Review of Non-Stop (2013) by Scott R — 27 Aug 2016

Non-Stop is a fine example of Hollywood's development-by- committee process at its worst, taking an intriguing premise and fine cast and choking them down to a predictable, innocuous popcorn film that will deliver a few thrills and enjoyable pass the time provided you don't think too much about it. But mind-numbing as it eventually becomes, it's still hard not to ask those questions.

The latest offering in the Liam Neeson: Action God wave finds the Irishman in the role of Bill Marks, a Federal Air Marshall with a troubled past. We know he has a troubled past because he order's drinks and smokes in the lavatory. What starts off as a typical transatlantic flight is quickly diverted into a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. Marks begins receiving text messages on his secure work cell: wire me 150 million dollars or a passenger dies every 20 minutes. As the bodies start to drop improbably, impossibly, and even at Bill's own hand, and as the investigation shifts around and eventually lead's back to Bill himself, it becomes clear that the author of these innocuous texts is a keen strategist with dirt on enough fliers to manipulate the situation in countless ways, including through Bill's supervising agent, who also "happens" to be on board.

The movie trudges forward from here, watching Bill become more and more erratic, get relieved of duty and still keep barking orders, and while there is some semblance of a plot and it's perfectly watchable, it's hard not to wonder, "how haven't these passengers tied him to a chair yet. Because the script is weak and there's 45 minutes of screentime to kill, that's why.

Eventually, the passengers do take Bill out, and it's only then that the terrorist is revealed and announces their real, wholly unrelated and nonsensical motivations. At this point, you know the next six beats that will close out the film, and that's incredibly important. Because, if your mind wasn't already on autopilot, you'd quickly wonder "how is this buffoon the omniscient mastermind we started with.

Had the film given its stars - including two Oscar-winning women - more character or more to do, the improbable middle lull could have been avoided and film could have something worthwhile to contribute. It's not bad, but as improbable thrillers on transatlantic flights with Air Marshals go, I much prefer 2005's Flightplan.