayed on as one of its producers. Milla Jovovich reprises her role as Alice, and is joined by Sienna Guillory as Jill Valentine and Oded Fehr as Carlos Olivera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul W. S. Anderson</span> British filmmaker

Paul William Scott Anderson is an English film director, screenwriter, and producer who often makes science fiction films and video game adaptations.

<i>The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc</i> 1999 film by Luc Besson

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is a 1999 English-language French epic historical drama film directed by Luc Besson and starring Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway and Dustin Hoffman. The screenplay was written by Besson and Andrew Birkin, and the original score was composed by Éric Serra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Olyphant</span> American actor (born 1968)

Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor. He made his acting debut in an off-Broadway theater in 1995, in The Monogamist, and won the Theatre World Award for his performance, and then originated David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries in 1996. He then branched out to film; in the early years of his career, he was often cast in supporting villainous roles, most notably in Scream 2 (1997), Go (1999), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), A Man Apart (2003), and The Girl Next Door (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Subkoff</span> American actress (born 1972)

Tara Lyn Subkoff is an American actress, conceptual artist, director, and fashion designer. Subkoff made her film debut in the thriller When the Bough Breaks (1994) opposite Martin Sheen, and has had supporting roles in As Good as It Gets (1997), The Last Days of Disco (1998), The Cell (2000), and The Notorious Bettie Page (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiele Sanchez</span> American actress

Kiele Sanchez is an American actress who starred in the A&E Network drama The Glades. Previously, she had starred as Anne Sorelli in The WB comedy-drama Related and as Nikki Fernandez on the main cast in the third season of the ABC television drama series Lost. She also starred in the DirecTV drama series Kingdom on the Audience Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malinda Williams</span> American actress and producer

Malinda Williams is an American actress and producer. She began her career on television, before appearing in films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), High School High (1996), and The Wood (1999).

Zachary Michael Gilford is an American actor, best known for his role as Matt Saracen on the NBC sports drama series Friday Night Lights. In 2021, he starred in the Netflix horror limited series Midnight Mass. In 2022, he appeared in the horror mystery-thriller series The Midnight Club, and in 2023, he had a main role in the horror drama miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher.

<i>Just Married</i> (2007 film) 2007 Indian film

Just Married is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Meghna Gulzar, starring Fardeen Khan, Esha Deol in lead roles along with Satish Shah, Kirron Kher and Mukul Dev in supporting roles.

<i>The Case of the Scorpions Tail</i> 1971 Italian film

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is a 1971 giallo film directed by Sergio Martino, produced by Luciano Martino and co-written by Ernesto Gastaldi and Eduardo Maria Brochero. It starred George Hilton, Anita Strindberg, Ida Galli and Janine Reynaud, and the music soundtrack was by Bruno Nicolai. It’s an international co-production between Italy and Spain.

<i>Stone</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Stone is a 2010 American crime thriller film directed by John Curran, written by Angus MacLachlan, and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich. Most of the filming was done in Washtenaw County, Michigan. It was the final film to be released by Overture Films. This is the second film in which De Niro and Norton starred together, after The Score (2001).

<i>The Fourth Kind</i> 2009 science fiction thriller film directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

The Fourth Kind is a 2009 science fiction thriller film directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and featuring a cast of Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Corey Johnson, Will Patton, Charlotte Milchard, Mia Mckenna-Bruce, Yulian Vergov, and Osunsanmi. The title is derived from the expansion of J. Allen Hynek's classification of close encounters with aliens, in which the fourth kind denotes alien abductions.

<i>Paint It Black</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Tim Hunter

Paint It Black is a 1989 American thriller film directed by Tim Hunter and starring Rick Rossovich, Sally Kirkland, Doug Savant, Julie Carmen, and Martin Landau. The film is about a struggling California artist who becomes a suspect after a serial killer murders his gallery-owner lover. It was released to Vestron Video and is one of the company's last titles before it folded.

<i>This Is Where I Leave You</i> 2014 film

This Is Where I Leave You is a 2014 American comedy drama film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard and Jane Fonda. It is based on the 2009 novel of the same title by Jonathan Tropper, who also wrote the film's screenplay. This Is Where I Leave You tells the story of four grown siblings who are forced to return to their childhood home after their father's death and live under the same roof for seven days, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens. The film was released on September 19, 2014, and grossed $41.3 million against a $19.8 million production budget.

<i>Murder Mystery 2</i> 2023 American film by Jeremy Garelick

Murder Mystery 2 is a 2023 American action comedy mystery film directed by Jeremy Garelick and written by James Vanderbilt. It is a sequel to the 2019 film Murder Mystery, and it stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston with Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith and John Kani.

References

  1. 1 2 "A Perfect Getaway (2009) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "A Perfect Getaway". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  3. ↑ "ICANN WHOIS: Globaldigitalnews.org". whois.icann.org.
  4. ↑ "ChannelEightNewsNow". YouTube.
  5. ↑ Barton, Steve (October 28, 2009). "A Perfect Getaway Coming Home". Dread Central . Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  6. ↑ "A Perfect Getaway". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ "A Perfect Getaway Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Perfect Getaway" in the search box). CinemaScore . Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  9. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (August 7, 2009). "A Perfect Getaway (2009)". The New York Times . Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  10. ↑ Young, Toby (August 14, 2009). "The Perfect Getaway". Times Online . Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  11. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (August 14, 2009). "A Perfect Getaway". The Guardian . Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  12. ↑ Phillips, Michael (August 7, 2009). "'A Perfect Getaway' stars Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.