Non-Stop

Non-Stop

Starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery, Lupita Nyong'o

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a Federal Air Marshal with a very troubled past.  On a flight to London he gets a suspicious text message over a secure line, demanding $150 million to be transferred to a particular account, or a passenger will die every 20 minutes.

As the story progresses, suspicion falls on Marks himself, when the pilot discovers the account the money was to be transferred to is Marks' own account.  As he struggles to free his name - as well as keep 150 passengers safe - Marks has to rely on all his skills in order to make it back to land alive.

Director Jaume Collett-Serra ("Unknown,""Orphan") is known for directing films with a highly cerebral story that forces the watcher to pay close attention to everything that happens in his films from beginning to end, and "Non-Stop" is no exception.  From the first scene to the last, the film draws the viewer into the intense modern whodunit spectacle.

Is Marks somehow behind this deadly plan?  Or is someone framing him in a very elaborate manner that no one can fully understand?  The suspect list is as vast as the plane itself - from the mysterious Jen (Julianne Moore) to Marks' stewardess friend Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and everyone in between.

There has been a lot of debate on the ending, which I will obviously not get into because it would ruin the entire movie, but if you go into the film with an open mind, and understanding you can't always assume the normal, you'll find the ending to be rather provocative.

Neeson is in his element here, and at the ripe young age of 61 years old, shows how he has more action prowess than men half his age.  Sure, you get the inevitable "Taken" reverences, but Liam Neeson still knows how to kick some serious butt.

The only downside of the film is the errant uselessness of  Lupita Nyong'o.  This recent Academy Award winner for her performance in "12 Years a Slave" is barely used in the film, which might be because the film was shot around the same time and people didn't understand her awesome acting ability, but I still found it a waste for such a talented up-and-coming actress.

My Rating: A-