It’s truly incredible how one scene can unravel an entire movie in an instant. In 2009, Timothy Olyphant starred in the highly entertaining island-set murder mystery, A Perfect Getaway, in which a serial-killing couple stalks honeymooners in Hawaii. Thanks to the superb supporting cast, which includes Kiele Sanchez, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Chris Hemsworth, and Marley Shelton, the scenic whodunit remains deeply absorbing as viewers try to identify the murderers and their motives.
Unfortunately, writer/director David Twohy (Pitch Black) brazenly cheats the audience with one curious plot twist that, in retrospect, makes no sense whatsoever once the true culprits are identified. Granted, the killers have a performative aspect to their modus operandi, but the plot twist in A Perfect Getaway goes beyond mere charade and does not add up at all. Worse yet, the nonsensical plot twist threatens to undermine the overall enjoyment of an otherwise engaging murder mystery.
What Is ‘A Perfect Getaway’ About?
David Twohy wrote and directed A Perfect Getaway, a murder mystery thriller set on the Hawaiian islands. The story follows newlyweds Cliff (Zahn) and Cydney Anderson (Jovovich) on their honeymoon. Cliff and Cydney meet hitchhikers Kale (Hemsworth) and Cleo (Shelton), who go their separate ways after Kale flashes a hot temper.
Hiking in the Hawaiian jungle, Cliff and Cydney meet another couple, Nick (Olyphant) and Gina (Sanchez). Nick and Gina befriend Cliff and Cydney, with Nick encouraging Cliff to write a screenplay about his life as a soldier with survival skills whose head was cracked so badly that it requires metal plates. While friendly, the two couples grow suspicious of each other when they hear reports of a double homicide on the island, allegedly perpetrated by a male-female couple.
Despite the high tension, the two couples’ suspicions are allayed when Kale and Cleo are arrested for the double homicide after a few of the victims’ teeth are found in Kale’s backpack. Yet, Cliff and Nick separate from Cydney and Gina to explore a cave where the victims were last seen. Once the two couples reconvene, Cliff and Cydney have a conversation together alone in a tent that, in retrospect, makes absolutely zero sense.
The Ridiculous Plot Twist in ‘A Perfect Getaway,’ Explained
Once the two couples reconnect on the beach, Cliff and Cydney become suspicious of Nick when he returns with an elk that he killed with a crossbow. Nick and Gina begin hacking and disemboweling the dead animal for food, which unnerves Cliff and Cydney even more. At this point, the viewers are led to believe that Cliff and Cydney fully suspect that Nick and Gina are the serial killers murdering honeymooners across Hawaii.
Now, here’s the ludicrous plot twist. After witnessing Nick and Gina slaughter a wild animal, Cliff and Cydney have a private conversation in a tent. Although the tent is open and the other couple is seen out of focus several feet away, Cliff and Cydney whisper to each other so no one else can hear.
Cliff quietly cautions Cydney, “These two have graduated to the official crazy category, you know that, right?” Cydney responds by saying she and Cliff need to pack their bags and come up with an unsuspicious reason for leaving. “Like what, we think you’re the killers?” says Cliff, before telling Cydney that there are only two more miles to the beach, and they must “ride this thing out.” Cliff continues, “Keep Nick talking, keep him thinking he’s going to be the star of some Hollywood movie. Keep them both happy so that everybody gets to the beach alive.”
The moment it happens, this exchange between Cliff and Cydney is completely feasible. Only after the real killers are revealed does the tent conversation between Cliff and Cydney undermine the entire murder mystery.
Who Are the Real Killers in ‘A Perfect Getaway’?
For those who haven’t guessed by now, the big plot twist in A Perfect Getaway is that Cliff and Cydney are the killers all along. Cliff’s real name is Rocky, and Rocky and his high-school girlfriend (Jovovich) are meth-heads who have been murdering honeymooners in Hawaii, stealing their victims’ belongings to fund their drug addiction.
Once they kill a couple, Rocky and his girlfriend assume the identities of their victims and gain information about their backgrounds, with Cliff posing as a screenwriter. Rocky and his girlfriend killed the real Cliff and Cydney, whom Kale and Cleo were falsely arrested for earlier in the movie. Nick and Gina finally discover that Rocky and his girlfriend are the real killers after Gina spotted the real Cliff and Cydney in the wedding photos in Rocky’s camera.
With Rocky and his female companion exposed as the true culprits, the movie becomes a routine stalk-and-chase thriller through the Hawaiian jungle. The ending is still worth discovering for those who haven’t seen it, but it makes viewers instantly return to the stupefying tent conversation between Rocky and his girlfriend. Why would the real killers hold a private conversation pretending to be frightened of Nick and Gina, knowing they are not responsible for any murders that they themselves committed? It makes zero logical sense and serves only to misdirect the viewer at the expense of believability.
It would be one thing if the conversation were spoken loud enough for Nick and Gina to hear, throwing off their scent to look innocent. But again, Rocky and the woman deliberately whisper to each other while Nick and Gina sit feet away, making only the audience privy to their conversation. Another thing to consider is the performative aspect of Rocky and his lady, which began with them taking on the identities of their victims. Could they be playing a grand charade in the tent to distract Nick and Gina from the truth? Doubtful, considering Nick and Gina do not hear a word they say in the tent as they pretend to fear for their lives.
For an otherwise engaging murder mystery with gorgeous scenery and excellent performances, the ludicrous plot twist in A Perfect Getaway makes little sense, and it nearly ruins the entire experience. The tent scene only functions to distract the viewer temporarily; it has no bearing on the other characters who would benefit most from hearing the exchange. Granted, Rocky and his girlfriend are purported meth-addicts who aren’t of sound mind, and who could, in theory, be role-playing as the victims. However, with that silly self-indulgent act inside the tent, they’re the ones who graduated to the official crazy category. A Perfect Getaway is streaming on HBO Max.
- Release Date
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August 7, 2009
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Writers
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David Twohy
- Producers
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Camille Brown, Ken Halsband, Mark Canton, Robbie Brenner, Tucker Tooley, Ryan Kavanaugh
