Considering that screenwriter Michael Cooney was responsible (as both writer and director) for Jack Frost and Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman, Identity's genre roots are probably inescapable.
Mangold and writer Michael Cooney (who previously penned the immortal "Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman") conquer half the battle of a thriller by crafting an appropriately eerie setting.
The most interesting piece of trivia regarding the creative talent behind Identity is that the last film written by its screenwriter, Michael Cooney, was Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman.
From a script by Michael Cooney (whom I respect for simply having the cojones to put a title like Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman on his résumé), Identity is a nifty little suspense film that begins moving in one direction and finishes up in an entirely new and unexpected locale.