Red Eye

It turns out that Wes Craven is a great director of straight thrillers involving nothing supernatural or horrific.

Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers) stars as a flying-phobic hotel desk manager who encounters a charming and handsome guy (Cillian Murphy) while waiting for a delayed flight. You may remember Murphy from his roles in Girl With A Pearl Earring, 28 Days Later, Cold Mountain, and Batman Begins.

When, to her surprise and delight, she finds he owns the seat next to hers on the plane, it seems at first that their flirtation may continue, except that he soon reveals himself to be a terrorist with cohorts holding her beloved father (Brian Cox, the sole "big star" in the movie) hostage under threat of death if she doesn't change the room arrangements of the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (including his wife and small children) to make it easier for all of them to be assassinated in a rocket attack.

After several attempts to short-circuit this plot are thwarted, she finally makes the change with the help of her assistant, played by Jayma Mays in a delightful performance sure to get her noticed.

Many critics have criticized the last act of the film which takes place off the plane, but what the seem to forget is that virtually all thrillers fall apart at the end. You can't keep suspense going forever, so of course the film lapses into chases and fight scenes. What else could it do?

McAdams and Murphy turn in very good performances. Ms. McAdams is a very rapidly rising star not just due to her beauty (beauty being common in Hollywood), but due to her engaging personality and acting skills.

I found this movie to very interesting and exciting. Don't listen to critics who pan it: it makes for an enjoyable afternoon or evening entertainment and is a great date movie.