Red Eye (2005) User Reviews

Great little thriller in the air gets ridiculous on the ground

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 January 2014]

Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is a hotel manager on a late night plane back to Miami. She keeps running into Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). He ends up sitting next to her on the plane. She strikes up a conversation with him, but he threatens to have her father killed if she doesn't change the room reservation of an important visitor.

This is a nice tight little thriller as long as they're on the plane. The plane confines her, and heightens the tension. It works quite well. It needs to stay on the plane. With a few changes, the whole movie could have been great if they kept the movie all in the air.

Once they leave the plane, the movie loses so much tension. It was also illogical that she couldn't ask people for a phone. It could have ended with a couple of calls. The whole action final third is unnecessary and unreasonable.

Well directed

[alancroydon · 7/10 · 15 September 2005]

I had fun watching Red Eye. It's not a masterpiece, but it's well directed and structured. Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams are perfect in the role. Yes, it's the same old story with a different setting but Wes Craven gave it a good pace. At least not another Scream with the usual college killer. It's nice when you can see a clean, coherent thriller even when originality doesn't stand out as its main character. Particularly from a film-maker like Craven that has brought so many innovative ideas to the thriller and horror genre in the past and that now just lends himself to bringing home what could have been a good TV movie had it not been released theatrically. Good job!

My job comes first.

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 29 October 2007]

Wes Craven's psychological thriller "Red Eye" isn't something we haven't already seen, but the standard format actually generates into a tight, snappy and gripping experience. After breaking away from its vulnerable, claustrophobic intensity. Craven effectively heightens the suspense, for a heart stopping and dazzling last-half potboiler, despite some elaborate and questionable details. This is sure a different mood for Craven, and you probably wouldn't know it was he behind it. Being short and sweet makes the flying time go by in no time. Quantity seems to be replaced with quality, but still this is a streamlined lightweight commercial flight for audiences. The taut premise builds up nicely, because of an always engagingly sharp and sly script. However it does seem to get quite silly, and overstated towards the spontaneous closing. Even the whole set-up is very wishy-washy. One of its driving factors were the profound lead performances. The lovely Rachael McAdams gives a dedicated, headstrong performance. Opposite of her is a sensationally suave, but sinisterly steely Cillian Murphy. The two gelled very well, and their back-and-forth banter was expertly delivered. Veteran actor Brian Cox provides some solidarity, and pleasant support. The cracking music score by Marco Beltrami demonstrates slick panache, and well-timed cues. Craven and his two leads; McAdams and Murphy lift this one up a notch.

Suspense and thriller into airplane by the great Wes Craven

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 14 February 2007]

The film talks about two people(Rachel McAdams,Cillian Murphy) who meet one night very late in the airport,catching a Red-eye.The story is the worst plane ride you could ever take.The place on the airplane where everything is compressed but that really contributes to the sense of claustrophobic,creeping terror, it's this struggle ,all contained within the coach section of the plane. This is the story of the worst person you could sit next to on a plane.The excitement is generated out of this compelling conversation between two individuals that start off innocent enough but then suddenly devolves.The psychological mind-play between these two characters and what it is to have to sit in one spot and be terrorized and basically held hostage,she and his father(Brian Cox) without letting anyone else know what's going on.Wes Craven said that he was attracted to this project ,first of all for the remarkably constructed script written by Carl Ellsworth.Thus the characters are complex,when you think you know what's gonna happen something else happens and the fascinating idea is that you never know who who you're going to sit next to on an airplane.The screenwriter does a character piece,and ,in a way ,maybe he creates a hybrid of the independent character film and Hollywood action blockbuster,thus we can have a character-driver piece,but also have suspense,thriller,action elements in it as well.

The movie was filmed principally in Los Angeles.All of the airplane shot were on a set,but there was no way in hell one could shot this on a real airplane.Craven had an airplane that could take apart,it could pull sections off of the side and it could pull out panels and have a camera swoop down aisles and go up over people.Production design by Bruce Miller worked for Craven on many films,he creates splendidly the scenes that he needs to tell the story,the look of movie is just wanted to keep it as real as possible.He decided to go with the two-three seating pattern which is a 767 airplane and took pieces from many airplanes and put them together in this format with overhead baggage compartments,lighting,the seats and various pieces.We have a feeling you're in this capsule at 30.000 feet in the air .There's one shot where we see a tiny plane going through these huge clouds banks and you have the feeling they're in this tiny ship in the middle of nowhere.It's the old horror film thing of all these things happen in the middle of nowhere. The motion picture displays a colorful cinematography by Robert Yeoman and atmospheric musical by Marco Beltrani.The film is magnificently directed by the master of terror Wes Craven .

