Fear of Flying
Wes Craven Brings Thrills to Unfriendly Skies

In many ways, director Wes Craven's new film is a post-9/11 film. The underlying fears in the film stem not from a simple fear of flying, but from all the fears that we don't dare speak in airport terminals and on planes in these days of no-nonsense homeland security. While the perky Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) does confess to a fear of flying, it is the whispered question "Are you going to hijack the plane?" that shows where her -- and our -- terror lies.

Red Eye
Lisa (Rachel McAdams) has a bad trip when a very bad man sits next to her on a plane in Red Eye. (DreamWorks SKG, 2005)
Directed by: Wes Craven
Written by: Carl Ellsworth
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, and Jayma Mays

Rated PG-13 (for some intense sequences of violence, and language)
Running time: 85 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 7 out of 10.

The early trailers for Red Eye reminded me of the horror movies that I love -- the ones without gallons of blood splattering across the lens. It seemed subtle, and with good reason. Despite the fact that horror-master Craven is at the helm, this is an emotional thriller not a horror film. With a very simple story, Craven takes audiences on a ride that is often gut-wrenching. But the horror is not supernatural or monstrous in origin. It's what we, as humans, do to each other for our own reasons that is truly horrific.

McAdams stars as Lisa, a hotel manager on her way from Texas to Miami after attending a family funeral. The flight is delayed because of storms and she finds herself running the gauntlet of airport lines, check-ins, and unhappy commuters. It's one of those days, when one bad thing after another seems to hit, but a nice fellow passenger named Jackson (Cillian Murphy) flirts with her, buys her a drink, and helps her pass the time.

When they board the plane, it turns out that Jackson and Lisa have adjoining seats and it seems like a quirky romantic comedy is about to get underway. As the truth unfolds, however, he is not interested in her because of her dazzling smile or winning personality. His job, as he so eerily puts it, is to "keep the focus on her and her dad." This unnerving revelation gets her attention, and she immediately thinks the worst. "Are you going to hijack the plane?" she asks. But the danger is not to the plane or any of its passengers. Instead, her dad (Brian Cox) back home in Miami is the target of Jackson's threats. If Lisa doesn't do what he asks, her father will die.

McAdams and Murphy do well in their respective roles. McAdams looks like the type of actress who should always be playing the girl next door. She is more than eye-candy, but she doesn't really have much of a role with which to work. Murphy, on the other hand, has played a range of odd characters in his short career. This one is no different. As Jackson, he tries to come off as menacingly charming, but the truth is that he never really approaches charming. If I was a girl, I would see his smarmy attitude as a great big warning sign.

The setup for the film reminded me of the Irwin Allen disaster movies of the 1970s wherein the audience is introduced to various key figures that are boarding the ill-fated airplane (or ship, high-rise, whatever). There was an old lady who likes Dr. Phil, a little girl traveling alone for the first time, two slacker boys with music headphones, and the angry annoying passenger that everyone glares at throughout the flight. As secondary characters, they were all pretty two-dimensional.

The action and suspense is the true star of the film, however. Craven does an excellent job of setting up the situation and making the audience root for Lisa. She never falls into the "victim" mentality that so many characters do in these types of films. She's a fighter. The audience appreciates each attempt she makes to take control of the situation, even when the attempts fail.

The story does not end when the plane lands. In fact, once the plane touches down, the final act kicks into high gear. While there are some moments of head-scratching as the plot leaves some holes, the thrill of the chase far outweighs the need for explanation at every turn. My biggest complaint is one that I can't divulge here without giving away too much of the ending. It's a minor issue of characterization and storyline that -- as a writer -- I would like to have seen done differently.

For a thrill, Red Eye is worth a night at the movies. It may not become a perennial favorite, but it is an interesting diversion for one night.