A Perfect Getaway (2009)
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Listed by
Imon Reza
Updated
November 14, 2024
Movie Info
Year Released
Directed by
Top Cast
Runtime
98 Mins.
Release date
June 8, 2009
Budget (In USD)
$14,000,000
Revenue (In USD)
$22,955,544
Movie Overview | A Perfect Getaway (2009)
Movie Title: A Perfect Getaway (2009)
Tagline: Welcome To Paradise. Enter At Your Own Risk.
Tagline: Welcome To Paradise. Enter At Your Own Risk.
Storyline
Synopsis
The whispers of a murder on an island send shivers through a Hawaiian paradise for a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in this chilling thriller.
The whispers of a murder on an island send shivers through a Hawaiian paradise for a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in this chilling thriller.
Plot
For their honeymoon, newlyweds Cliff and Cydney head to the tropical islands of Hawaii. While journeying through the paradisaical countryside the couple encounters Kale and Cleo, two disgruntled hitchhikers and Nick and Gina, two wild but well-meaning spirits who help guide them through the lush jungles. The picturesque waterfalls and scenic mountainsides quickly give way to terror when Cliff and Cydney learn of a grisly murder that occurred nearby and realize that they’re being followed by chance acquaintances that suspiciously fit the description of the killers.
Other Info
Writer:
David Twohy
David Twohy
Producer:
- Robbie Brenner,
- Mark Canton Producer,
- Ryan Kavanaugh,
- Tucker Tooley
Distributed by:
- Universal Pictures,
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
- Rogue Pictures
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Editor review
1 review
A Trip Worth Taking
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
3.8
Entertainment Factor
5.0
Story
4.0
Actors Performance
4.0
Cinematography
3.0
Sound Track
3.0
Part-travelogue, part-thriller, part exercise in twists and turns, “A Perfect Getaway” isn’t a perfect movie, but its makers seem to know how many jolts to include and exactly where they belong.
The travelogue part involves Hawaii, specifically the island of Kauai, where happy honeymoon couple Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are preparing to hike the long, picturesque Kalalau Trail down to a remote beach. Too bad that on the way (here comes the thriller part) they get all kinds of bad vibes upon hearing that another honeymoon couple was just murdered in Honolulu, probably by a man and a woman. Sure, it’s a different island, but ...
And they stay a bit freaked out till they join up with another hiking couple, Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez), who come across as much more prepared to deal with possible unpleasantries than the relatively wimpy Cliff and Cydney.
It should be no surprise, nor is it giving anything away, at least for fans of the genre, that there’s bad phone reception in this part of the world. So no matter how bad things get, no cavalry will be a quick call away.
The two couples are made up of people who are easy to look at, and writer-director David Twohy certainly likes to get right up in their faces, focusing quite a bit on extreme close-ups of Zahn’s worried eyes, and lighting and posing Olyphant in ways that make him seem to exude confidence.
All four of them play their parts well, presenting convincing intimate chats among themselves, then taking subtle steps back when it begins to sink in that they don’t really know each other ... and hey, wasn’t it supposedly a man and a woman that killed that man and woman? But nothing else is subtle about the film. There’s much pot-smoking, and there are questions about whether scorpions are dead or alive when they’re placed in bottles of mescal. And there are reminders that weapons have been brought along on this hike, and that – gulp! – the teeth of the murdered couple have somehow gone missing.
Those worried about gross-out, chop-’em-up sequences can relax. There are a couple of gory scenes, but nothing done to excess.
The odd thing about the film is that Twohy sometimes loses grasp of what he’s trying to do. The story gets too complicated, then it slips into becoming too contrived. At one point, too much is explained about the characters and situations, and moments later, you feel like tapping the shoulder of your viewing partner and whispering, “What the heck is going on?” But then come those twists and turns. Sure, this kind of thing happens ad nauseam in horror-thrillers these days. But Twohy has a sort of new handle on the old tricks.
Those twists won’t be disclosed here, but it’s safe to reveal that during one delicious moment, the audience reaction ran, in equal parts, from screaming to laughing to yelling, “Get outta here!” The screaming and yelling part are easily understood. But are we really supposed to be laughing at this stuff? Most definitely! The movie is far from a laugh riot, but it’s a load of fun.
The travelogue part involves Hawaii, specifically the island of Kauai, where happy honeymoon couple Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are preparing to hike the long, picturesque Kalalau Trail down to a remote beach. Too bad that on the way (here comes the thriller part) they get all kinds of bad vibes upon hearing that another honeymoon couple was just murdered in Honolulu, probably by a man and a woman. Sure, it’s a different island, but ...
And they stay a bit freaked out till they join up with another hiking couple, Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez), who come across as much more prepared to deal with possible unpleasantries than the relatively wimpy Cliff and Cydney.
It should be no surprise, nor is it giving anything away, at least for fans of the genre, that there’s bad phone reception in this part of the world. So no matter how bad things get, no cavalry will be a quick call away.
The two couples are made up of people who are easy to look at, and writer-director David Twohy certainly likes to get right up in their faces, focusing quite a bit on extreme close-ups of Zahn’s worried eyes, and lighting and posing Olyphant in ways that make him seem to exude confidence.