Red Eye takes off with an assured agenda and safely lands to tense thrills.

[TheMovieDiorama · 6/10 · 14 October 2019]

Unsurprisingly, one of Craven's lesser known features. Mostly due to its non-horror nature, with a severe lack of masked murderers and nightmarish masters. But that doesn't necessarily mean this thrilling flight should be dismissed, as its simplistic disposable nature provides some quality mid-air entertainment. A hotel manager, travelling on the red-eye flight to Miami, is tangled up in an assassination plot regarding one of her clients.

The plot is relatively straightforward, and severely undercooked to the point that its only purpose is to serve these two beautiful passengers a topic to discuss during their flight. The assassination attempt on Charles Keefe certainly holds no tension or substance. What this strand does provide though, is a more personal circumstance that gradually ramps up the thrills.

The gorgeously intelligent McAdams against the irrefutably handsome Murphy. A game of wits and beauty. Sleight of hand distractions to waste time and constructive messages sent to signal for help. Alas, her non-compliance may result in her father being assassinated also, which just made the situation extremely personal. This ultimatum, although tepid in ferocity due to the short runtime that meant Craven had to constantly prevent the story from stalling, certainly showcased some brilliant claustrophobic performances from the two leads. With McAdams breaking the "damsel in distress" archetype and Murphy harnessing his antagonistic intensity.

The flight itself was occasionally bumpy due to a turbulent script and the 90s aesthetic, but when that plane lands. Ooof! Go go go! We're firing all cylinders. This just went from 'Flight Simulator 98' to 'Top Gun' on amphetamines. McAdams is fleeing to save her father, Murphy is doing his best Gollum impression and Craven just keeps moving forward. No time for a Starbuck's at the airport. Drive down that freeway like a maniac and save the hotel! Oh, and the father. Sweet lord do I miss these brisk thrillers! Even Beltrami's notable score wafts the aroma of restlessness around the cabin.

Red Eye is apparently described to be psychological in nature. It's not. In the slightest. What it is though is a straight-forward disposable thriller that is here for a good time, not a long time. Plausible characters, claustrophobic environment and an intense third act results in a criminally overlooked film from Craven's catalogue.

This one gets better with age

[pwalkerfm · 26 October 2015]

When Red Eye first came out I thought it was somewhat cheesy and lacking in any scriptural integrity. However, revisiting this 10 years later has changed my mind. It actually is quite a nice thriller, with the action starting very early, even before they board the plane. You understand the Cillian Murphy character is "off" almost from the outset. Great thrillers offer subtle humor as well, and this one does in droves. While I love aviation movies, most of the action appears after the plane lands. But that is OK, as the movie keeps up the pace throughout. A nice, tight suspense film with (yes, some questionable acting here and there), but overall a nice suspense/thriller.

A little breath of fresh air

[=G= · 6/10 · 16 January 2006]

"Red Eye" is all about Lisa (McAdams) who is simply trying to get home during a bad weather snarl at the airport and finds herself stuck on a red-eye and flying headlong into a suspense drama. A busy, fun little no brainer, "Red Eye" begins like a romcom, morphs into a suspense/action flick, and takes you on a simple-minded but entertaining girl power ride as Lisa races with the clock to save the day. Probably worth the price of a DVD rental, "Red Eye" will play best with fans of rising star McAdams and those who no brain it to avoid it's many nagging plot holes. Keep expectations real for maximum enjoyment. (B-)

Exciting Thriller Of Murderous Blackmail Plot Aboard An Airliner

[ShootingShark · 6/10 · 10 August 2010]

Lisa is taking a night flight from Dallas to Miami when the guy in the seat next to her calmly announces he has a hit-man waiting outside her father's house who will kill him unless she makes a phone call which will seal someone else's death warrant …

This is a gripping, amusing, atypical thriller from the always-interesting Craven, with a neat crackerjack premise and a finely judged pace. The plot is perhaps too slight for a whole movie (it's a sort of big-budget episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents) but the characters are carefully developed before it kicks into high gear and it wisely doesn't take itself too seriously; Mays as Cynthia the luckless hotel night clerk, is hilarious throughout and a great counterpoint to the tension. It's also a nice female emancipation story - Lisa has a painful skeleton in her closet and in the tradition of Craven's heroines doesn't just crumble under the stress but uses all her wits to outsmart and outflank her nemesis. The movie has a bum note at the end for me though when someone else finally pulls the plug on the bad guy - it should have been her. Murphy is a beautiful example of great casting against type here; with his David Cassidy locks and heartbreaker blue eyes he should be a sweet little puppy dog, so when he turns out to be a homicidal maniac fixated on his own professional integrity it's a terrific reversal. The movie wisely keeps the characters, sub-plotting and locations to a minimum, as Robert Yeoman's camera prowls up and down the airplane's aisles and zooms into McAdams' frightened eyes. The trick with material like this I think is to balance plausibility and entertainment value carefully but just keep going forward without worrying about loose ends. The last twenty minutes after Lisa has escaped from the plane keep chugging away with tense moments and Craven proves once again that he's a master of making our hearts beat fast. Featuring a natty score by the prolific Marco Beltrami which adds tremendously to the tension and suspense, this is a fine little Common Woman thriller.

