re:mote voices

Title: Red Eye
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays
Director: Wes Craven

Red Eye is a tidy little thriller from Wes Craven. A departure from films like Scream and Cursed which have made his name in recent years. A woman gets on a plane to fly home, only to find herself threatened by the man in the next chair. If she doesn't phone the hotel she works in and change the reservation of a prominent politician, the man will have his associates kill her father. The bulk of the film is set on the plane. Creating a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere. As she tries to find someway of thwarting his plans, and he tries to keep one step ahead of her. This leads to a terse mental sparring, and at times physical confrontations. Surprisingly, this feels well paced, and keeps things going until the plane lands. From there we get into more predictable territory, but with that we have an explosive release. The characters suddenly have space to work into, and a desperate drive to see if they can change anything that has happened over the course of the flight. Red Eye keeps things simple, well paced and moving, so that it feels like a well-contained, smart thriller. Lead performances by the blossoming Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy contribute to the success of the film.