Having someone placed specifically aboard a plane to ensure everyone’s safety should make most passengers feel more secure. It is common practice to place an Air Marshal, the person charged with this job, aboard every commercial flight in the U.S.

“Non-Stop,” which opened Feb. 28 in U.S. theaters, tells the story of one such Air Marshal.

However, this air marshal is also an alcoholic with emotional instability with nothing to lose. Maybe it would have been better to leave him at the airport.

Unfortunately for those on the flight over the Atlantic Ocean, Air Marshal Bill Marks (played by Liam Neeson) may be the only person keeping them alive. He begins receiving texts from someone on board threatening to kill a passenger every 22 minutes, until $150 million is put into a specific bank account.

The suspect? Well, everyone (think Cold War McCarthyism, except with terrorists instead of communists). The only people escaping his gruff and quite violent questioning are the red-headed woman (played by Julianne Moore), who was sleeping when he received the first text, and Nancy, the stewardess (Michelle Dockery).

All three actors add to the suspense and credibility of the plot with their performance and near-flawless execution. Recent Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong’o was also a supporting actress, although her skills were highly under-utilized and she ended up with a grand total of about three lines. With a cast filled with as much potential as this one, it was disappointing to see such reliance on explosions and action sequences, just two steps away from a typical Nicholas Cage film.

Regardless, “Non-Stop” takes advantage of its interesting idea and turns it into a movie that makes people think. It has as many plot twists, with enough intrigue to keep everyone guessing. The best thing about this movie is that, unless Sherlock Holmes is in the audience, chances are all the guesses are wrong. The big reveal at the end is amazingly orchestrated to make the entire audience give a collective gasp.

While it likely will not be nominated for any Oscars anytime soon, anyone looking to kill a couple hours with an exciting and suspenseful action flick will enjoy “Non-Stop.”