The perfect in-flight movie

[gus120970 · 8/10 · 12 September 2005]

Red Eye is not the kind of movie that's going to win the Palme D'or, but Wes Craven has never been that kind of director, anyway, and his branding is a good indication of what a film-goer can expect.

The fact that Red Eye is a tight little, undemanding package at 94 minutes is part of its charm and an indication of Craven's craft in producing lightweight, but generally enjoyable, box office fare. In fact, it's the perfect kind of movie to show as inflight entertainment, attention-holding without putting any intellectual or emotional challenges on the viewer.

Overall there is a cheesy feeling to the plot, vague terrorist subplot motivation and the supporting characters, and the main section has a TV movie feel. However, there are definite elements of Hitchcockian suspense, and echoes of Schumacher's Phone Booth, which ultimately is a more sophisticated (and pretentious) play on the same idea of emotional crisis being played out suppressed in public.

For a film that focuses mainly on two people sitting in airline seats, it lives or dies on the characters and script. Cillian's icy but eloquent Jackson Rippner and Rachel MacAdams resourceful Lisa are the main reasons the film gets carried off. Not only making the dialogue zing but also giving some sort of Adam's Rib type dimension to their battle of 'male logic' against feminine 'sensitivity'.

In the final portion of the film Craven indulges himself a little Scream style as man-chases-girl-with-knife. The most surprising revelation here is what Brian Cox looks like after the 'Just for Men' treatment, his ubiqutous appearance in films as diverse as Super Troopers, The Ring and this making him the sexegenarian version of Jude Law.

Short haul fun.

First half is worth watching, second half loses luster

[abeachedwhale · 6/10 · 3 October 2022]

Not a bad movie, but once it got to the halfway point it seemed like too much was crammed into a short period of time. Felt too short. The story does have some memorable parts. Nice little PG-13 thriller. Odd viewing it for the first time after 20 years of it being released. I was mildly surprised to have never heard of it with big names (in the present) like Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. Parts of it are kinda hollow. One sad attempt at a side story personalization is with a little girl on the flight. It was a typical early 2000s context focus on an irrelevant character. Honestly thinking now this seems almost like a way to get younger audience members involved in the story. There's a small degree of cheesiness. But as having been very much alive during the time period it made nostalgic for those days. Captured the feeling of airports and air travel that I've grown up with. If there was more time given to the filmmaker to develop the second half of the story so it doesn't feel so rushed I would enjoy it much more.

The most clichéd thriller I have seen

[das417 · 2/10 · 25 August 2005]

I am surprised that everyone (even the critics) seems to think this was a good movie. It was the most clichéd thriller ever made that I have seen. We have the 'bad guy' who wants to force the 'good guy' (or girls in this case) to do something or face the consequence. The 'good girl' in this movie must use her smarts and skills to defeat the 'bad guy' and save the day and her loved ones. Using charisma, bravery, and even luck to save the day.

Where to begin? Well, a young woman by the name of Lisa Reisert meets a young man by the name of Jackson Rippner (nice name) at an airport. One coincidence leads to another and soon it seems as if fate is bringing these two together. Sharing drinks, sitting next to each other, seemingly getting along in every way... Is there more to this strangeness? Could these two be meant for each other? Does 'fate' have a reason for their strange and random encounter?

Well, as it turns out, unfortunately yes. Jackson needs to Lisa to help him assassinate the Director of Homeland Security by moving him from one room to another so that his men can launch an attack on him. Oh, if she doesn't do this then her father is dead. Though we never learn the exact reasons why and who is really behind this madness, Jackson more then explains how this is going to happen and why its in Lisa's best interest to help him.

Of course, Lisa defeats his evil plans with her smarts and in the process stabs him in the neck, makes him trip over chairs, and hitting him with a field hockey stick. Oh, and before that, she leads him on wild chase through Miami airport where she gets passed post 9 11 security and steals a car that she later uses to run over the man who was ordered to kill her father.

