Red Eye Review Country : USA Year: 2005 Genre: Thriller Format: Theater Running Time: 85min Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures The master of horror takes a step into thriller with this sensitive choice of story, in terms of recent history... and we like it... Credits Directed by Wes Craven. Screenplay & story by Carl Ellsworth. Starring Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays, Angela Paton. This movie deserves a commendation, after all one would suspect that you would have to try really hard to make something this thrilling. The creation of a great movie is likely more difficult than one would think, Wes Craven seems to have it down to a science. Clearly screenwriter Carl Ellsworth (in his screenwriting debut) knew what would work and what would not. What really works here is the atmosphere of the film. The story of Red Eye follows Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) after attending the funeral of her grandmother in Dallas, TX must take the dreaded red eye flight back to Miami to make it to work the next day. Lisa soon meets Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) and their attraction grows. But moments after take-off, Jackson reveals to Lisa her father's wallet that he swiped off his desk and his real reason for being on board. Jackson needs Lisa's help to kill the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security who's scheduled to stay at the Lux Atlantic Hotel, the hotel Lisa is the manager of. If she refuses to help, Jackson will call his partner on the ground and have her father killed. At 30,000 feet, Lisa has no where to run and no time for rash judgement. (plot summary from IMDB) The terrorist film is rarely fine art, and since Die Hard reignited this genre so many years ago, we have been treated to every conceivable level of quality. Despite many being sub par, they are often enjoyable, if you forgive many a plot device and just let yourself enjoy the proceedings. There is not much to forgive in Red Eye, and the sheer weight of it all becomes great before the film reaches its climax. Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls and Wedding Crashers), is brilliant and really shows off her acting skills in this film. Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later and Batman Begins) is the most enjoyable character in the film, as he has the ability to lift anything he does to a certain measure of quality. Another plus to Red Eye is the inclusion of Lisa's father Brian Cox (The Ring and X-Men 2). While his character serves as a large part of plot, his part in the film is not much more than a throwaway cameo. Now as great of an actor as he is, it is difficult to understand why he chose this part. It was cool to see him in the film none the less. I suppose on a basic level if you are like me and enjoy going to the cinema and having a good time, then this is the one for you. Yet if you are looking for another cookie cutter action flick, I recommend staying far away from this one. Basically, Craven really shows us that he can do anything. Horror, drama, and now an action packed thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll. I can't wait to see what he does next. OFFICIAL SITE WES CRAVEN INTERVIEW Review by John Gray, for Pitofhorror.com