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IDENTITY (R)

Plot Summary: Ten strangers are trapped in a hotel on a stormy night--and then myteriously murdered one by one as they try to discover the secret that brought them all together.

Reason for the Rating: Strong violence and language.

IDENTITY's

The movie begins when a death row convict is given one last chance to plead insanity on the eve of his execution.  Because of this final reprieve, he is heavily sedated and taken to a new location by a single police officer.  Unfortunately, it is an extremely stormy night, which doesn’t make for easy travel.  Meanwhile, a group of weather-wary travelers, including characters played by John Cusak, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet, get stranded at a mysterious motel because all the roads are flooded.  The strangers are already uneasy, but become even more so when a police officer, transporting a convict, is forced to stay the night as well.  Soon the killing begins, and the strangers begin to discover it’s no accident they were all brought together.

After the basic plot is established, IDENTITY keeps you guessing the whole time.  It’s impossible to figure out who’s committing the murders or to predict the major secret of the movie.  It’s quite a mystery, actually, with a completely unexpected twist.  That’s about all I can say without giving important details away, but this movie is better than most movies in the same genre.

That being said, IDENTITY is quite a bloody murder movie.  It depicts graphic violence, the kind that would definitely disturb, scare and stick with children.  Although there’s no sexual or supernatural drama, IDENTITY is full of profanity.  As a horror movie, it’s high quality; as a family movie it fails miserably.  Children under 17 should avoid it, and many adults would do well to steer clear of its graphic violence and profanity as well.

FamilyFans.com Recommends: Although IDENTITY is unique in the horror movie genre, it’s not for youngsters, or anyone with a weak stomach. Try something else if you’re looking for family fare.

After the Show…If members of your family choose to view this movie, use these questions to spark discussion about it afterward:

---Which character did you think made the best lifestyle choices in the movie?  The worst? Why?

---If your life choices were a movie, what consequences do you think you'd come to at the end?

---Do you think the judge made the right decision at the end of IDENTITY regarding the convict’s fate? Why or why not?

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