Yeah, right.

First of all, I find it strange that a man like Jackson who can get his hands on high tech weaponry needs the help of a hotel manager. Couldn't he just sneak a bomb into the building? Wouldn't that make it safer for him and his team by leaving out any third parties? And why do characters like Jackson also explain everything they are going to do to someone they are threatening? Doesn't that make it easier to stop them by the same people?

The actors did their best considering the movie they were given. Racheal McAdams and Cillian Murphy are still actors to look out for. Also, I believe that Jayma Mays (who played the 'loveable' Cynthia) will be someone we will see more of. It's just too bad they all were stuck with this.

2 out of 10

New Creep On the Block

[brenttraft · 9/10 · 20 August 2005]

What I liked best in this film is that like the films of Hitchcock, it is a thriller that does not take itself too seriously.

Hitchcock understood that people go the the movies to have a good time. Something that Hollywood seems to have forgotten in recent years. This is a thriller, but it has plenty of laughs and always has one eye winking at the camera.

Rachel McAdams is wonderful as always. Cillian Murphy is creepier than he was in Batman Begins. In the old days, there were guys who always played the bad guy. We don't see much of that these days because I suspect the Hollywood agents consider it a bad career move, but Cillian Murphy is really good at being bad.

The directing is surprising stylish. The story is good but the dialog could have used some sprucing up.

"Red Eye" is a really fun film and people were applauding when the closing credits started rolling. If you are in the mood for an enjoyable escapist thriller, "Red Eye" might be your ticket.

Thrilling and exciting!

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 30 July 2018]

I've seen this film so many times and it is exciting and entertaining every time. This film works so well thanks to the way the antagonist was set up. You honestly would never have guessed!

The film holds a few interesting twists and surprises. Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams are both excellent and believable in their roles. Just like 'Speed' the film gets even more thrilling and interesting when you think its almost over. I absolutely love this!

More Plot Holes than I Thought was Possible.

[Connective · 3/10 · 22 August 2005]

The main reasons to see "Red Eye" are Rachel McAdams, who delivers a stellar performance, and Jayma Mays, who is wonderful as the Assistant Hotel Manager. On the other hand, Cillian Murphy overacts so badly that he becomes cartoonish. The rest of the movie is riddled with plot holes, on which I will elaborate.

Please do not read further if you don't want to know what happens!

Here is a synopsis of the plot. Rachel McAdams's character (Lisa) manages a hotel where the new hard-nosed Homeland Security Director plans to stay that night. Rachel is returning to Miami from a funeral, but fielding calls from her assistant up until the plane leaves. In the meantime, someone is stationed outside the house of her father, Joe (played by Brian Cox), ready to kill him if Cillian Murphy (Jackson) calls. All Lisa has to do is phone the hotel and move the Director's suite to one where Jackson's cohorts are planning to fire a guided missile (from a fishing boat) to kill the Director and his family.

So, here are some of the plot holes or absurd coincidences:

1. Jackson finally convinces Lisa to make the call, and in the middle, the phones in the plane lose their connection. Lisa tries to fake that she is making the call, but coincidentally, a guy across the aisle from Jackson is also making a call and starts banging his phone to indicate it is dead. Jackson catches on and grabs the phone from Lisa.

2. At one point, Jackson head-butts Lisa and she, of course, gets knocked out...but only for 30 minutes.

3. Jackson catches Lisa writing a note on the mirror in the (extraordinarily large) lavatory, and he bangs her around a bit. Miraculously, the only one who hears anything is an 11-year-old girl, whose word, of course, is discounted.

4. Lisa stabs Jackson with a pen in the throat as the plane is landing, steals his cell phone, and makes a mad dash for the exit, fitting down the aisle between the seats and 18 rows of standing passengers. Despite knowing there is a passenger with a pen stuck in his throat, the flight attendants oblige Lisa by opening the door to the jet-way.

5. OK, all those are reasonable (if not highly unlikely). But here's where it gets really stupid. Lisa gets into the terminal at Miami Airport, and there is no cell phone signal (every major airport in America has great cell phone reception).

6. She runs through the airport with Jackson in hot pursuit, and no security officers even delay them.

7. Jackson, who lost Lisa in the Airport while the train from the gates pulled away to the terminal, has lost some of his voice from the pen in his throat, but he can still be somewhat understood. However, he doesn't bother to call his man outside of Joe's house. (PS: There is no train at Miami Airport, but the one they showed looked an awful lot like the Orlando Airport).

8. Lisa steals a car and rides away. Of course this time, when she goes to make a call, the cell phone says "low battery" and soon shuts off (when will they stop using this inane plot device?).

