Perfect Getaway

Director: David Twohy (2009)

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez

Find it online: IMDB, Amazon UK, Amazon US

Like Turistas, but with a twist, a better script and good characters. Perfect Getaway sees Steve Zahn on honeymoon with Milla Jovovich. If you can get over that daft idea, then you shouldn't have too much trouble with the movie's considerable second-half twists.

So Zahn and Jovovich wind up hiking to a remote beach (a bit like Lost, but no monsters and no Jackface) in Hawaii. Along the way, they meet up with Nick (Olyphant) and Gina (Sanchez). Travelling along, they also discover that there's a psychopath on the loose, murdering vacationing couples. Is the killer amongst their party? Or could it be the Natural Born Killers-esque hitch-hikers that follow our couples around acting all mean and surly, like??

Perfect Getaway is a delightfully odd movie. It's not a comedy/horror per-se, but there's a cutely humorous streak to the proceedings. All of the actors and actresses involved do a good job; Olyphant's character is a rather annoying dick (full of "bullshitty" stories, as Zahn's character puts it) and Zahn overplays things a tad, but it's all good fun. And hey, this is a movie that the ladies and non-hetero horror fans can enjoy too; it's filled with shots of Olyphant's ass and six-pack. Heck, I'd probably even tap that. By the look of it, Zahn's been hitting the gym pretty hard too. Did I mention Olyphant's ass??...

Shit, where was I????

Uh, Milla Jovovich and Kiele Sanchez bare enough naked flesh too. That'll keep the guys interested too. Yes, there's something here for everyone. Except for maybe people who don't like stupid twists and self-aware scripts.

Ayup, the funny script and intentional oddness can't quite carry off the movie's mid-point twist (to say there's a twist isn't really a spoiler; the script constantly leads you to expect one, which is kinda annoying). It tries, but Perfect Getaway never really recovers. The final half hour or so is as stupid as you can get. (want it spoiled? Then roll over, dear readers: Zahn and Jovovich turn out to be the killers). But if you can forgive this bit of silliness, then Perfect Getaway is a very worthwhile, entertaining little thriller. Outstanding.