Non-Stop (2014) User Reviews

Keeps You Guessing

[statuskuo · 7/10 · 3 March 2014]

This surprised me. A thriller on a plane that has you thinking you know all the answers (because we're such expert movie watches), then flips it. Yes, it's a contrived subplot. And the reasoning behind this terrorist act is goofy, BUT...it is a lot of fun. It interweaves a really elaborate set-up that you have to focus on to understand.

Also, for people who think they're sophisticated in camera motion. Think about that space. The camera moves in (perceived) 360 degrees without a) seeing camera shadow b) camera angle is near impossible with the movements they had. This is visually sophistication that most won't see or care. But it adds a ton to the claustrophobia.

Julianne Moore is great, as always. Neeson is perfect for this role, but one has to wonder how this behemoth of a guy fits in a airplane bathroom.

Decent plane-bound murder mystery

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 29 November 2014]

NON-STOP is another movie featuring Liam Neeson in his newfound 'hard man' role following on from the success of TAKEN. This time around, he's a boozy Air Marshall working a routine flight who suddenly finds himself caught up in a murder mystery involving ransom demands and some high-octane action. Pretty soon it's a race against the clock to stop the murderer from committing any more crimes.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, given the middling reviews; after all, Neeson's last film UNKNOWN was a disappointment. The good news is that NON-STOP is a lot better, a film that holds it together for the most part. The main thing is that it keeps you watching throughout with nary a slow moment in sight. Neeson is on strong form as the grumpy antihero and I particularly liked his brutal treatment of the suspects - no nice-guy pussyfooting around here, just blunt force when needed. Inevitably the scriptwriters throw in a few fight scenes to keep action fans happy and they all work very well. The script is tight and focused and kept realistic as possible, only becoming over the top in a few moments.

The film isn't perfect, but the problems tend to be minor. I could have done without the SHERLOCK-copying on-screen texts, and I could have also done without the disappointing Julianne Moore once more forced down our throats in a role she really isn't suited for. In fact, not many of the supporting cast are that great, apart from maybe Linus Roache. Still, this is a film which is all about the plot and for the most part it works; I know I enjoyed it.

A GREAT ENTERTAINING MYSTERY THRILLER

[lukem-52760 · 7/10 · 20 April 2020]

Liam Neeson is an action legend in his own right & has made some of the most entertaining Action Thriller's of the about the last ten years, we've had Neeson vs wolves in the snowy wilderness survival Thriller The Grey & we've had his iconic kidnap & revenge Taken Trilogy & his memory loss Mystery with Unknown & his troubled grizzled Detective Crime Thriller, A Walk Among The Tombstones & his Survive the night chase Thriller, Run All Night, all excellent Neeson flicks. So it's definitely safe to say that Neeson is an action Hero legend just a later in life ageing action hero but already he's one of the greats in my opinion & i just totally enjoy his films as he takes out plenty of villains & saves the day, he makes high class slick, big budget action Thriller's that are a perfect night time watch as a "Popcorn" flick.

Non-stop is a smart & stylish suspenseful Murder Mystery Thriller with some good action scenes but it's mainly in the Thriller genre just like Neesons other Mystery Thriller flick "Unknown" with the same Director (Jaume Collet-Serra) who obviously has a great working relationship with the ageing action star as they've made so far four films together with Unknown, Non-stop, Run All Night & The Commuter. Here Neeson plays another troubled & rugged type of character with a very sad backstory as an Air Marshall named Bill Mark who gets thrown right into a deadly mystery aboard his flight with a terrorist messaging him about a passenger with die every twenty minutes if his demands are not met. Neeson does give such a good paranoid & frustrated performance & has created one of his best characters in my opinion.

The suspense is high & very claustrophobic as our hero is stuck on the plane wondering up & down the aisles & looking at the passenger's wondering who it is. I liked the quiet & lonely night time atmosphere. This is a smart Mystery & an exciting one too & it has a nice night time feel to it & a slick look & a great supporting cast with an excellent Julianne Moore in a good solid role here with some nice character depth & back story as Jen, a passenger who helps our hero & we have an off duty New York Cop named Austin played by Corey Stoll & he's a good character here too & there's also solid performances from Scoot McNairy, Nate Parker, Michelle Dokery & Lupita Nyong'O. Non-stop is a fun popcorn Thriller that keeps you guessing & wondering who is doing this & why? How many terrorists? It's a clever story & also frustrating as Neeson's Character is constantly being look at as the terrorist himself as things keep happening & pointing directly at him by the clever terrorist. Just an enjoyable Neeson thriller & he's so good at them.

