Non-Stop: Review

The first thing you should know is to not watch the trailer for Non-Stop. It has become the most frequently committed sin of modern movies, but the trailer for this film in particular gives away so much of the plot that the only thing you're left wondering turns out to be the least impressive part of the film: who the killer is. Practically every plot-twist is revealed in the two-minute trailer, so try to steer clear of it. 

Non-Stop tells the story of an air marshal by the name of Bill Marks (Liam Neeson). Bill has suffered numerous family issues throughout his years, and the film opens to him downing a strong bottle of whiskey to rid him of his woes. After a short introduction to the passengers of the plane which simply involves Bill walking through an airport, everybody boards the non-stop flight from New York to London and prepares for a boring, normal flight. Obviously, this isn't the case, as Bill begins receiving text messages demanding $150,000,000 and is informed that for every 20 minutes the money isn't transferred, somebody will die. This sets up for a race-against-time movie which was, for the most part, entertaining. 

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson)

The film creates a sense of helplessness very well. Within the opening sequences where the passengers are shown, everybody is presented to be a potential suspect, and this keeps the film consistently interesting and intriguing. Could it be the friendly flight attendant? Or the sinister-looking police officer? Until it is finally revealed, I had no real clue as to who was committing the murders, which meant that I was completely invested in the movie - just as you begin to have an idea, somebody else is killed off which completely throws your suspicions. 

But in this also laid Non-Stop's downfall. I won't spoil anything, but the film begins to take a very unique and interesting direction with some of the early victims, which is then completely thrown aside in favour of a, frankly, more boring storyline. The entire movie I was hoping for the twist to be far more surprising than it eventually was, and I'd be adamant in saying that the 80 minute build-up was far more engaging than the final 20 minutes in which most of the action takes place. It should come as no surprise though, that Liam Neeson is as enjoyable to watch as ever, and plays the part of a disgruntled air marshal very successfully. 

Verdict
Non-Stop could have been so much more than it is. That's not to say that it isn't entertaining, but the closing moments of the film are so unbelievably outrageous that it completely takes you out of the experience. I'd recommend it to anybody who's either a fan of Liam Neeson or hostage movies, but it's far from a 'must-see'. 

"How do you kill somebody in a crowded plane

and get away with it?"