Red Eye (2005)

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Red Eye was released in 2005. It is directed by Wes Craven and stars Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. A hotel manager is going home, and must take the red eye flight. At the airport, she meets a charming, almost unassuming man, and they seem to hit it off. When they are seated together on the plane, he reveals his true intentions. He is a hit man contracted to kill a diplomat staying at the woman's hotel. She must do what he says, or he will have her father killed. This is one of those Wes Craven movies that I feel has kind of been lost in the shuffle. It never really reached the level of movies like Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Cillian Murphy excels in his role as a charming, but coldhearted killer. The chemistry between Murphy and McAdams makes me feel a little uneasy, and I mean that in the best way possible. There's a genuine feeling of possible romantic feelings, but I also am aware that, essentially, these two are predator and prey. Wes Craven is one of my favorite directors of all time, as he was the one who molded my love for the horror genre. He handles the material he's been given by building tension, and much of the film has something of slow burn style build to it. There's a battle of wits between our heroine and villain throughout much of the movie. The last few minutes, where it takes place in the house of McAdams' character is where the movie wavers a little bit. It's not bad, per se, it just isn't nearly as good as what came before. The stuff on the plane is tense, confined. I wasn't quite sure how the heroine was going to get the upper hand. Red Eye is a movie that I would recommend giving another chance.

9 / 10