"It was a dark and stormy night" horror flick that will keep you guessing.

During a huge storm (that's flooded the roads and taken out the phones) fate brings together a group of people who all end up at a remote desert hotel due to different circumstances. There's ex-cop turned limo driver John Cusack, cop Ray Liotta and his prisoner Jake Busey, prostitue trying to go good Amanda Peet, a family headed by John C. McGinley, Hollywood actress diva Rebecca DeMornay and newlyweds Clea Duvall and William Lee Scott. Soon they start getting killed one-by-one and have to try and find out the mystery behind the entire events (a mystery that the audience gets to share in) and why they all seem marked for death and share the same birthday. At the same time a last minute appeal for a soon to be executed serial killer is going on and may tie into the events.

Unconventional film is a confident effort from director James Mangold with lots of eerie mood, some good suspense, a great sense of foreboding dread and one really twisty script that has events that fit together nicely with multiple surprises and a great twist end.

Throw into the fact that it's strongly acted by all involved, has some good shocks and is directed well and you have this great film that's the best horror flick of 2003 (so far).

Written by Michael Cooney who genre fans will known from making both Jack Frost movies - talk about night and day.

Directed By: James Mangold.
Written By: Michael Cooney.

Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Clea Duvall.