Red Eye

Review by Clint Morris

If filmmakers were judged the same way parents judge their children's school results, we'd be patting Wes Craven on the back, giving him a heartening smile, thankful that he's turned in something a lot better than last time (that'd be the T-rex sized turd, Cursed) - and hoping that this is a sign that the best is yet to come.

A tight, well-written and, for the most part, original thriller from the Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street veteran, Red Eye is a two-hander about a spunkrat terrorised on a plane by a killer.

Though it's not a shade on some of his other, earlier scare-fests, and still has its problems, it's Craven's best in quite some time. After his last movie, the F-grade effort Cursed, that's a stern improvement.

Rising up-and-comer Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Mean Girls) plays a woman who's kidnapped by a stranger (the equally-as-in-demand Cillian Murphy, last seen as the villainous Scarecrow in Batman Begins) on a routine late-night flight (known as a 'Red Eye' flight). Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her subjugator in offing a well-heeled executive. Yep, not even enough time to watch an in-flight movie or nibble on that peewee bag of peanuts for this lass.

Carl Ellsworth's script is very effective. Though it needed a looking-into towards the third act - when proceedings became a little clichéd and significantly less exciting than events that took place earlier on the plane - it's still a trim, tense and well-thought effort.

A portion of the points goes to the two leads though. Murphy is convincing as the charming but deadly Jackson, and McAdams is as gorgeous as she is believable as Lisa, an innocent caught up in a horrifying situation.

You feel for her, you despise him.

Unfortunately, Brian Cox as McAdams father is far less convincing. The usually dependable actor (Manhunter, X-Men 2) plays the character far-too-calm. For instance, when a car comes crashing through his front door and a dead body lies on the welcome mat, he simply asks his daughter to take a seat, while he puts the kettle on and his sleepish performance gives one the impression that he's merely only there to pick up his cheque and swiftly leave.

Red Eye is a good ride - albeit one that'll make you even more fearful to jump on a plane again - but lacks the Craven-touch when it comes to a twisty and captivating last half, and could've easily stayed in the clouds for its duration.

3 out of 5

Red Eye
Australian release: Thursday the 1st of September, 2005
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Laura Johnson.
Director: Wes Craven.
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