Entertaining

[AvionPrince16 · 6/10 · 8 September 2021]

The movie have a way to approach the airplane disaster in different way and that was pretty good. The play with the killer and liam neeson were pretty entertaining and we wonder until the end who is behind all of that. And the twist at the end can let us very surprised by the name of the killer. Was pretty entertaining with some psychological point sometimes. I recommend it.

Engaging until the last minute

[pawanpunjabithewriter · 9/10 · 24 January 2022]

"Non-stop" stands as the most captivating film I've ever encountered. This Airplane-Crime-Mystery-Thriller concept instantly intrigues. The movie commences impressively and maintains its promise through the initial half-hour aboard the plane. While it stumbles slightly afterward, it remains a high-octane thriller that outpaces most in recent years. The escalating conflicts faced by the Marshal inject excitement, particularly during the riveting 20-minute game that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

As conflicts intensify, the exhilarating pursuit to identify the criminal unfolds, accompanied by a palpable sense of risk and the ticking clock. The possible hijacking adds to the stimulating atmosphere. Although the film could have explored certain aspects further, its breakneck pace prevents exhaustive coverage. Despite some minor flaws, the frequent pulse-quickening moments make it a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

As an admirer of engaging Crime Thrillers, "Non-stop" pleasantly surprised me, defying expectations given its airplane / hijack setting. Alongside "Sully," it ranks among my top airplane-themed movies.

Non-Stop

[0U · 20 February 2020]

When I first saw previews for this I called it "Taken Plane." After seeing it, it is everything but that. Excellent script that keeps you guessing and trying to figure out "who dun it." Liam Neeson does a great job and keeps you rooting for him the entire film. He gets a great supporting cast as well. Top notch performance by Corey Stoll as the NYPD detective passenger on the plane as well. The only downside to this film was that when the film started it almost seemed like the first 2-4 minutes were cut and just dropped you right into the film. A little confusing but nothing extreme to take away from the rest of the film.

Surprisingly entertaining

[ezranelson98 · 8/10 · 12 March 2014]

I never was a huge fan of Liam Neeson's action flicks, but I went to see this because of the good reviews. This movie is a very suspenseful and a great "Whodunnit" movie. It it's share of action scenes, but it never went too over the top. Even if you don't like Liam Neeson, this movie is worth seeing and is a guaranteed good time. Lot's of twists and suspicious characters leave you guessing and most likely wrong. Lot's of on the edge-of- your-seat scenes because of how well it was made and has a silent and lonely feel to it which helps you understand everything going on. Overall, this movie is a great thriller without being packed full of action.

Totally unrealistic yet pretty good.

[Shopaholic35 · 6/10 · 21 February 2015]

Geez this movie is suspenseful. Who would have thought that a movie set solely on a plane could be so entertaining. It keeps you guessing the whole way as to who dunnit. Honestly the one person who is behaving strangely is Liam Neeson's character. He is a seriously angry man and should not be allowed to have a gun or a badge. The whole time you cannot help but think how unrealistic it all is. Normal people would never get into this situation.

Aside from the ridiculousness of the whole concept I'm not sure the ending needed to be so deep and political. I wish it stayed totally action and didn't try to be all deep and intellectual. Luckily that was a very small part of the movie. Overall though pretty good.

Non-stop thrills and suspense!

[OllieSuave-007 · 8/10 · 10 March 2014]

This is an action-thriller starring Liam Neeson as U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks who, while boarding a flight to London, receives text messages from an unknown assailant, threatening that if he doesn't transfer $150 million to an account, a fatality will occur on the plane every 20 minutes unless Marks complies with the money request.

