Non-Stop – Movie Review

In the new film, Non-Stop, Bill Marks wants you to know he is not a good man. He is an alcoholic, short on small talk, and has quite the lack of respect for Federal laws regarding smoking during air travel. He is also a United States Air Marshall.

During a transatlantic flight, Marks begins receiving anonymous text messengers from someone claiming to be a passenger on board. These texts bring with them a simple promise: Deliver $150 million to an off-shore account or someone will die every 20 minutes. When it becomes obvious that the terrorist is also setting up Marks as a patsy, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse begins 40,000 feet above the nearest salvation.

Even though he is now resting on the other side of 60, there is just no stopping Liam Neeson. As Bill Marks, Neeson reminds us yet again why he is continuously worthy of action films like this. The man is a consummate actor, while also being quite deft with sticking a glock in any random stranger’s face. Whether we are watching Marks navigate the numerous suspects and situations for his airborne version of Clue,  or catching him coming to blows with an assailant in the lavatory, Neeson never loses his aura of believability.

The quality of actors certainly help the cause, yet they are mostly underutilized. The most prominent is Julianne Moore as frequent flier and occasional suspect, Jen Summers. For such a basic-thriller character as this, Moore seems horribly undervalued here, even at one point giving a cheesy monologue seemingly left over from an older Luc Besson film. Yet she does deliver on the constant 2^nd guessing necessary to keep the audience invested in the film’s interior mystery.

There are several other notable character actors (Corey Stoll, Oscar nominee Lupita Nyong’o, and Anson Mount to name a few), and while they are all solid in their roles; this movie rests solely on the shoulders of Liam Neeson and his deep Irish brogue.

Unfortunately, Non-Stop is not quite as sharply written (for the type of film it was) as Taken, and you must decide pretty early on which side of the proverbial fence you want to reside on. Are you unable to remain engaged in a film that ratchets up the suspense, yet leaks logic like a blown fuselage? Or can you suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride? Because that is a choice you will have to make at some point during the film, most notably when you learn the real culprit’s almost laughable motives.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra, who also helmed Neeson’s Unknown, does a fine job setting the film up and keeping you guessing. Make no mistake: even though all logic and practical science has been left in the wind, this is still a tight, taut and fun thriller. Collet-Serra knows the audience wants to see his leading man handling fast action while maintaining that steely Neeson gaze, and he captures it frame-by-frame. The film’s weakness is in the story, especially the gone-bonkers conclusion, never in the presentation.

When it finally lands, you will find yourself scratching your head at the ridiculousness of the in-flight entertainment, yet you will still be glad you made the trip. If you are looking for a ‘Check-your-brain-at-the-door and just have fun’ thriller, Non-Stop will not disappoint.

If $10 is the full price of admission, Non-Stop is worth $6.50
Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider