Red Eye (2005)

Wes Craven is known as the master of horror having directed so many successful hits such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and the Scream series. He takes on the thriller genre with the very effective Red Eye, with rising stars Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy.

I have come to adore the 30 year old McAdams because she is not only beautiful, but extremely talented. Her roles have been so varied, from the head of the Mean Girls to the love interest in Wedding Crashers and now the distressed lead in Red Eye, she is chameleon-like in her performances. In Red Eye she plays head hotel manager Lisa Reisert who spends her life making sure other people's problems are solved. On a flight home from her grandmother's funeral, she fills her time waiting for her delayed overnight flight by talking with a charming stranger played by Cillian Murphy.

The Irish born Murphy was first introduced to American audiences in the horror film 28 Days Later and later as Scarecrow in Batman Begins. In Red Eye, Murphy plays the mysterious and dangerous Jackson Rippner, who flirts with McAdams on the flight, but who's real goal is much more sinister.

Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy

Craven's years of directorial experience and cinematic storytelling are shown to great effect in Red Eye. You would have thought Craven had been shooting PG-13 thrillers for years. He lets the story unfold with suspenseful anticipation and the overall film is very satisfying.

One of the hard things about promoting a film like Red Eye, or thrillers in general, is how do you entice the audience without giving away major plot points? Its tough. I could go on and explain in detail some other storylines, but to do so would destroy much of the effectiveness of the film.

So, do yourself a favor and don't watch the trailers, don't read anything more about it, just go rent Red Eye, sit back and enjoy an excellent thriller.