The film starts off with some intrigue, showing Marks depressed, consuming alcohol and having a couple of run-ins with some passengers before he boards the plane, already giving the audience the impression that Marks is a disturbed person and making us eager to know what his background story is. Jen Summers (Julianne Moore) sits next to Marks on the plane, whose background story is also a mystery until later on in the film, providing us with another interesting subplot.

However, the main plot and action come almost immediately after the plane takes to the air when Marks starts receiving the threatening text messages. What follows is a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as Marks attempt to find the perpetrator and, when the casualties start to mount, it becomes a thrilling roller-coaster ride.

The screenwriter team wrote an exhilarating story that really captures the audience attention from start to finish and Jaume Collet-Serra directed a solid plot that kept the movie's pace going strong, leaving no room with unnecessary fillers that tends to drag the story. There are a few camp and corny moments here and there, but the acting was realistic and believable enough to keep the movie dramatic and engaging.

Overall, it's a great action film that is full of twists and turns that will make you glued to the screen and have you guessing the unpredictable outcomes. Highly recommended.

Grade B+

For Liam Neeson Fans

[frosty-44431 · 7/10 · 6 February 2021]

Not a bad movie. I think I enjoyed this more as Liam is one of my favourite actors. Definitely not Taken standard but comes close.

Terrific aerial thriller by Spanish director Jaume Collet Serra and full of action, suspense and tension

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 November 2014]

Nail-biting and astounding thriller stunningly directed by the Spanish director Jaume Collet -Serra . Outstanding action movie plenty of thrills , suspense , intrigue , twists and turns . An excellent whodunit deals with an air marshal (Liam Neeson) springs into action during a transatlantic flight (the airplane used in the film is a Boeing 767-300) after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk unless the airline transfers $150 million into an off-shore account . After several e-mails , only to discover that someone has taken on his account and that no one , not even the crew , believes him . With the help of a young flight attendant (Michelle Dockery) and a likable passenger (Julianne Moore) he sets out to prove who he is . He confronts enemies in order to find out the true killer , but someone is still after him and is forced to take up violent means to discover them . He takes the law on his own hands and acting as a desperate person . The hijacking was just the beginning .

This exciting film contains suspense , thrills , noisy action, shootouts , violent fights and plot twits . From start to final the frantic action and fast movement is unstopped . The motion picture is only set on two scenarios : the airport and mostly plane . However this doesn't make boring it , as the movie will appeal to suspense enthusiasts and thriller lovers . The aircraft is clearly fictional, a type is never referred to during the course of the film , whilst it appears to be the size of a Boeing 767-400, the cabin interior, door operation & arrangement and flight deck layout do not match this type of aircraft. The set for the plane was built very slightly larger than a standard commercial airliner to accommodate Neeson's 6'4" height for filming and roughly 200 extras were cast , all of them stayed throughout filming . The runtime movie is overlong : two hours and some but isn't slow-moving and is amount amusing for suspense and intrigue . Liam Neeson is top-notch as a drunken and discredited air marshal ; Liam Neeson has propelled many an action thriller to big box office numbers, as Unknown , Taken 2 and this Non-stop . Accompany efficiently to starring two nice actresses as Julianne Moore and Michelle Dockery . There are many suspects , all support cast formed by good secondaries such as Scoot McNairy , Corey Stoll , Jon Abrahams , Nate Parker , Jason Butler , Linus Roache , Shea Whigham , Anson Mount and Lupita Nyong'o who in her next film would win an Academy Award .

Colorful cinematography by cameraman Flavio Martinez Labiano using Steadicam and with majority locations from plane interior . The musician John Ottman creates a stirring , rousing soundtrack fitting to frenetic action . Lavishly produced including spectacular scenes by the successful American producer Joel Silver . The flick was compellingly directed by Jaume Collet-Serra . Collet is an expert director of terror movies as ¨Orphan¨, ¨House of wax¨ and for TV , ¨The river¨ , and of course his greatest hit was ¨Unknown¨ also with Liam Neeson and similar artistic team as cameraman Flavio Laviano , musician John Ottman and producer Joel Silver . Rating : Better than average, well worth seeing . The picture will appeal to explosive action fans .