9. While the phone still said "low battery," Lisa had reached her assistant just in time to save the Director and his family from the guided missile launched by the fishing boat to the window of the room on the 40th floor to which the Director had been moved. Of course, they expect us not to notice that the hotel is surrounded on 3 sides by ocean, so the missile could have probably been launched at the first suite, thereby negating the need for the whole Lisa-Jackson plot. What's the story here? Was the Director's original room on the 38th floor one of the only rooms in the hotel with a lousy view? Nevertheless, everyone gets out just before the missile hits.

10. Lisa drives to Joe's house to save her father only to see the killer outside. Although she runs him over (as he is shooting at her) by crashing her Jeep into the house, no one in the neighborhood seems to notice or bother to stop by.

11. Jackson arrives at Joe's house and knocks him out (we don't see how...maybe another head butt). He then explains to Lisa that he didn't kill dad yet because he wanted dad to see Lisa die first (Give me a break. What is this? Saturday morning cartoons?).

12. For the rest of the movie (about 20 minutes), Jackson chases Lisa around the house, and she resourcefully fights him off. Of course a real killer (i.e. one maybe played by Jason Statham) would have done away with Lisa (or for that matter anyone who is not a trained killer) in the first 30 seconds. During the course of this chase, Jackson steps over Joe at least once without bothering to kill him.

13. Finally, Jackson prevails, and he is about to kill Lisa when (you guessed it) he is shot by Joe.

So, here's my suggestion...tell Wes Craven to stick to horror. Or maybe he should get together with Michael Bay (who directed the equally stupid "The Island") and make "Red Island."

Great Airplane Thriller

[moviewizguy · 7/10 · 20 June 2006]

Lisa is a woman going on the flight, Red Eye, to visit her dad who is divorced to his wife. She meets a nice man, Jack, before going on the flight. They somehow sit next to each other in the flight. Next thing, Jack told Lisa that he is an Assassinator. She doesn't believe him at first but soon finds out he has something to do with her father. He tells her if she doesn't change the suite of a man he has to kill, he'll call his friend, who is outside Lisa's dad house, and tell him to kill the dad. She is forced to follow Jack's plan.

This film is a great thriller. McAdams' and Mruphy's performances are above average. There are some funny scenes here and there. A good thing about this movie is that she finds out ways to ask for help without Jack knowing. But Jack soon finds out and Lisa's plan is destroyed. The way that she asks for help could be done in REAL life instead of in the movie. The end kinda goes over the top over realism but it's a movie.

This is also a really short movie that can be seen so many times that you won't get tired of it. The film starts off to be a romantic comedy but soon turns into a thriller. It ends with the big finale when Jack chases Lisa out of the plane. Almost 75% of the film took place on the plane, which the previews are always on the plane. Flightplan is another airplane thriller that is really good. Wes Craven captures the really terrifying moments in the movie. This is his first thriller he has ever directed and it's a good movie.

This movie will keep you to the edge-of-your-seats. This is a thrilling movie. Just sit back and enjoy the movie as it is.

American ( A+ Movie) My Ratings 7.5/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 7/10 · 17 October 2022]

The worst person to sit next to on an airplane!

Not a masterpiece but everything is just done so well: acting, streamline plot, pacing, and thrills! A brisk and totally satisfying thriller!

A really solid thriller that knows exactly what it is. Keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire way.

As a tension-mounting thrill ride, Red Eye steers into new heights for master director Wes Craven who delves into more of a suspense-driven atmosphere and showcases strong performances from Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy.

Very unique plot and typically 'thrilling'. Very tense towards the end, if you enjoy suspense films then I'd most definitely recommend!

Nice Surprise

[christian123 · 7/10 · 20 August 2005]

On an overnight flight from Los Angeles to Miami, Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) meets a charming man who turns out to be a hired killer who demands her help killing a businessman or else her own father will die.

Red Eye is a terrific thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The premise is similar to Cellular and Phone Booth but Red Eye is better than both of those films. Almost everything about Red Eye is above average including the suspense, the acting and the direction. Most of the film does take place on a plane but that doesn't slow down the movie. The film is very fast pace and exciting with no slow or boring spots. Wes Craven does a really good job behind the camera. Instead of focusing on the thrills, he focuses on the story and the characters. The movie does have its share of suspenseful moments but that's not what the film is really about. I also like the way Wes Craven focuses on the other passengers and the small details that become important later on. Red Eye really shows his skills at storytelling.

