A young, attractive and dedicated hotel manager takes a much delayed red eye from Dallas to Miami on her way back to work at a 5-star hotel. To reveal any more of the plot would spoil the fun. This highly suspenseful film, full of surprising twists, is directed by Wes Craven, the so-called “King of Horror” (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream). Yet, here he’s opted for a subtle Hitchockian approach, one that takes a simple story (two main characters, banal situations) and transforms it into something extraordinary. In practical terms that means there’s no room here for that cliché of the teen horror flick; yet there’s still a maniac waving a butcher’s knife around. Rather, Red Eye is a mature adult thriller that still has its share of shock value, albeit of a subtler variety. The story is indeed easy to relate to; the script, based on the common experience of sitting next to a total stranger in an airplane swiftly involves the audience.
Adding to that credible performances from the leads and a classical, yet efficient mise-en-scene, and Red Eye provides one tight, solid and breathtaking romp through the upper stratosphere.
DreamWorks SKG

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
February 2006 issue