A Perfect Getaway

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.

A Perfect Getaway
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Twohy
Produced byRyan Kavanaugh
Mark Canton
Tucker Tooley
Robbie Brenner
Written byDavid Twohy
StarringTimothy Olyphant
Milla Jovovich
Kiele Sanchez
Steve Zahn
Marley Shelton
Chris Hemsworth
Music byBoris Elkis
CinematographyMark Plummer
Edited byTracy Adams
Production
company
Distributed byRogue Pictures
Release date
August 7, 2009 (2009-08-07)
Running time
Theatrical cut:
97 minutes
Unrated cut:
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$14 million[1]
Box office$22,852,638[1]

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 nearly $23 million on a $14 million budget.

Plot

For their honeymoon, newlyweds Cliff and Cydney travel to Hawaii. Driving towards a hiking trail that leads to a remote beach, the two encounter fellow newlyweds Cleo and Kale who are hitchhiking. Cliff has a bad feeling about the couple and is hesitant to give them a ride resulting in Kale aggressively taking Cleo away. On the trail they encounter fast talking tourist Nick, who claims to be a Delta Force veteran and one of the first Americans into Saddam Hussein’s palace during the Iraq War. Shortly after meeting Nick, they over hear a group of teenage girls discussing the recent double murder of a honeymooning couple by an unknown man and women.

The group meets up with Nick’s girlfriend Gina at a waterfall, where they have another encounter with Kale and Cleo. Kale makes some vague threats about how hikers go missing on the trail all the time before leaving with Cleo. Nick and Gina accompany Cliff and Cydney along the trail under the presumption of safety in numbers. Tensions begin to arise in the group as Cliff and Cydney suspect Nick and Gina as the killers due to their odd behavior. The tensions, however, die down after the couples witness Kale and Cleo being arrested for the murders.

Arriving at the remote beach, Cliff convinces Nick to explore a marine cave with him while Cydney and Gina wait behind on the beach. 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 Cydney, and the two have been committing the murders to assume the identities of their victims. Gina, who has realized the truth about the couple, witnesses Rocky shoot Nick and attempts to escape. With Gina aware of their true nature, Rocky tells his girlfriend to mislead the police about the transpiring events while he chases after Gina.

Rocky's pursuit of Gina is stopped by the emergence of Nick, who survived the gunshot due to metal plates in his head from a previously mentioned war injury. 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 Gina and Nick truly love each other, Rocky's girlfriend admits that Rocky is the murderer, prompting the police to shoot him when he tries to retrieve his gun.

Travelling back on a helicopter, Nick proposes to Gina. Gina accepts and the two 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,[2] detailed a string of homicides targeting honeymooning couples. They were posted to a YouTube channel designed to look like a local news station.[3]

Release

The film was released in the United States on August 7, 2009 and grossed $5,948,555 in its opening weekend.[1] The film made £418,703 in its first week in the United Kingdom and reached number 10 at the UK box office. Worldwide, it grossed $22,852,638.

The unrated director's cut DVD and Blu-ray were released on December 29, 2009.[4]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Based on an average of 22 reviews, Metacritic gave the film 63 out of 100.[5] A Perfect Getaway averaged 62% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 138 reviews.[6]

The New York Times referred to the film as a "genuinely satisfying cheap thrill".[7] 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".[8] Additionally, The Guardian rated the film 60% and said that the film is a "flawed but entertaining thriller".[9] 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."[10]

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

See also

References
  1. "A Perfect Getaway". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  2. "ICANN WHOIS: Globaldigitalnews.org". whois.icann.org.
  3. "ChannelEightNewsNow". YouTube.
  4. Barton, Steve (October 28, 2009). "A Perfect Getaway Coming Home". Dread Central. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  5. "Perfect Getaway, A". Metacritic. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  6. "A Perfect Getaway". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  7. Dargis, Manohla (August 7, 2009). "A Perfect Getaway (2009)". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  8. Young, Toby (August 14, 2009). "The Perfect Getaway". Times Online. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  9. Bradshaw, Peter (August 14, 2009). "A Perfect Getaway". The Guardian. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  10. Phillips, Michael (August 7, 2009). "'A Perfect Getaway' stars Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
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