Non-sense

[rooee · 6/10 · 10 March 2014]

Much of the tension in Non-Stop trades off the likability of its star, Liam Neeson. It's a conceit frequently used by Alfred Hitchcock, from Henry Fonda to Anthony Perkins. Jaume Collet-Serra's film doesn't mine the dark psychological depths of Hitch's best output, but it's a lean and sometimes amusingly mean thriller.

What starts as a high concept mid-90s straight-to-video plot – a passenger will be bumped off every 20 minutes unless Air Marshall Bill Marks (Neeson) arranges for $150m to be transferred to the perp's account – soon becomes a nail-biting, disbelief-suspending whodunit (or who's-doing-it). The film is elevated above the ordinary by Neeson's depiction of the boozy, grief-stricken Marks: there are moments when we truly share the passengers' distrust of the man apparently going mad in their midst.

Marks communicates with the hijacker via text message. Here, Collet-Serra comes up with a nifty way of presenting these conversations through graphics overlaid on the screen, negating the usual tension-killing cut to a tiny cellphone screen. Incidentally, the bad guy/gal must win the award for fastest thumbs in the English-speaking world.

Superior character actors like Linus Roache and Scoot McNairy provide decent support, although recent Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o is wasted as a gasping air stewardess. And is there any reason for Julianne Moore to be in this movie? Well, there's always a reason for Julianne Moore to be on the screen. But her character isn't really any more than an extra suspect and an excuse for some agonisingly cheesy and unconvincing flirtation. I guess one could argue she adds "heart" to the movie – except this is a movie which is most fun when it's at its most heartless.

The dialogue is lousy; the look is advert glossy; the CGI is poor; the performances are hugely variable; the action is brief and messy; the plot is preposterous (especially the final third). All in all, like Collet-Serra's and Neeson's previous outing, the Frantic-esque Unknown, this is an efficient and enjoyable thriller which will never be lauded as a classic, and never really attempts to make any sense, but further cements its star as the go-to guy for solid, ruffled, old school rough 'n' tumble.

Great "Edge-Of-Your-Seat" Film

[Taizpian · 9/10 · 25 February 2014]

I saw an advanced screening of this movie yesterday, and I was absolutely blown away. I had hoped it would be a fun thrill-ride, but I did not expect it to be as exciting and involved as it was.

My favorite part of this movie, was the fact that it takes a plot that is implausible, and makes it as plausible as possible. You can definitely tell that the writers did their research on air marshals, airplane mechanics, etc. There was not one moment in this film that I was bored, and it was filled to the brim with twists, and turns.

There definitely is a lot that went into this movie, and even though it'll have you thinking more deeply about the security of airlines, most of all it's just a really, really fun ride.

Perfect action-thriller with outstanding performance by Liam Neeson

[ketgup83 · 8/10 · 11 March 2014]

Over the years, Liam Neeson has established his own brand as action- thriller star with immensely likable Taken, Unknown and The Grey.

Liam Neeson stars as Air Marshal Bill who must race against time to stop a killer aboard the same air-borne plane from executing his heinous plan. Trouble starts when an anonymous person starts messaging Bill over his secure network that a passenger will be killed every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a bank account. As people start dying in unexpected ways, Bill faces a nemesis whom he cannot see and stop. As the movie races forward, every character evokes suspicion including Bill himself.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra whose previous work includes Orhpan and Unknown, Non-stop is race against time thriller with a great cast and perfect actors being chosen for every role. Background score is energizing which gels well with the mood of film. Camera-work is outstanding. Liam Neeson is undoubtedly stupendous in his performance.The movie is carried by Liam Neeson all the way as you will realize how the time flies with the non-stop twists and turns. Liam has an innate ability to carry off such roles with great panache. Action sequences are quick with a special mention for the scene in the restroom followed by the stand-off with the passengers.

Overall, a perfect action-thriller with outstanding performance by Liam Neeson

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Much Better Than I Expected

[Sahl_95 · 9/10 · 7 March 2014]

When I first saw the trailer, I thought it would just be another generic action movie. However, I found myself to be enjoying the movie and was entertained.

Non-Stop stars Liam Neeson as air marshall Bill Marks. The journey starts out as any other until he gets a text from an unknown person which says that he will kill one person every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a bank account.

