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Review: Red Eye (2005)

Red Eye (2005) 

Directed by: Wes Craven

Premise: A woman (Rachel McAdams) becomes a pawn of a political assassin (Cillian Murphy) while on an airplane flight.

What Works: Red Eye is something of a departure for Craven, whose horror films are usually characterized by bloody set pieces. This film takes the route of a suspense thriller and is surprisingly effective. Through the first hour the film is very well written and uses the claustrophobia of the inside of the airplane to its advantage. McAdams and Murphy work really well together and deliver on the risky premise of the story.

What Doesn’t: The last thirty minutes of the film stretches logic and credibility. The strength of the preceding scenes softens the blow but in an effort to achieve a PG-13 rating, the picture sacrifices blood and gore in a way that makes some of the gags unrealistic and damages the tension. 

Bottom Line: While not a hard-core horror film, Red Eye is Wes Craven’s best film in this genre since Scream. By taking the suspense route, the film is able to deliver a PG-13 rating and present a story that is entertaining to a wide audience but does not pander to the youth crowd the way that Cursed did.

Episode: #65 (August 28, 2005)