Non-Stop (2014)

A burnt out alcoholic U.S. air marshal (Liam Neeson) is on a flight from New York to London when he receives a text message from an unknown source telling him someone will be killed every 20 minutes until $150 million dollars is transferred to an account. From that point on, things get really out of control. I've never quite accepted the term "guilty pleasure" in my vocabulary. Why should I feel guilt out of anything that gives me pleasure? Well, after seeing NON-STOP, it just may be my first guilty pleasure. I should feel guilty about enjoying it. It's poorly written, crammed with cardboard character stereotypes, pedestrian dialog and preposterous unrealistic eye rolling situations yet I loved every tense filled moment of it (I hadn't chewed my fingernails this close in years). Of course, in nonsense like this it helps to have actors the caliber of Neeson and Julianne Moore (as his seatmate) in the central roles. They miraculously manage to ground the absurdity of it all into something that passes for believability. It's all slambang excitement and action but check your mind at the door, you won't need it. Well directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. With Michelle Dockery (DOWNTON ABBEY), Scoot McNairy, Linus Roache and recent Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o who hopefully will avoid such inconsequential parts in the future.