“Non Stop” was nonstop entertainment
March 13, 2014
Non-Stop, a captivating action movie, distinguishes itself from other movies of its genre most noticeably by way of its claustrophobic setting. Taking place on a passenger airplane, the movie revolves around the struggle of a troubled Federal Air Marshal who finds himself in a phenomenally testing situation, with absolutely no means of escape.
The talented Liam Neeson once again plays a perpetually concerned parental figure and intellectual secret agent. Neeson’s ability to play a concerned individual is incredible. Boarding his flight, Bill, (Neeson) displays a casually concerned demeanor. During takeoff, he becomes further concerned, and as the plot commences, Neeson takes his ability to appear concerned to a whole new level.
Soon after takeoff, Bill, (Neeson) begins to receive anonymous texts which threaten that one person on the flight will die for every twenty minutes that pass without 150 million dollars being awarded to the bank account of the person sending the messages. Unsure whether the texts are a cruel and elaborate prank or a serious threat, Bill alerts the pilot, who decides to continue the flight over the ocean. Soon, though, the plot takes an attention grabbing turn, and the situation becomes dire. Suspects appear everywhere, and even grow to encompass Bill and the pilot himself. The likeable woman seated next to Bill, Jen, (Julianne Moore,) becomes a complex persona, and suspect, as do several other well developed characters in the film.
The movie leaves you guessing throughout the twisting plot, and never ceases to entertain. As the plane’s passengers grown increasingly suspicious and uneasy regarding the evolving, situation, the movie’s tension level rockets. The movie echoes a theme we see in many recent films, as it proposes a “what if” situation similar to those of Contagion and World War Z. Rather than emulating the typical action movie’s plot, with constant shooting and car chases and random explosions, Non Stop proposes a situation that could potentially affect average people on an average flight, and therefore is very effective in making the audience uneasy.
Even for someone like myself, who hates a majority of action movies with a burning passion, Non-Stop’s plot is satisfyingly engaging. The claustrophobic, familiar setting of the plane, Liam Neeson’s perpetually furrowed brow, and the believable, medium paced plot will keep you at the edge of your seat.
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