Red Eye [DVD]

A woman is kidnapped by a stranger on a routine flight. Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her captor in offing a politician.
Red Eye is the latest movie from Wes Craven, whose most recent successes, the Scream trilogy, give some flavour of what to expect here.
The action once again centres on a strong, young woman, this time called Lisa and played by Rachel McAdams (recently seen in Wedding Crashers), who spends all her time managing a busy hotel. On a flight back from a funeral, she finds herself sat next to a wealthy businessman, played by Cillian Murphy (whose performance remains one of the many highlights of Batman Begins. He has an agenda however, that involves using Lisa to clear the way for a contract killing at her hotel. With her father at home under constant watch, and sat next to a man threatening to kill him, the stage is set for a healthy little thriller.
And that’s just what Red Eye is. While some distance away from Craven’s best work, it has some big pluses in its favour. Firstly, it’s a very swift ride that doesn’t outstay its welcome, speeding through plot developments that others in the genre would sit and ponder on for some time. It’s also got the charm of Rachel McAdams in the lead role, who pitches well against the sneer and creepiness of Cillian Murphy. And finally, it delivers good old fashioned Friday night fun, without having pretensions to do anything else.
So while it’s hardly a defining thriller in any way, nor is it without one or two unintentional giggles, Red Eye works surprisingly well. In the hands of a lesser director, it’s got all the ingredients for straight-to-video hell, but with Craven at the helm and his two leads performing well, it’s a movie that happily punches above its weight.–Simon Brew