NewsBytes Recommends: Cillian Murphy's 'Red Eye'—smart, surprising, consistently engrossing
We are no strangers to Academy Awardee Cillian Murphy's range of talents, showcased repeatedly through massive tentpole projects such as Oppenheimer, the Batman trilogy, and Peaky Blinders. Amid these blockbuster projects, tucked away in the alleys of Netflix is his thriller Red Eye, co-starring Rachel McAdams. The film—which has no time to breathe—effectively solidifies his competence and abilities, proving to be a thunderous ride.
It's recommended to dive into film without reading the plot
Spoilers ahead. In the film (set mostly on a plane with selected scenes in a hotel), hotel employee Lisa finds herself charmed by a young man Jackson (Murphy). They have a meet-cute, share a drink, and then start talking, only for Lisa to realize that he is not who he seems to be, and she must make a life-and-death decision before the flight lands.
Your attention will never waver while watching it
The movie's most remarkable aspect is how quickly it changes gears and shifts from one track to the other, while also ensuring that the central plot stays engrossing. One of my favorite scenes comes in the first half, when Murphy, mid-sentence, drops the pretence of who he is and almost turns into an entirely different person, providing artistic fuel to the film.
The film has many surprises up its sleeve
When you think you have already watched or guessed everything and it would be tough for the narrative to pull the rug from under your feet, the film catches you off-guard at that exact juncture. The setting also accentuates the genre of the movie; the fear of closed spaces combined with the leads dangling in mid-air further heighten the stakes of the situation.
It doesn't ignore the supporting actors
Even though the spotlight is always on Murphy and McAdams, the film charts out significant roles for the supporting actors, too. So, even though they are not on the screen as much, they seem humane and believable, and we find ourselves concerned about their well-being in sequences when they race against time. Two such characters are played by Jayma Mays and Brian Cox.
It's perfect for a weekend watch
Red Eye is one of those films you can watch in a single sitting, without ever feeling disengaged or disconnected (Have a dwindling attention span? The film will take care of it). Creatively written and meticulously performed, it does a lot with its generic hostage-on-a-flight template, ensuring there are surprises every step of the way. The Wes Craven directorial is streaming on Netflix.
