A chilling thriller starring two Hollywood heavyweights is set to grip ITV audiences tonight, with viewers warning the film will leave you terrified of air travel. The 2005 film Red Eye, featuring Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, airs on ITV1 and promises an intense, claustrophobic ride at 30,000 feet.
A Fateful Flight Turns Sinister
Directed by horror maestro Wes Craven, the plot follows hotel manager Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) as she returns home from her grandmother's funeral. A seemingly chance meeting with the charming Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) at the airport check-in desk leads to them sitting together on the overnight 'red eye' flight. What begins as a flirtatious encounter rapidly descends into a nightmare.
Lisa soon discovers their meeting was no accident. Rippner is a cold-blooded operative who has boarded the plane with a single, horrifying goal: to assassinate the head of Homeland Security. To ensure the success of his plot, he needs Lisa to use her position to reassign the official's hotel room. To force her compliance, he reveals he has kidnapped her father, played by Brian Cox, turning a high-altitude confrontation into a deeply personal ordeal.
Critical Acclaim and Star Reactions
Upon its release, Red Eye proved a solid box office hit, grossing $95.6 million worldwide against a $26 million budget. It also won over critics, currently holding an 80% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers widely praised the film's relentless tension and Craven's masterful use of the confined aeroplane setting to ratchet up suspense.
However, star Cillian Murphy offered a more modest assessment of the film, despite praising his co-star. "I love Rachel McAdams and we had fun making it but I don't think it's a good movie. It's a good B movie," he remarked. Critics disagreed, with one noting the "cloistered space and confined quarters ratchet up the suspense, often to uncomfortable (but welcomed) levels." Another highlighted how "Craven shows he still knows how to ratchet up the tension - chiefly using claustrophobic camera angles."
Viewers Divided on Tense Thriller
Fan reactions have been mixed but potent. Many viewers have taken to social media to warn others about the film's chilling effect. One stated the film left them 'never feeling safe on a plane again', while another called it a "sneaky, lying, scrapes at your heart thriller" that fully earns its 'sinister' label, praising Murphy's convincing performance as the villain.
Other fans enjoyed the "gripping political-thriller concept" and "engaging conflict", though some felt certain character decisions strained believability. A more critical viewer dismissed the plot as "completely unrealistic", questioning the logic of the characters' actions, while still admitting a fondness for the two lead actors.
Whether you find it a pitch-perfect thriller or a fun B-movie, you can judge for yourself. Red Eye airs tonight, Friday, 2 December, at 9pm on ITV1.
