You’ve seen the trailer. You know there is a moment where, due to the zero-g experienced in a rapidly descending plane, a floating Liam Neeson grabs a gun that is flying through the air and fires it off, looking like the supreme badass we all know him to be. And yes, it goes down pretty much just like that in the movie too. And it made me smile, because against all odds, this movie sank its hooks into me and the zero-g gun shot actually served as a climactic payoff to a generally silly and surprisingly fun little high concept thriller.
I’ve gotten on this soapbox before, so forgive me if I’m re-treading here, but high concept thrillers often drive me crazy. You have an impossibly complicated scenario that we immediately know would never happen in real life… such as… I don’t know… a killer contacting an air marshal on their secure cell phone line and telling them they’ll kill a passenger on the plane every 20 minutes unless they get a bunch of money wired to their bank account. And in order to sell this incredibly specific scenario that would only ever happen in the movies, the filmmakers need to twist and turn and create peaks and valleys of excitement that, more often than not, ensure that character development will be nil, and any kind of emotional investment you had in the film will disappear after the end credits roll because, looking back, not a whole lot of the film’s events hold up to any kind of scrutiny. Thrillers are designed to thrill, and their success rises and falls based on how close to the edge of your seat you found yourself when the lights come up.
What I’m here to tell you in this review is… everything I just complained about regarding high concept thrillers is present in spades here in Non-Stop. But I don’t care. I had a great time with this movie for reasons which confound me.
I guess one simple reason is that Non-Stop is genuinely exciting. Fans of Liam Neeson will get to see him involved in all kinds of brutal action sequences, such as a close-quarters fist fight in an airplane bathroom that is probably more sound design than anything else, but feels great to hear. There’s also the zero-g moment, and maybe my favorite part is what happens when the passengers on the plane come to think that Neeson’s Air Marshal (Bill Marks) is actually hijacking the plane and attempt to subdue him. Hilarity of the most “Neesons” variety ensues. And you know what? I could easily see all of these “supreme tough guy” action beats being added to this script after the casting of Liam Neeson, since he is at the height of his new action hero status right now. But they work. And I may have even silently pumped my fist in celebration.
Other than those flourishes of exciting action moments, Non-Stop fits very firmly in the high concept thriller genre. And I also found myself entertained by that whole story line too. Who is the killer? How are they accomplishing what they are doing? After all, a plane is pretty tight quarters and a killer doesn’t really have anywhere to hide. And why did they target Liam Neeson? Don’t they know he has a particular set of skills?
Of course, like most of these kinds of stories, the explanation is ultimately very lacking, and reveals all sorts of nonsense and shenanigans. (I cannot confirm nor deny if blow darts factor into the killer’s equation).
So again, if you just want to be taken on a ride… that does not stop… then Non-Stop may very well punch your ticket. Especially if you have a pre-existing Neesons condition that makes you prone to his charms. Here he gets to play a fairly broken and “past his prime” hero who, we learn through a couple of clumsy speeches, has had a rough go of life. But the events of Non-Stop offer Bill Marks a shot at redemption, which is clumsily handled in John W. Richardson, Christopher Roach, and Ryan Engle’s screenplay. Said screenplay also, as I’ve mentioned, pretty much falls apart if you even try for a moment to investigate the inner workings of the villain’s plot. But the key there is whether that kind of thing really bugs you or not. I find that there are times when a non-sensical villainous plot that collapses under its own complexity takes me completely out of the film and threatens to ruin it for me (I’m looking at you, The Dark Knight Rises). But somehow the overall silliness, bleeding heart, and total command of the screen that Liam Neeson brings, all added up to me enjoying myself throughout Non-Stop. Not to mention that, in spite of the vast majority of the film being set on one single plane, I never got bored or felt like the story needed to break away somewhere else. Spanish Director Jaume Collet-Serra can take some credit there for keeping the pacing and camera work interesting enough to keep me guessing. This is a big step up from Neeson’s previous (and similarly high-concept) collaboration with Collet-Serra, Unknown.
So in the end, nothing really makes sense. None of this would ever happen in the real world. The killers plan is so complex and impractical that your eyes will reflexively roll if you allow yourself even a moments reflection. But in all honesty… I’d think twice before questioning the power of The Neesons. I allowed his skills to wash over me and I succombed to the enjoyment of an instantly forgettable February thrill ride.
And I’m Out.