Non-Stop Review

"Six hours. One Seat. Nobody can get to you."

Film review by Isaac Handelman

Liam Neeson has become something of an oddity in today’s Hollywood landscape. The 61-year-old Irish actor, once known for his gut-wrenching dramatic roles in renowned films such as Schindler’s List, is now popping up -- on an almost annual basis -- in beginning-of-the-year action thrillers. Critics would say that Neeson has sold out to the bundles of box office cash that these more typical roles haul in, but few of those who’ve actually watched any of Neeson’s action-oriented roles would complain too much, and Non-Stop, Neeson’s latest, is no exception.

Ideally, one would watch Non-Stop whilst knowing almost nothing about the film, as its twist-filled narrative lends itself nicely to a blind viewing. Unfortunately, the film’s trailers, which will undoubtedly draw in a good portion of its audience, have given away a disheartening amount of the film’s content. However, plenty of exciting, unexpected turns lay in wait even for those who’ve been following the film up to its release. Without giving away too much, Non-Stop focuses on alcoholic air marshal Bill Marks (Neeson) who is issued a series of ominous threats via text message while on a transatlantic flight. Marks must uncover the perpetrator and his motive if he hopes to see the plane to a safe landing.

Non-Stop’s setup is intriguing and clever, and the film builds effectively to each of its “big” moments. The claustrophobic nature of Non-Stop’s setting is captured well, and lends freshness to the proceedings, making for some interesting situations and character interactions. The best bits of Non-Stop come when the audience is totally in the dark as to what is going on; the film’s screenwriters are so intent on keeping the audience guessing all the way through that they throw logic out the window on more than one occasion. Action-thrillers don’t need to be grounded in reality to remain compelling, but Non-Stop’s silly insistence on never showing its hand before the finale -- though effective in practice -- occasionally causes the film to divert into preposterous territory. In fact, the film’s weakest link is its ultimate explanation of the villain’s motives, which are so ludicrous and far-fetched that it’s more amusing than enlightening. Instead of lending meaning to what came before, the big reveal takes a shot at making a broader statement, and it fails miserably at doing so.

But unlike plane rides, Non-Stop is about the journey, not the destination, and the journey is tense, taut, and slickly staged. Bill Marks himself is an immediately intriguing character; though his background is somewhat cliched, Neeson lends Marks an emotional edge, characterizing the protagonist as a truly conflicted soul. He’s that all-too-familiar good guy in a bad situation, but as far as the archetype goes, Neeson plays it near perfectly. He even has a few interesting exchanges with his cabin-mates, with the highlights being Julianne Moore, Corey Stoll and Omar Metwally. The film does make one laughable attempt to endear its audience to a little girl named Becca (played by Quinn McColgan), which falls utterly flat and feels entirely shoehorned in for the sake of adding a few seconds of extra tension to the climax.

As the stakes rise and the tension heightens, Marks’ character becomes more and more compelling, and his predicament is genuinely frightening. The way Marks must juggle his orders from ground with the action of the pilots and the growing restlessness of the passengers, all while attempting to hunt down a villain among them, ensures that Non-Stop plays as more multi-layered than your typical Neeson action vehicle. Though its final revelation doesn’t pay off, the film has moments of intelligent psychological exploration sprinkled throughout.

Non-Stop is let down by its own insistence on remaining suspenseful. It’s undeniably successful at remaining unpredictable, but the underlying mystery has a preposterous, ill-conceived outcome. Still, if you’re willing to forgive a weak finale, the bulk of Non-Stop is well-crafted enough to remain compelling throughout. Neeson’s commanding onscreen presence coupled with some narrative ingenuity and a multitude of twists keep Non-Stop barrelling along at an entertaining pace until its final unfortunate nosedive.