I haven’t seen Identity since it was in theaters in 2003, so I’m always curious to revisit movies that slipped through the cracks like that. Alas, I remembered just enough about the twist to spoil it for repeat viewing. If you’re unspoiled, it has a great cast doing a murder mystery decades before Knives Out.
Identity is all set on a dark, stormy night on the roads and in a motel room. So the shadows are deep, hiding secrets. Even John Cusack’s towncar is shrouded in darkness.
The sound mix envelops you with the rain and thunder.
Arrow kept the director James Mangold and writer Michael Cooney commentaries and an archival interview segment. Pruitt Taylor Vince and Cathy Konrad give new interviews.
Vince gets personal about discovering acting, and how they did the big reveal scenes in the climax. Konrad also recounts her career as a model of how to rise up the ranks through Amblin and Miramax, as well as producing important indies in the ‘90s. The last ten minutes or so of her interview cover the production of Identity, dealing with the rain and sets. She does mention Adaptation comparisons. If you know, you know.