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I’ll be honest: I don’t usually go for scary movies. They’re usually too bloody, gory, or just plain frightening for me to enjoy. But once in a while, a well-made suspense thriller will catch my attention, and I’ll end up enjoying it. Red Eye was one of those movies. My husband rented it, and since I really like both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, I resigned myself to watching it…and I was surprised by how much I liked it.
McAdams plays Rachel Weisert, a hotel manager on her way home to Miami after her grandmother’s funeral. At the airport, she meets and has a drink with a fellow passenger, Jackson Rippner (Murphy). As circumstance (or not) would have it, Jackson also ends up sitting next to Lisa on the flight. She doesn’t mind so much—he’s handsome, and she’s enjoyed his company so far. But their flirtations come to an abrupt end when she asks him what line of business he’s in, and he gives her a deadly serious answer: “Right now, my business is all about you.”
Turns out that Jackson is a hitman assigned to assassinate a prominent political figure staying in Lisa’s hotel. He informs her that one of his “colleagues” is outside her father’s house—and if she wants her dad to live, she has to call her hotel and arrange for the politician to be moved to another suite, making the assassination attempt easier.
Terrorists, hostages, and blackmail…these aren’t exactly brand-new plotlines, but the acting in this film, combined with the added suspense of being trapped on a plane, bring this thriller to a whole new level. Rachel McAdams is very good in this movie, and you can really feel her desperation and resolve to get herself out of a very dangerous situation. Cillian Murphy is also great—I can’t think of another contemporary actor who can portray a bad guy as chillingly as he can.
The majority of the movie takes place on the plane, and in my opinion, that was the best part—the suspense was almost purely psychological. There’s a chase scene after the plane lands that culminates with Jackson stalking Lisa in her own house, and although that was just as scary (my husband and I both screamed like little girls at one point), it felt more gratuitous, and not as clever as the first half of the film.
Still, I was pleased with Red Eye. It’s definitely scary, but not in a bloody or gory sense. And it’s just the right length to keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll. Don’t miss this one—but do yourself a favor and don’t watch it alone.
