Review of Red Eye (2005) by Darian D — 20 Feb 2010

"Red Eye" is a tense phsycological thriller with great performances by Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, and exceptional directing from the one and only Wes Craven.

Considering that the majority of the events in this film take place on an airplane, I applaud Wes Craven for how he shot within such a relatively small space. Through his techniques in cinematography, he kept the set fresh and allowed me to engage with the characters without feeling too clausterphobic.

Rachel McAdams gives a captivating performance as Lisa Reisert, a hotel manager taking a red-eye flight back home after attending her grandmother's funeral. The way McAdams conveys her emotions in this film felt very real and pulled me in to the story as I sympathized for her character.

And while McAdams was great, I feel the real gem of this film is Cillian Murphy's role as Jackson Rippner, the charming stranger that meets McAdam's character in the airport and later finds himself seated next to her on the plane. A real sense of caution and suspense build through Murphy's cold, blue, penatrating eyes as his character is revealed. It's no wonder he was cast as a villian in "Batman Begins" which was released in the same year as this film.

There is something about danger in enclosed spaces that seem to make people feel especially uneasy. And in a time when this kind of clausterphobic, inescapable tension is most great at 30,000 feet, Craven chooses a great setting to create true fear and helplessness as we follow McAdam's character Lisa Riesert, pleading along with her that the plane finally make a landing.

And although the plot and climax of this film were exceptional and suspenseful, the ending of the film seemed a little too casual and unresolved considering the events that occur throughout.

Despite that, "Red Eye" is a great, entertaining thriller with a story sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!