RED EYE 20 Years Later: The Art Of High-Altitude Suspense

Introduction

In the summer of 2005, audiences boarded a flight they didn’t expect to remember for long — a modestly budgeted thriller from horror maestro Wes Craven called Red Eye. But two decades later, the film has achieved a kind of cult-classic status, enduring not only as a taut exercise in suspense but also as a surprising showcase for early-2000s genre innovation.

Synopsis

Clocking in at a lean, mean 85 minutes, Red Eye wastes no time getting airborne — literally and narratively. Rachel McAdams, fresh off the dual breakthrough of Mean Girls and The Notebook (both 2004), stars as Lisa Reisert, a hotel manager flying home from her grandmother’s funeral. Opposite her is Cillian Murphy, who was also establishing himself in Hollywood following his amazing performance in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002).

Murphy is all icy charm and menace as Jackson Rippner (yep, that’s his name), a suave stranger who isn’t just flirting, he’s coercing Lisa into helping him assassinate a high-profile government official staying at her hotel, or her father (Brian Cox) dies.

Discussion

Revisiting the film today, what stands out most is its elegant simplicity. Craven, known for the operatic terror of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and the metatextual bloodletting of Scream (1996), trades gore for claustrophobia.

In Red Eye, the airplane becomes a crucible, narrowing the world to just a few seats, full of unaware and increasingly aware strangers, of the mounting threat. Craven’s direction is economical but sharp. His use of space and timing is reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rope or Rear Window— only with a post-9/11 pulse.

McAdams anchors Red Eye with a performance that has only grown in appreciation. She plays Lisa, not as a scream queen, but as a capable woman forced into a labyrinth of decision-making to try to ensure her survival, that of her father, and the assassination target.

Murphy, meanwhile, turns in a villainous performance that’s as magnetic as it is unsettling. He is laying the groundwork for his later iconic roles in Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer. Watching them now, the tension still crackles — not just between victim and villain, but in the power dynamic that constantly shifts at 30,000 feet.

Critical Reception

Red Eye has received generally favorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 80% rating on the Tomato-meter based on 194 reviews, with an audience score of 64% based on over 250,000 ratings. Metacritic also gave the film a score of 71 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. 

Roger Ebert praised the film, calling it a “good thriller” that moves “competently [and] relentlessly.” He commended Craven for making the film “function so smoothly” and “doing exactly what it was intended to do.” Ebert also expressed admiration for the performances of McAdams and Murphy, stating that they are “very effective together.” He gave the film 3/4 stars.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3.5/4 stars, calling it the “best thriller of summer 2005,” and a “gripping suspense [that] will pin you to your seat.” while Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the film a “nifty, tense thriller” and said that the casting of the two leads is “a nice surprise.”

Legacy

Over time, Red Eye has aged surprisingly well. Its lack of CGI, stripped-down storytelling, and reliance on performance and pacing over bombast make it feel timeless in an era where thrillers are often bloated or formulaic. It’s also an outlier in Craven’s filmography — a testament to his versatility that he could sidestep horror tropes and still deliver fear with surgical precision.

On its 20th anniversary, Red Eye stands as a reminder of what the thriller genre can be when it doesn’t overreach — smart, stylish, and unrelentingly tense. It’s a flight worth rebooking, especially now, with the full view of hindsight.

Conclusion

Murphy has expressed mixed feelings about Red Eye. In a 2024 interview with People, he admitted that while he enjoyed working with Rachel McAdams, he refers to it as “a good B movie.” McAdams fondly recalled their time together on set, noting Murphy’s kindness. She also mentioned that “the nicest people sometimes make the best villains” while speaking about Murphy. McAdams added that questions she fielded while promoting Red Eye generally revolved around Murphy’s eyes! 

Red Eye has maintained a lasting presence in popular culture, often cited as one of the best airplane thrillers. Its blend of psychological tension and confined setting has influenced subsequent films in the genre and is an impressive addition to the resumes of all involved.

Red Eye is available to view on Netflix.

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