Red Eye also works well because of its young and talented cast. Rachel McAdams gives a very engaging performance and her character is hard to hate. You may even end up cheering for her out loud. Cillian Murphy gives a very creepy and effective performance as the villain. The way he acts charming at first but then turns psycho is especially impressive. The supporting actors are also pretty good which include Brain Cox and Jayma Mays.

The movie is also very stylish and it has this overall creepy vibe to it. The setting works well since there is an obvious fear of isolation and no escape. Overall, the tone of the film is consistently creepy. The screenplay isn't as strong as everything else though. There are a few unrealistic moments that may distract the viewer. Most of them didn't bother me but there were of few that left me shaking my head. Also, the ending is disappointing. It isn't a bad ending just a very simple one and a different approach would have been better. Since the movie focuses on the characters, there is really no scream moments maybe just a few jumps. If you expect a horror movie then you will end up disappointed. In the end, Red Eye is an engaging thriller and it's one of the best movies of the summer. Rating 8/10

A Breath of "Fresh Air"

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 8 August 2005]

Greetings again from the darkness. What a relief ... a thriller that actually is thrilling! New "IT" girl Rachel McAdams ("Wedding Crashers" and "The Notebook") dominates screen time in this nice little classic suspense thriller from famed horror film director Wes Craven ("Scream" movies and "A Nightmare on Elm Street"). Craven even has a cameo as one of the passengers on the plane.

What makes this one work, is the realism of the first 15-20 minutes as we see McAdams interact with 4 or 5 people either in person or on the phone. She is a natural. When she meets Cillian Murphy (the Scarecrow in "Batman Begins") in what appears to be happenstance, the film really takes flight. Watching the two yuppie-types flirt while the audience knows something evil is brewing, is bewitching film-making! The plane boarding sequence is mesmerizing and the 30 plus minutes onboard is excruciatingly claustrophobic. Craven keeps us guessing as to the involvement of others and if anyone will come to her rescue.

As with many thrillers, the only letdown occurs during the climax when the lamb turns into a superhero. An interesting plot device leads us to believe little Rachel has the necessary pent up frustration to see this through, but we can't help but cringe a bit. The most overdone scenes involve irate hotel guests, an annoying airline passenger, Cillian's injury and the FX at the hotel. The strength of the film is in the character development and psychological games between the leads. Sadly the fine screen veteran Brian Cox is under-utilized, but overall this is an above-average suspense thriller worth seeing for all but the finale.

The wonderfully expressive acting carries the show

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 21 August 2013]

This is a thoroughly entertaining thriller. A hotel manager (Rachel McAdams) is blackmailed by an assassin (Cillian Murphy) while on an airplane trip to assist in the killing of a politician.

Wes craven directs and shows he is just at good at non gory thrillers as horror movies. The part on the airplane shows off the wonderfully expressive faces of the two stars the lovely and believable Rachel McAdams and the fascinatingly creepy Cillian Murphy with those eyes. Rachel can do any kind of movie from romance to thriller to comedy. If ever there was chemistry between villain and victim this movie has it. Their dialog is well written. The part in the house later recalls the Scream movies but is more realistic. Watch out for Jayma Mays from Glee in a supporting role.

Highly recommended.

A diverting thriller.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 15 June 2013]

Veteran filmmaker Wes Craven rebounded from the disappointing "Cursed" with another rare excursion outside the horror genre. "Red Eye" is a movie that offers quite a bit of fun provided nobody ever takes it that seriously. It gets a lot of juice out of the relationship between its two principals, who both do a wonderful job. The editing and the pacing are first-rate, resulting in a quick movie that clocks in at just over 85 minutes.

The adorable and gorgeous Rachel McAdams is our victimized heroine Lisa Reisert, a confident hotel manager who knows how to work with people and who does what it takes to satisfy the customer. Returning from her grandmothers' funeral, she takes an early morning flight home to Miami, and is seated alongside a young man, Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) with whom she'd already got acquainted in the airport. During the flight Rippner reveals himself to be a real bad guy, working in league with terrorists attempting to assassinate a straight shooting public figure (Jack Scalia). Lisa will have to rely on her wits to get her through the situation.

McAdams is never less than convincing in the lead; she's by turns vulnerable and determined, and Murphy delivers a cool performance as the sly villain. It's the initially friendly and ultimately antagonistic give and take between them that really keeps one watching. It's when the movie starts to get more conventional towards the end, with typical chase and action scenes, that it starts to become less satisfying, but Craven still makes it good entertainment that is never dull. Good supporting performances are supplied by Brian Cox as Lisas' always concerned dad, Jayma Mays as a flustered hotel employee, and Scalia as the nice guy politician, but for a while this is more or less a two character story. Some nice shocks along the way also add to the enjoyment.

