Red Eye (2005)

Plot: Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is taking a red-eye from Dallas to Miami. She then meets Jack Rippner (Cillian Murphy) and they have drinks while waiting to board their delayed flight. On the plane high in the sky, Rippner reveals he's an operative terrorist who is planning to assassinate a worker for Homeland Security. He's staying at the hotel where Lisa is acting manager. Rippner needs her help to make the assassination happen. Rippner tells her if she doesn't do what she's told, her father will be killed.

Review: This is a very good psychological thriller. Firstly, what I like about the plot is that the film's main focus is between Rippner and Lisa. A great portion of the film is just the two of them, just talking. They're talking when they're waiting for their delayed flight, they talk while on the plane (which is for a great part of the film) and they're talking near the film's ending. To be able to make two people talking suspenseful and thrilling is quite an accomplishment.

The acting in the film is also great. Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy work really well together. With McAdams and how she portrays Lisa, you want to comfort her when she cries and you clap when she stands strong towards Rippner. That's one aspect that I love about this character. That she's a strong female lead, but also vulnerable and has her own inner demons. Cillian Murphy is very good as Rippner. He's able to pull off the charming persona and the frightening and smart terrorist. Brian Cox plays Lisa's father, Jack, and I thought that for the limited amount of screen time he was on, he did a good job. We have a variety of recurring and minor characters and they all blend in the film well without taking away from the main focus. Some of these minor and recurring characters also add humor to the film which I like because there's so much tension and drama going on between Lisa and Rippner that I like that we're able to see these minor characters and laugh.

Wes Craven, known for his horror films, directed this thriller, which is outside of his comfort zone. He did a great job and I like that there certain shots that add to the suspense of the movie and keeps the tension going.

This is one of my favorite psychological thrillers. Some might not say it's the greatest and I can agree that it's probably not the greatest psychological thriller because it does have certain flaws. But this is still an entertaining and intense thriller that should be able to please moviegoers.

Rating: 4/5