RED EYE Photo

Red Eye

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brittany Oaks, Kyle Gallner, Laura Johnson

Directed by: Wes Craven

RS: 3.5of 4 Stars

2005 Dreamworks Drama

It took forever, but the best thriller of summer 2005 has finally arrived. The gripping, seat- clutching suspense in this baby will pin you to your seat. Which is exactly what the charming Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) does to Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams), the workaholic hotel manager he meets on an overnight flight from Dallas to Miami. Murphy is a fine actor, who can play a delicate hunk (28 Days Later) or a freak (Batman Begins) with equal ease. He does both here, making Rippner (if you missed the significance of the name by now, don't bother with this movie) a mesmerizing presence. As for McAdams, it should be obvious after The Wedding Crashers, Mean Girls and The Notebook that she's the smart choice for the sexiest actress around or the sexiest choice for the smartest actress around. Take your pick. Watch your back, Julia Roberts, McAdams is magic and this is one more step toward a stunning career. I won't spoil the film's surprises, except to say that director Wes Craven, after slipping badly with Cursed, is back in true nightmare form. Until a convoluted ending, he keeps you riveted by just watching two people on a plane.