Red Eye

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox
Directed by: Wes Craven
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
2005

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A hotel manager (Rachel McAdams) boards an airplane with the intention to return home. There, she meets a charasmatic young man (Cillian Murphy) who turns out to be much more than she thinks, and his true intention is terrifying.

Review:

Tim: I was not very impressed with the concept or the prospect of this movie. I'm still not sold on the talent of Rachel McAdams or Cillian Murphy, and I firmly believed Wes Craven was past the point of impressing. Much to my surprise, he crafts a well made thriller that is far better than the ridiculous horror films he's been crapping out lately. The best part of this thriller is that it actually thrills. The movie is incredibly intense, and Wes Craven does a very good job of slowly increasing the suspense. This is what turns the film from average to above average.

While I refuse to jump on either the McAdams or Murphy bandwagon, I will admit that both give excellent performances here, and both are better than I've seen them in any other role (Murphy even manages to top his Batman Begins role). Murphy is menacing, and very, very creepy. He somehow manages to be far scarier than you would ever imagine. McAdams manages to be both brave, yet allows us to be afraid for her. She makes a very good heroine in distress. Especially important is the chemistry between these two, which drives the drama of the movie. This makes the movie engrossing.

Red Eye is by no means a revolutionary film. It is; however, a good thriller that has much more to offer than you would ever expect. It is an intelligent film, and I hope this represents a new direction for Craven. These types of thrillers don't get made very often, and when they do, they are usually a disappointment. This film, though, works extremely well and is surprisingly good. You should thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Batman Begins, Flightplan, Wedding Crashers