All four of them play their parts well, presenting convincing intimate chats among themselves, then taking subtle steps back when it begins to sink in that they don’t really know each other ... and hey, wasn’t it supposedly a man and a woman that killed that man and woman? But nothing else is subtle about the film. There’s much pot-smoking, and there are questions about whether scorpions are dead or alive when they’re placed in bottles of mescal. And there are reminders that weapons have been brought along on this hike, and that – gulp! – the teeth of the murdered couple have somehow gone missing.
Those worried about gross-out, chop-’em-up sequences can relax. There are a couple of gory scenes, but nothing done to excess.
The odd thing about the film is that Twohy sometimes loses grasp of what he’s trying to do. The story gets too complicated, then it slips into becoming too contrived. At one point, too much is explained about the characters and situations, and moments later, you feel like tapping the shoulder of your viewing partner and whispering, “What the heck is going on?” But then come those twists and turns. Sure, this kind of thing happens ad nauseam in horror-thrillers these days. But Twohy has a sort of new handle on the old tricks.
Those twists won’t be disclosed here, but it’s safe to reveal that during one delicious moment, the audience reaction ran, in equal parts, from screaming to laughing to yelling, “Get outta here!” The screaming and yelling part are easily understood. But are we really supposed to be laughing at this stuff? Most definitely! The movie is far from a laugh riot, but it’s a load of fun.
User reviews
A Perfect Getaway Is Far From Perfect
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
3.4
Entertainment Factor
4.0
Story
3.0
Actors Performance
4.0
Cinematography
3.0
Sound Track
3.0
A Perfect Getaway was a thriller that I thought I would really enjoy, as I love this genre of movie, however I found it to be too contrived, a thriller with an attempt to be funny and a little too gory and felt that this was a mindless film. The story takes place in paradise, in Hawaii, in Kauai, where newlyweds are honeymooning. Cliff, played by Steve Zahn, and his new wife Cydney, played by Milla Jovovich, are planning to take a hike down to a remote beach. On the way they hear ominous news about another honeymoon couple who were just murdered in Honolulu. Shortly after, they join up with another hiking couple, Nick, played by Timothy Olyphant, and Gina, played by Kiele Sanchez, as well as Kale, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Cleo, played by Marley Shelton. Soon, the couples realize that they are strangers to each other, that they know nothing about each other and that the killers were a man and a women. Could one of the couples be the killers? There are twists and turns, suspicions and unexpected surprises, but the killers are caught and the newly engaged couple makes the wise decision to choose a different honeymoon destination, when the time comes..
This movie is not terrible but just not my preference in films.
A Perfect Getaway (2019): A Taut, Thrilling Cat-and-Mouse Suspense
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
4.6
Entertainment Factor
4.0
Story
5.0
Actors Performance
5.0
Cinematography
5.0
Sound Track
4.0
**My Rating: 4.4/5**
David Twohy's "A Perfect Getaway" is a deliciously tense and unpredictable thriller that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Hawaiian islands, the film follows a newlywed couple, Cliff and Cydney, as they embark on their honeymoon hike through the remote and rugged terrain.
As they cross paths with a series of eccentric and suspicious fellow hikers, the couple's idyllic getaway quickly takes a dark and ominous turn. Twohy masterfully ratchets up the tension, weaving a complex web of deception and mistrust that had me on the edge of my seat.
The performances are uniformly excellent, with Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich delivering nuanced and engaging portrayals of the increasingly paranoid protagonists. Timothy Olyphant is particularly compelling as the enigmatic, tattooed stranger they encounter, radiating an unsettling mix of charm and menace.
But what truly sets "A Perfect Getaway" apart is its expertly crafted plot, which subverts expectations at every turn. Twohy's tight, intelligent screenplay keeps you guessing, skillfully misdirecting the audience while doling out just enough clues to keep us hooked. The film's stunning Hawaiian locations only heighten the sense of isolation and danger, adding an extra layer of visceral thrills.
In the end, "A Perfect Getaway" is a triumph of the suspense genre, a masterfully executed cat-and-mouse thriller that will leave you breathless. Twohy's assured direction, coupled with the talented cast, creates a cinematic experience that is both thoroughly entertaining and deeply unsettling. This is a must-see for fans of edge-of-your-seat suspense.
David Twohy's "A Perfect Getaway" is a deliciously tense and unpredictable thriller that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Hawaiian islands, the film follows a newlywed couple, Cliff and Cydney, as they embark on their honeymoon hike through the remote and rugged terrain.
As they cross paths with a series of eccentric and suspicious fellow hikers, the couple's idyllic getaway quickly takes a dark and ominous turn. Twohy masterfully ratchets up the tension, weaving a complex web of deception and mistrust that had me on the edge of my seat.
The performances are uniformly excellent, with Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich delivering nuanced and engaging portrayals of the increasingly paranoid protagonists. Timothy Olyphant is particularly compelling as the enigmatic, tattooed stranger they encounter, radiating an unsettling mix of charm and menace.
But what truly sets "A Perfect Getaway" apart is its expertly crafted plot, which subverts expectations at every turn. Twohy's tight, intelligent screenplay keeps you guessing, skillfully misdirecting the audience while doling out just enough clues to keep us hooked. The film's stunning Hawaiian locations only heighten the sense of isolation and danger, adding an extra layer of visceral thrills.
In the end, "A Perfect Getaway" is a triumph of the suspense genre, a masterfully executed cat-and-mouse thriller that will leave you breathless. Twohy's assured direction, coupled with the talented cast, creates a cinematic experience that is both thoroughly entertaining and deeply unsettling. This is a must-see for fans of edge-of-your-seat suspense.
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