As the movie progresses, the stakes get higher and things just keep getting worse for Liam Neeson's character. If you haven't watched the trailer, there is a twist which would have made some scenes much better. In my opinion, don't think they should have shown that in the trailer.

Along the way, there are some sweet action scenes and plenty of moments to keep you guessing. You will have to suspend a lot of disbelief though, some of the events that happened were timed so perfectly and seemed just lucky to even occur the way it did.

The final third of the movie, although very entertaining, felt a bit weaker than the rest of the movie. Mainly because of the reasons of the villains -didn't really like reason. Apart from that, I enjoyed the action, the story and the ending. Plenty of action to keep you entertained and a decent story.

The air above

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 2 June 2014]

With a title like Non-Stop you expect non stop action but this is more a thriller with periodical action scenes to keep the beats going. After all Liam Neeson is in his 60s and cannot keep on fighting all through the film.

Neeson is an air marshal with personal problems and a fondness for drink. As the flight takes off he receives a series of text messages asking for millions of dollars to be deposited in a bank account or someone will die every 20 minutes.

The texts are popped on screen in the style of the TV series 'Sherlock' which is a blessing for the viewer.

Neeson now has to find the person making the threats, suspect all passengers and even the fight crew. On the other hand his warnings are not taken seriously and 20 minutes into the first threat the first person dies.

The movie is far fetched and convoluted. The reveal is difficult to fathom but it is an enjoyable film as Neeson desperately tries to find the villain while he increasingly looks like he is losing it and attracts suspicion himself.

This Kept Me Interested - For About An Hour

[sddavis63 · 5/10 · 23 April 2016]

The most unfortunate thing about "Non-Stop" is that it's 1:46 long. That last :46 was just too much for me. Seriously - I was enjoying this for the most part for the first hour or so, and then it just lost me. Not that I didn't understand it - it just stopped interesting me. Too much that was happening just wasn't making enough sense. Sure, I get that in an action movie you sometimes have to suspend your disbelief - but I was being asked to suspend too much disbelief.

First was the rather - shall we say - convoluted plan that the bad guys had hatched. The story revolves around a plan to extort $150 million from an airline - or someone - and a threat to kill one passenger every twenty minutes unless the money is paid. Or the plane is going to be blown up. Or it's going to be blown up anyway regardless I guess. Whatever. This plot depended on so many little details going absolutely right. It depended on things happening to the split second. Or, if it didn't depend on that, still so many things happened right on the split second that it was bewildering. Like the twenty minute thing. Liam Neeson's Agent Marks could literally set his watch by this timing. The deaths happen literally at the 20 minute mark - not 20 minutes and 30 seconds, or 19 minutes and 45 seconds, but literally at 20 minutes - even though there was no way the plotters could have possibly controlled everything that needed to happen so precisely. And how did these guys plan to escape anyway? Sure they had parachutes. So they were going to jump into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? (This was a flight from the US to London.) What would they do then? And how did they set up all these bank accounts - hundreds of them apparently - all around the world? What? And how did they know that Agent Marks was going to be on this specific flight? Because a lot of their plan seemed to revolve around their knowledge of some of the troubled personal details of his life. And - if his superiors trusted him so little that they wouldn't believe him when a crisis on a flight came up and would readily accept that he was actually a suspect, why was he still an air marshall in the first place? It was all mind-boggling.

And it worked for a while. Convoluted? Unbelievable? To the point of ridiculousness? Sure it was, but I could hang in for about an hour in the hope that some sense would be made of this. But it never was. After about an hour I just started thinking how long it was taking this movie to end. Which is never a good sign.

There were things I liked about it. Liam Neeson was pretty good. Generally speaking I like Liam Neeson. He worked in the role of Marks - the air marshall dealing with a lot of personal demons. Julianne Moore was pretty good as Marks' seatmate on the plane - the one passenger he seemed able to trust and so he brings her into the circle and she starts to help him get control of the situation. I appreciated the fact that no one decided to introduce a romance between these two. That would have made me roll my eyes a lot sooner than I did. I appreciated the fact that the only Muslim on board the plane was a good guy. I did wonder about his medical knowledge. He identified himself as a molecular neuroscientist or something. Why? Why not just call him a doctor? There seemed no particular reason to make him a molecular neuroscientist if he was going to be providing medical care. But at least he wasn't one of the bad guys.

