Non-Stop

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre: Action thriller
Starring: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery, Lupita Nyong'o
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: February 28, 2014
My Rating: 8.5/10

Liam Neeson stars in this action-packed thriller about a US Federal air marshall named Bill Marks, who one day boards a plane with non-stop service from New York to London. After a few minutes on the flight, he receives a series of mysterious text messages from an unknown sender stating that he/she is a passenger on the plane, and that this person will kill a fellow passenger every 20 minutes unless $150 million are wired electronically to a bank account. Determined to find this hijacker at all costs, Marks begins as thorough an investigation as he can, enlisting the help of a woman sitting beside him on the plane Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), and a flight attendant named Nancy (Michelle Dockery). He also initially consults with a fellow air marshall, Jack Hammond as to which course of action to take with regards to the threat.

This is a role very similar to the ones Liam Neeson has played in recent years, recalling other box-office hits such as the Taken films and the 2011 thriller Unknown (also directed by Collet-Serra). Some audience members may tire of this gruff, relentless modern-day hero type but I think it fits this actor very well, and Neeson once again delivers a heart-pounding performance as an air marshall who, despite being suspected as the hijacker of the plane by many and for several reasons, risks a lot in order to restore security to the flight.
British actress Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) also brings a noteworthy performance as a terrified yet strong stewardess who is attempting her best to aid the air marshall to capture the hijacker.

The film is filled with suspense, and at first may seem like a very typical thriller reminiscent of movies like Air Force One (1997), but eventually unfolds in a way that is shocking. The plot twist in the final minutes of the film was completely unexpected. The final sequence, where the action is resolved, is rather intense, as is one of the passenger deaths. Although a scene or two could have been removed, since the middle portion of the movie appears to drag on for quite some time, the end proved to be very satisfying.