Identity 2003

Malcolm Rivers, portrayed as a psychotic killer awaiting execution, has been convicted for a series of brutal murders. His psychiatrist, Doctor Malick, stumbles upon a crucial journal belonging to Malcolm (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince) that could shed light on the true motives behind his actions. With this newly discovered evidence, a hearing is set for a stormy night where Malick aims to convince the judge to spare Malcolm’s life.

Simultaneously, ten strangers find themselves caught in a fierce storm, taking refuge in a desolate motel nestled in the Nevada desert. The raging weather has severed their phone lines, forcing them to determine how to spend the unsettling night while tending to those injured in the chaos of their arrival. However, an unknown killer lurks among them, systematically eliminating guests and leaving behind ominous clues in the form of motel room keys, starting with the ominous key to Room 10 and counting down.

During the hearing, the content of Malcolm’s journal is unveiled, revealing that he suffers from extreme Dissociative Identity Disorder, with ten distinct personalities residing within him. In a pivotal moment, Malick brings forth one of these identities, Ed, who uncovers that the grisly events unfolding in the motel are manifestations of Malcolm’s fractured psyche. With urgency, Malick informs Ed of the necessity to locate and neutralize the hostile personality to save Malcolm from execution, recognizing that if the dangerous identities perish, it could lead to Malcolm’s ultimate demise.

As events escalate in the motel and the group diminishes in number, Ed declares that the traitorous personality, Rhodes, is the murderer. In a selfless act, he sacrifices himself to eliminate Rhodes, leaving only Paris standing.

When Malick proves to the judge that the violent identity has been subdued, a new direction is taken as the judge decides to commit Malcolm to a mental institution under Malick’s supervision. However, as they drive towards the institution, Malcolm’s consciousness reveals Paris returning to her hometown in Florida, tending to her orange grove. In a twist of fate, she unearths the Room 1 key and turns to find the haunting figure of a young boy named Timmy. Timmy, the actual sinister identity, orchestrated the motel’s deaths and deceitfully faked his own demise. He fulfills his dark mission by taking Paris’ life, reciting the chilling lines from Hughes Mearns’s Antigonish.

As a culmination of chaos, Malcolm, driven by the last of his personalities, Timmy, turns on Malick, ultimately leading their transport van to veer off the road into uncertainty.