"Red Eye" is one of those movies that may not hold up to much scrutiny if you start to think about it, and may not be that memorable once it's over, but while its thrill ride is going, the audience shouldn't care about those things too much. Overall it represents a solid job by Craven and company.

Seven out of 10.

More Holes Than Blackburn, Lancashire

[ronnie-randall · 1/10 · 4 September 2005]

Wes Craven, you are having a laugh... at our expense. The Red Eye plot is preposterous... We are confronted by a guy who has apparently spent 8 weeks watching a girl, who then turns up at an airport behind her, flirts and chats her up successfully, somehow wangles a seat next to her in a two seat space, not trapped in the middle of a five seat row (contacts at check-in?) and is cheezily nice during a painfully slooooow build up. Then, once up in the air, in a confined space, surrounded by strangers, he immediately starts threatening the vacuous, if super-efficient, Rachel McAdams and saying tosh like 'we got ya daddy, do what I say, or poppa gets it'. Well, forgive me, but didn't they already have her daddy ready for slaughter-so-you-better-oughta long before she stepped on the plane and therefore wouldn't it have been oh, sooooooo much simpler to simply snatch the gal off the street and terrorise her in a room somewhere, forgetting the complicated and insecure dad plot, pulling her nails out or whatever until she made the all important 'call' required? Or even - cos this is the movies and we need a few unreal twists - keep the dumb dad-in-distress thing intact if you must, but dress it up better so that holding him in harms way until the convoluted plot had been concluded made some sense, without the plane dumbdown? Alternatively, without wanting to sound like an actual thinking terrorist/assassin - couldn't the massive bazooka-missile thang employed have been far more easily used on, say, a car driving down the highway, with the politician inside, rather than the 50th story of a Miami seafront hotel, from a fishing boat (mind you, as we already know, security in Miami is lax, so they'll speed away)? I know, I know, far more fun to go through watching a pretty girl for 8 weeks, burgle her dads house to steal his wallet (that somehow - star trek style - gets transported from Miami to Texas instantly) in order to - perhaps - get her to arrange for a politician to change hotel room and, and, and... Well, a thousand things could go wrong here, each one entirely destroying the Big Plan, so why not slim the elements down to a sensible handful, such as - 1. bazooka. 2. car. 3. boom! My 50 minute drive home from the cinema was spent highlighting the abundance of flaws and stupid cod-Hitchcockian twists, which sadly was the best fun of the whole sorry experience. And as for security back at Miami Airport... we have an apparently crazy and violent girl running off a plane, chased by cops, who during the chase sits down to have a coffee, moves elsewhere to read a magazine at a bar, then runs again like crazy up and down the whole terminal... by now also chased by crazed Cillian Murphy (no CCTV then? - I had guns pulled on me for parking in the wrong place for 10 seconds at Miami Airport a couple of years back). So instead of speaking to the cops - her allies - or getting on the blower at a call-box direct to her dad to warn him his life is in danger, McAdams prefers instead to steal a People Carrier off a family in the Airport forecourt (call the damned security...) and drives home to daddy, mowing down the assassin with the vehicle in the front garden of the house, in a rich neighbourhood-watch district, crushing the front porch in the process - an act which actually slightly wakes dad up from an afternoon snooze, after about a minute, yet which somehow fails to register with neighbours who aren't even mildly curious, thus ensuring 15 more minutes of hide and seek shenanigans as the duo run around the vast Hollodeck type house... Dohhh, it actually hurts to keep thinking about it all - Cillian (surely renamed Silly 'un for doing this one?) preposterously turns from ice assassin to comically unhinged (and inept) lunatic killer at the end, this theoretically ruthless despatcher of human life now allowing the dad to live so that he can watch his daughter getting her goose cooked. I'd better stop, because the stream of drivel I'm writing here must sound as uncoordinated as the Red Eye script. If Ms McAdams hadn't been allowed to get on the plane in the first place the title could have been altered, from 'Red Eye' to 'No Eye, Dear'. RR

Compact Suspense

[gijoe-48397 · 8/10 · 10 June 2023]

Red Eye opens with a hotel manager Lisa Reisert, played by Rachel McAdams, working her way home from her Grandmother's funeral. During the boarding process, she meets Jackson Rippner, played (excellently) by Cillian Murphy who ends up not being as he seems. Lisa is more or less held hostage on a crowded airplane. How? Creatively and intelligently. I cannot stress enough how the writers clearly thought of possible alternatives to scenes, minimizing and maybe even eliminating plot-holes. As it proceeds, we find Lisa has a troubled past and is, in a sense, facing the same situation she did then. It all culminates in a tense cat-and-mouse game with an ending that I will just say, wouldn't be permissible in modern writing. The setup/payoff is exemplary and frequent. It doesn't feel cheap or unearned. The suspension of disbelief is excellent with believability at the very least, being sold well. And there are so many notes of symbolism the crew included in this film, such as Jackson sitting on the outer seat, effectively caging Lisa in like prey. Or how the roles of 'emotional' and 'logical' are flipped between characters at the end.

