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.
The aesthetic is closer to a grand finale of Survivor than anything else, and while all the actors do scrappy work, they don't have much psychology to play with -- unlike a fun, class-conscious wilderness tale like The Edge.
– Joshua Rothkopf,
Time Out New York,
12 Aug 2009
fresh:
David Twohy's taut, palm-sweating thriller has two things going for it: it keeps you guessing and it doesn't insult your intelligence.
– Nigel Floyd,
Time Out,
14 Aug 2009
fresh:
A Perfect Getaway is a little better -- well, a little stranger -- than most of the disposables this summer.
– Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug 2009
rotten:
Writer-director David Twohy (Pitch Black) serves up mechanical thrills culminating in a bogus twist ending
– Cliff Doerksen,
Chicago Reader,
20 Aug 2009
fresh:
A big-reveal thriller with surprises that really do surprise -- and are worth waiting for through an audaciously long buildup.