A Perfect Getaway is set in Hawaii; following a newly-wed couple Cydney & Cliff (Mila Jojovich -
Resident Evil & Steve Zahn) who are trekking Hawaii for their honeymoon. Setting out on their trek, they bump into other couples and hikers who are spooked by reports of killers on the next isle over (Oahu) picking off newly-weds. They decide to continue nonetheless and end up meeting another couple, Nicko and his long-time girlfriend Georgia (Timothy Olyphant -
Hitman & Kiele Sanchez), an ex-special forces soldier with some tall(?) stories and a butcher. As the couples proceed further into the lush paradise they start to suspect each other, further exacerbated by the periodic appearance of an ex-con couple and their odd behaviour. Will their suspicions of each other tear them apart? Or will it galvanise them against the impending horror?
What really sets this film above other psychological thrillers is the fact that you genuinely have no idea who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. All of the characters display odd traits that make you suspect them; whether it's Nicko's casual familiarity with an assortment of blades and the hunting bow, Georgias ability to butcher a goat without batting an eyelid, Kale's prison demeanour or even Cydney's allusion to a haunted past, the characters are truly ambiguous. Whilst it's obvious that someone is not telling the truth, you are never quite sure who it is and this is what keeps the tension in place throughout this film. The acting is believable and you develop a genuine sense of affinity for the characters.
The locale is breathtakingly beautiful, there are long shots of the routes they take over the island, and the scenery is eye-meltingly gorgeous in parts. Credit to the director David Twohy here for putting together an extremely picturesque cinematic experience. The waterfalls, jungles and beaches will have you yearning for a holiday by the end of it all, despite the violence, which isn't excessive.
The DVD has the usual suite of extras and a couple of deleted scenes, but I would recommend the Bluray for the directors cut, it's unrated and fills out the characters a little more, adding to the paranoia. Highly recommended for an enjoyable thriller that will keep you guessing!!