Ten people are drawn for various reasons to a deserted motel during a terrible storm. They share something in common and it’s going to lead to their deaths one by one. Though this movie comes off as a B-grade slasher movie, it’s much more of a suspenseful psychological thriller. There isn’t much gore, but the anticipation of it is what sets the audience on edge.

John Cusack leads a fine ensemble of characters as Ed, an ex-cop-turned-limo driver, who is trying to keep the group alive.

Working along side Ed is Rhodes (Ray Liotta), a hotheaded cop that is transporting a serial killer named Robert Maine (Jake Busey). Among the other characters are Paris (Amanda Peet), a retiring prostitute, George York (John C. McGinley), an over-cautious stepfather, and Ginny (Clea DuVall), a young woman who recently married.

Each has been forced to the motel because of the storm, with no knowledge of their connections. All seems to go as normal as possible until the murders occur, each body or scene accompanied by a room key that counts down those who are left. Since little background is given for the 10 individuals, the possibilities of who is a suspect are numerous. The audience is given minute details in flashback-like sequences and the dialogue.

Another story runs simultaneously in which Alfred Molina plays a psychiatrist trying to convince a judge that his patient cannot receive the death penalty, which will be carried out in the next 24 hours, because he is unaware of the crimes he has committed.

Eventually, in a creative plot twist, the two stories converge into one and the loose ends are tied up. The ending lulls the audience back into their comfort zone, possibly planting a seed of hope for the remaining characters, but they are once again jolted by the last twist of the movie.

Some moviegoers will find the plot twists in this movie predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable. It’s a thought-out movie that just barely teeters on the edge of being another horrible horror flick of the year in the same category as “Dreamcatcher” and “House of 1,000 Corpses.”

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