This worked for a while. There was just too much going on that made the whole story implausible. (5/10)

Non-Stop may not be as relentless as its title suggests, but it is undeniably entertaining.

[TheMovieDiorama · 7/10 · 25 February 2018]

I despise the title of this film. Automatically brings out connotations of blandness and genericness, kind of like a Straight-To-DVD low budget action film starring Bruce Willis or Nicholas Cage. However, the Neeson and Collet-Serra combination is a winning formula as this is yet another fun ride. A damaged Air Marshal is trapped in a murderous mystery where he must transfer $150 million to a bank account. If he doesn't, a passenger will meet their demise every 20 minutes until he does so. All of this happens on board a long plane journey. It works, it works so well. Very reminiscent to 'Flightplan', but far more focussed on the characters. Like with any mystery, the list of suspects need to be developed to a point where the final reveal shocks you. Given the small runtime, I believe the character developments were adequate. Their backstories and motives are naturally revealed. It's not a case of our protagonist interviewing each one in turn, he instead provokes them and addresses the passengers as one entity. Sure there are times where he questions individuals, which is necessary to identify possible suspects, but that cannot be avoided. I appreciate the small details in these characters. Moore's vulnerability is shown as she explains why she sits on the window seat, our Air Marshal's troubled past is revealed which questions the authenticity of his actions. It's very twisty, full of turns and a meticulously thought out narrative. The final reveal and motives are slightly blurred and unmemorable, although I was still on the edge of my seat...even after my fifth viewing! The claustrophobic environment adds to the suspense and tension. Liam Neeson still thrives on his rejuvenated action career. I did roll my eyes at the end where he was saving the little girl, makes his character arc far too predictable. Non-Stop is not going to fly away as a classic thriller, but it lands with such confidence that it's hard not to enjoy this.

Suspenseful 6.5/10

[welhof1 · 6/10 · 13 August 2023]

This movie was definitely suspenseful. I was tired when I watched it and I normally would've fallen asleep but I was awake the entire time with this one. I really like movies like that.

The ending was my main gripe. More so like the last 20 minutes. The movie started out a kind of whodunnit and kept you guessing. Once the guessing was over it just got pretty silly. I'm trying not to spoil anything, but the reasons for the bad people involved who did what they did were so dumb. They just didn't fit in with the movie.

Pretty good action scenes throughout the movie though and the special effects were pretty good.

Non-Stop was one exciting plane thriller!

[tavm · 9/10 · 2 March 2014]

Just watched this with my movie theatre-working friend. We both were watching this for the first time and we both were thrilled by it. Liam Neeson plays someone taking a flight from London. The only other player we recognized was Julianne Moore and not much is learned about her during most of the narrative except she takes a lot of flights and was coming from a trying day. Oh, and she observes most of the action when Liam talks to the crew on board when the crises happens. Plenty of twists happen when trying to guess which passenger is responsible for some threatening comments on Neeson's tablet so that was a plus. In other words, it was riveting throughout! Really, all I'll say now is I and my friend highly recommend Non-Stop!

Quite a surprise here...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 29 May 2014]

"Non-Stop" didn't really have me lured in by the synopsis alone, and the fact that this was a thriller set on an airplane and starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, didn't really win me over either. But still I decided to give the movie a go.

And now that I have seen it, I can honestly say that "Non-Stop" turned out to be exciting and thrilling non-stop. The movie starts out great and picks up pace, quickly becoming a roller-coaster thrill ride. The movie director, Jaume Collet-Serra, actually managed to put together quite a story here and a well-directed movie.

All throughout the entire movie you have no idea who is the person responsible, and you are constantly sitting there wondering just whom amongst the passengers or crew is the culprit, or if it is not actually air marshal Bill Marks himself. The movie leaves you totally in the dark, having you guessing and speculating, which actually was a good thing. And once the veil is lifted and it was revealed, it was done with an intricate touch that left the unveiling fulfilling and exciting.

