Identity - analysis

Genre elements / conventions
Identity features a number of conventions and elements you'd find in regular thrillers, because all of the characters are trapped together it raises questions as to what will happen next.
There is a prisoner trapped with the others which include a prostitute, a police officer, a family, a limo driver and actress. This diversity in social groups leads the audience to be constantly on the edge of their seat wanting to know whats going to happen between them next. It also leads to the audience being able to find at least one character they can relate to.

Sub-genre elements
The film includes elements of horror from the beginning. When the film starts it shows an average family which the audience is meant to find unthreatening and relatable. This makes the second scene where the wife is knocked down by a car, which shows the wife seriously injured with a lot of gore on screen.

Certification and Why
The certificate is a 15, mainly because there is some strong language, moderate references to nudity and some strong violence. Because none of this is frequent and the sex and nudity is just reference, that is why it is not any higher than a 15. The producers may of intended to do this, to target a wider range of audience, making more money from sales.

Target Audience
The target audience would be mainly people who enjoyed thrillers and horrors in general, however people who enjoy thrillers would have to be able to accept the horror elements, which is not stereotypical for thrillers. The age audience would be 15-18 years. Some people may watch this film because of some of the well known actors.

Box Office
Budget: $30,000,000 (estimated)
Opening weekend: $16,225,263 (USA) (27 April 2003) (2733 screens)
Gross: $51475962 (USA) (15 June 2003)

Critical Reception
Guardian 2/5
BBC 2/5
Chicago Sun 3/5