Timothy Olyphant’s ‘A Perfect Getaway’ Features the Worst Plot Twist

by

Sometimes, a single scene can completely change how you see a movie. Take the 2009 thriller, A Perfect Getaway, starring Timothy Olyphant. This fun, island-based mystery follows newlyweds in Hawaii who are being hunted by a pair of killers. With a strong cast – including Kiele Sanchez, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Chris Hemsworth, and Marley Shelton – the movie keeps you guessing about who the murderers are and why they’re doing it, making it a really engaging watch.

David Twohy, the director of Pitch Black, includes a confusing plot twist in A Perfect Getaway that ultimately doesn’t make sense once you know who the real killers are. While the killers enjoy putting on a show, this twist feels forced and detracts from what is otherwise a gripping murder mystery. It unfortunately risks ruining the whole experience.

What Is ‘A Perfect Getaway’ About?


Rogue Pictures

David Twohy wrote and directed the thriller A Perfect Getaway, which takes place in Hawaii. The movie centers around newlyweds Cliff (Zahn) and Cydney Anderson (Jovovich) during their honeymoon. They encounter two hitchhikers, Kale (Hemsworth) and Cleo (Shelton), but part ways with them after Kale displays a quick temper.

Okay, so I just watched this thriller and it starts with a couple, Cliff and Cydney, meeting another pair – Nick and Gina – while hiking in Hawaii. They quickly become friends, and Nick actually pushes Cliff to turn his incredible, and frankly unbelievable, life story into a movie – he’s a former soldier with serious survival skills who suffered a traumatic head injury. But things get really tense when they start hearing news reports about a double murder on the island, committed by… you guessed it, another couple. Suddenly, everyone’s looking at each other sideways, and the friendly vibes start to feel seriously creepy. You’re left wondering who’s telling the truth and who might be hiding something dangerous.

Although everyone was on edge, the arrest of Kale and Cleo – after police found teeth belonging to the victims in Kale’s backpack – eased some of the suspicion. However, Cliff and Nick decided to explore the cave where the victims were last known to be, separating from Cydney and Gina. When everyone got back together, Cliff and Cydney had a private conversation in a tent that, looking back, was completely nonsensical.

The Ridiculous Plot Twist in ‘A Perfect Getaway,’ Explained


Rogue Pictures

When Cliff and Cydney see Nick return to the beach with an elk he killed with a crossbow, they start to suspect something is wrong. Nick and Gina then begin to butcher the elk for food, which makes Cliff and Cydney even more uneasy. This leads the audience to believe they now fully suspect Nick and Gina are the serial killers targeting honeymooners in Hawaii.

Here’s the strange part: after Nick and Gina killed an animal, Cliff and Cydney had a private talk in their tent. Even though the tent was open and Nick and Gina were visible nearby, they whispered as if they couldn’t be overheard.

Cliff warns Cydney that Nick and Seline have become completely unhinged. He suggests they need to leave quickly and have a believable excuse ready. Cliff jokes that they could pretend to think Nick and Seline are the killers. With only two miles left to the beach, Cliff urges Cydney to stall Nick by letting him believe he’s the center of attention, and to keep both Nick and Seline content so everyone makes it to the beach safely.

The conversation between Cliff and Cydney seems perfectly normal at the time. However, once the actual murderers are known, that same conversation throws the whole mystery into doubt.

Who Are the Real Killers in ‘A Perfect Getaway’?


Rogue Pictures

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the shocking twist in A Perfect Getaway is that Cliff and Cydney are actually the murderers. Cliff, whose real name is Rocky, and his girlfriend are addicted to meth and have been killing honeymooners in Hawaii to steal their money and belongings to support their habit.

After killing a couple, Rocky and his girlfriend steal their identities to learn more about their lives, with Rocky’s accomplice pretending to be a screenwriter. They were actually the ones who killed the real Cliff and Cydney – the people Kale and Cleo were wrongly accused of murdering. Nick and Gina finally figure out Rocky and his girlfriend are the true killers when Gina recognizes the real Cliff and Cydney in wedding photos found on Rocky’s camera.

Once Rocky and his accomplice are revealed as the killers, the film turns into a standard chase through the Hawaiian jungle. While the ending might still surprise viewers who haven’t seen it, it makes you immediately question the bizarre conversation between Rocky and his girlfriend earlier in the movie. Why would the actual killers pretend to be scared of Nick and Gina, when they were the ones doing the killing all along? It doesn’t make any sense and feels like a cheap trick to mislead the audience, sacrificing the story’s credibility.

As a fan, I’ve been puzzling over something. It’s weird that Rocky and the woman keep whispering – it’s not like Nick and Gina could overhear them even if they wanted to! It feels so deliberate, like they want us to notice something. And it started when they pretended to be Nick and Gina’s victims, which is just… strange. It makes you wonder if they’re putting on a big show, trying to distract Nick and Gina. But honestly, it doesn’t seem to be working, since Nick and Gina are completely oblivious and think their lives are in danger, never hearing a word of what’s actually being said.

Despite beautiful scenery and strong acting, the movie A Perfect Getaway is let down by a nonsensical plot twist that almost derails the whole experience. A key scene involving a tent feels like a pointless distraction, as the conversation within it wouldn’t have impacted the characters who needed to hear it most. While the characters Rocky and his girlfriend are established as troubled individuals, their behavior in the tent pushes them into unbelievable territory. You can watch A Perfect Getaway on HBO Max.

Read More

2025-11-12 23:04