The acting in the movie was actually quite good, and despite the fact that the entire movie does take place inside an airplane turned out not to be a hindrance to the movie itself.

If you enjoy a thrilling movie that keeps you guessing and works your nerves and thrills, then "Non-Stop" is well worth your time.

I love this movie quite a bit!

[UniqueParticle · 9/10 · 19 June 2022]

Originally watched in 2015 after having teeth surgery that was quite an experience to be remembered although back then I wasn't reviewing. I love the way Jaume Collet Sara directed this, his films have really changed and blossomed since House of Wax remake. Non-Stop is brilliant especially how it keeps you guessing and stays intriguing throughout the cast is perfect! Might not get enough appreciation but I think it deserves more.

Entertaining in Spite of Some Really Ridiculous Action Scenes

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 24 March 2022]

This film begins with an air marshal by the name of "Bill Marks" (Liam Neeson) going through a rather difficult time in his life but cannot seem to get his superiors to give him the necessary time to deal with his issues. That being said, upon boarding a flight from New York to London, he is sent a text stating that one of the passengers will die within 20 minutes unless $150 million is deposited into a numbered account. Since it's a federal crime to engage an air marshal on his secure line, Bill immediately realizes the seriousness of this action but cannot the other air marshal on board named "Jack Hammond" (Anson Mount) to do likewise. Further complicating matters is the fact that Bill ends up killing Jack at exactly the 20-minute mark in the lavatory. From that point on, nobody knows whether Bill has gone insane and intends to kill everybody or if there is someone else on board with that same goal. Meanwhile, every 20 minute or so another passenger ends up dead--with Bill being the closest person at the time. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining movie by and large in spite of some of the rather ridiculous action scenes. But such is the movie industry these days. In any case, I liked both the overall mystery and the performance of Liam Neeson and I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly above average.

This turned out to be better than I thought it would be!

[SPZMaxinema · 7/10 · 22 August 2022]

While it did get a little bit tiresome and bogged down in the middle, I liked the eventual twist/reveal and how it was handled. Sure there may have been some parts of the movie that came off as impractical and not convincing enough, but it was still reasonably entertaining! Liam Neeson gave a good performance as well as some of the passengers on the plane! And it was good to see Julianne Moore again!

Starts off promisingly, but loses its way and let down completely by a mess of a last third

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 16 June 2016]

'Non-Stop' did have potential. With an intriguing premise, and great actors like Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, what could go wrong? Sadly, while 'Non-Stop' did do some things right it also did a lot of things wrong as well. One of those films where a good but not great film turned into a mediocre and disappointingly uneven one in the last third.

The film does look great, the cinematography is slick and often adds to the atmosphere created, the lighting is moody and neither garish or drab, the special effects are good and don't overload the film in quantity and the confined location is well-chosen and creates a genuine sense of claustrophobia, a feeling maintained for two thirds of the film. The score is also suitably moody, not sounding too obvious or manipulative.

Neeson is a very strong, commanding and appropriately stoic presence, and doesn't lag too much at all in the more action-oriented parts. 'Non-Stop' is atmospherically directed too, and the film is quite good and watchable for two thirds of the duration, the pace takes its time but didn't feel too draggy and there was plenty of suspense and tension with great use of misdirection.

However, the rest of the cast don't make much of an impression. Moore does do her best and she isn't bad but her character didn't feel needed to the story and added little. Chemistry with Neeson was bland. Of the supporting cast, the best performance came from Linus Roache, but his role is not big enough to shine properly. The rest consist of either talented actors who have nothing to do (Michelle Dockery and especially the completely wasted Lupita Nyong'o) or those who overplay or underplay (didn't buy the villains' performances for a second).

'Non-Stop' is most let down by a mess of a last third. Not that the film was perfect up to then, because it wasn't, with a less than stellar supporting cast, the film lacking some momentum in the second half onwards and a patchy script. The last third really underwhelms in nearly every way, it is here where the film particularly loses momentum, the dialogue is particularly hammy (that speech in particular) and it goes overboard in implausibility and lack of credibility, while the final solution is underdeveloped, overplayed and incoherently convoluted.

All in all, promising start and not bad for two thirds of it but the last third really let things down. 5/10 Bethany Cox