Needless to say, characters are a strong point in this film. Even the ones with limited screen time feel like they are a part of the world. But my hat tip has to go to Cillian Murphy for such a creepy performance. From the moment Lisa meets him, he feels... off and then turns downright predatory, further selling Lisa's backstory.

At an hour and twenty-five minutes, the movie is compact, but not rushed. It's amazing how much they are able to cram in, in terms of story and character development, without any plot point overstaying it's welcome.

The soundtrack is appropriately tense and atmospheric. Sound design felt a little weaker than it could be, but it also doesn't overshadow scenes.

There isn't a lot of diversity when it comes to shot composition, it's mostly claustrophobic, selling the prison-like feel Lisa has for her situation. Occasionally, you'll get a shots around the Florida hotel, but I wouldn't hardly call them 'beauty' shots.

There is a lot of reason to rewatch the film to pick up the little nuisances, but it's just a good thriller film that doesn't rely on 'one use' tricks to enjoy.

If I had to sum it up, I'd say it's exceptional in all aspects but a few. Red Eye is worth your time because it doesn't take much of your time. While aspects of the story may not reflect 'certain' sensibilities in instances, it cannot be denied that it makes everything and everyone more compelling. The characters are good and performed by excellent acting. If you need a tense adrenaline dump, this is for you.

Great Wes Craven Film

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 27 December 2007]

This film starts out very calm and you meet a young pretty gal named Lisa Reisert, (Rachel McAdams) who is a very efficient manger of a hotel and she meets a friendly young man, in an airport and has a drink with him at a bar and they seem to be getting along This young man's name is Jackson Rippner, (Cilliam Murphy) and he also sits next to Lisa on a flight to Miami, Florida. Jackson tells Lisa some very frightening information about her father, Joe Reisert, (Brian Cox) and Jackson threatens Lisa and demands she follow his instructions. The film at this point in the film increases a great deal of terror and some very horrible situations. Whenever you watch a film directed by Wes Craven, you know you will be entertained right to the very end. Don't miss this film, it is really great and enjoyable.

7/10????? what's happening to with objective criticism??

[gabrielninop · 1/10 · 27 September 2005]

They sell it as a horror movie, it's supposed to be a thriller, but I found it pretty funny (comedy?, don't think so), I laughed the whole movie I think it was because of the ridiculous acting and plot. I don't blame the actors, I think they were not very good, but O.K. I think Cillian is a very good "bad guy" I loved his acting in Batman Beggins, and Rachel McAdams.. whoa! she's a beauty, and a good actress as well, but let's try to be a little objective here, the story mm mm... the direction mm mm... it lacks a lot of good suspense in fact is a really boring movie, but there's one good thing tho, it's a short movie, only 1 hour and 30 minutes (FOR ME IT WAS LIKE 10 MINUTES UNDER THE WATER!!!)

I just don't know why this movie is rated so high, and in rotten tomatoes, even higher, what's wrong with good, rational and objective criticism?

more than (air)plain

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 31 July 2006]

Knowing that "Red Eye" comes from the man who gave us "The Hills Have Eyes", "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream", we would probably expect a slasher movie. It turns out that this is nothing of the sort. What we have here is a slick thriller in the vein of another airplane-set movie from last year, "Flightplan". And a very clever one at that.

It all begins when hotel clerk Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is headed for the Dallas airport to catch a plane back to Miami. Upon learning that her flight has been delayed, Lisa waits in line, where she gets to know one Jack Rippner (Cillian Murphy), an extremely likable everyman. Lo and behold, she's sitting next to him on the plane. But right after the plane takes off is when she learns what he really wants: he wants her to change a government agent's room reservation in her Miami hotel, or her father will get killed.

I wish to assert that the airplane setting really heightens the tension. Even creepier is how Jack gets everyone to like him, so Lisa probably can't blow his cover. If the movie has any problem, it's the actual assassins: why do they have to be Russians? Aren't we done portraying Russians as killers/Mafiosos/oligarchs? But overall, I really liked this movie. Wes Craven brings the same sensibility that he brought to the rest of his movies. So check it out. You're sure to like it...and it just might save your life.