Red Eye

A solid thriller which, thanks to being so short, manages to maintain a decent pace throughout. The actors handle their one-dimensional characters excellently and even manage to give them something extra, which applies primarily to Cillian Murphy. As long as the movie stays on board the plane, this is an excellent, suspenseful thriller with clearly dealt cards in a restricted space. But once the plane lands, the whole movie goes down the drain and turns into a festival of genre clichés and logical fallacies, which is a shame, because they wreck the otherwise solid positive. (11/06/2005)

It’s not far from a fourth star. The first hour Craven carries it off with absolute clarity. The whole action on the plane, supported by the claustrophobic atmosphere and the seemingly hopeless situation of the main character (a very charming McAdams) is impressive and suspenseful, but unfortunately once the action moves to Lisa's house for the last 10 minutes or so, the tension is lost, with predictability and a bit of that genre cliché coming in. Another shame is the short runtime (73 minutes without credits). But beware, when God was handing out villainous charisma to future actors, Cillian Murphy went for five, he's the main reason this thriller is worth watching. I've been more and more interested in this guy since Batman Begins. (03/23/2006)

Although the direction is flawless, there are issues in the script, which in the end didn't avoid unsuccessful variations on classic genre clichés. Still, the director literally chips the tension out of more or less every shot and the work with the limited space of two seats on the plane is masterful and even the universally condemned ending doesn't lack proper gradation. Rachel McAdams sets herself up for a promising career as a pretty face with very developed acting potential, and Cillian Murphy already proved in Batman Begins that behind the face of an innocent-looking nice guy resides a villain of the heaviest caliber. It’s an absolutely minimized thriller from Phone Booth onwards, which would be perfect if it benefited from its originality throughout the entire runtime. Still, as it is, it’s a very above-average spectacle and many of its issues can be forgiven. (04/14/2006)

It's like seeing a modern-day Hitchcock. Pacing from start to finish, nervy and cynical humor for light relief, and most importantly a polished script that makes the most of everything in the end. Every minor character, even briefly introduced, and other aspects like the renovated house or the mention of a knife or a sport... Nothing is extraneous, everything makes sense sooner or later; it’s just great. The part on the plane is very suspenseful, the part after the plane is again somehow tense, and I didn't find the ending at all out of place with what preceded it. Indeed, I was again reminded of the finales of Hitchcock films, which often took place in a different setting from the rest of the film, and nobody minded. (07/19/2020)

A lot of value for money. They managed to turn a shoddy script into a solid atmospheric plot, dominated by an outstanding antagonist played by Cillian Murphy, who possesses so much charisma that it's almost pretty, while Rachel McAdams fits in excellently with her adorable pout. As long as we're in the cramped spaces of the airplane, where the actors perform their magic in quick dialogues and psychological battles, it's okay. But as it approaches the end and they disembark from, the barrage of clichés begins and the quality declines. But it’s still at a decent level. (09/12/2014)