If you’re in the mood for a thriller that’s fun, tense, and a little nostalgic, Red Eye might be worth adding to your Netflix watchlist. Directed by Wes Craven and starring Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, and Brian Cox (who was putting in work in his pre-Succession era—see The Take, Adaptation, Super Troopers), this mid-2000s airplane thriller packs a surprising punch into a tight 85 minutes.
Most of the action unfolds in one cramped airplane cabin. (Long live the bottle thriller!) And while the premise leans toward the absurd, the film stays surprisingly gripping thanks to its strong cast and Craven’s signature pacing. Watching it nearly 20 years later in a world of TSA body scanners, AirTags, and true crime podcasts puts a lot into perspective.
Red Eye is both dated and delightful, implausible and intense, and above all, a very good time.
Here are 12 random takeaways from my rewatch of this dumb-fun mid-2000s thriller:
1. Rachel McAdams Should’ve Kept that Dr. Phil Book
We meet Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) in full Type-A mode: hyper-competent, perfectly blow-dried, and carrying a copy of a Dr. Phil book in her purse. It’s the most 2005 detail imaginable: a paperback symbol of a time when pop psychology was having a major cultural moment and airport reading meant emotional breakthroughs courtesy of syndicated TV doctors.
She gifts the book to a fellow passenger before boarding, a small gesture that reflects her chronic people-pleasing and deeply ingrained customer service instincts. But it could’ve come in handy down the line.
Not just for the affirmations. For the blunt-force trauma potential.
Between wrangling VIP hotel guests and getting blackmailed at 30,000 feet, Lisa could’ve used every ounce of Dr. Phil’s tough love and possibly a sharp corner to the temple. That book was thicc. It wouldn’t have solved her trust issues, but it might’ve bought her enough time to hit the call button and rat on Jackson.
2. Oversharing at the Airplane Bar: A Cautionary Tale
As soon as Lisa sits down at the Tex-Mex bar for a little airport queso and chill, the mysterious flirty stranger she’s chatting with starts grilling her like a bone-in ribeye. And Lisa, sweet summer child that she is, spills everything in their 4-minute pre-boarding exchange. She tells him about her fear of flying, the passing of her grandmother, her middle name and her favorite drink, all before she even finds out his name!
At one point, I expected her to give him the last four of her Social Security number. Did we just forget about stranger danger in 2005?
3. His Name Is Jackson Rippner. The Flag Couldn’t Be Redder.
The screenshot above is bananas. Casting a man with this mug as a villain was truly inspired, Wes Craven! Okay, sorry, where was I? Right, let’s take a moment to appreciate (and by appreciate I mean scream internally at) the fact that Cillian Murphy’s character is named Jackson Rippner. As in, JACK THE RIPPER. Subtlety? Never met her.
The reveal is dropped so casually that Lisa barely blinks. I mean, if a rando stranger introduces himself as Jackson Rippner, that’s when you start doing some quick maths to make sure things are adding up.
Red flag doesn’t even begin to cover it, especially when we get into the following bullet:
4. And Then He Makes a Joke About Killing His Parents
So he tells Lisa his name, and she sloooooowly puts together the pieces.
Lisa: “Oh, Rippner, like Jack the Ripper? That wasn’t very nice of your parents.”
Jackson: “Yeah, that’s what I told them before I killed ’em.”
WHAT.
That “joke” should’ve pushed Lisa to fake a phone call, excuse herself to the bathroom, something. At the very least, raise an eyebrow! Instead, she laughs—and then tells him her middle name. Maybe don’t give him your full government name, Lisa! I don’t care how charming he is or how good his hair looks under airport lighting.
Girl, you are in danger!
5. Cynthia Deserved a Raise and a Flame-Thrower
On the ground, Lisa’s coworker Cynthia is holding down the fort at the hotel and fielding complaints from the most insufferable couple on Earth. Their suite isn’t ready, and instead of showing even a sliver of human patience, they threaten to “call corporate,” as if Cynthia isn’t already one minor inconvenience away from flipping a table.
And I wish she had handed them the phone, the front desk computer, and possibly the keys to the building because she had way more important things to deal with. Lisa’s gone, a government official is inbound, and a national security incident is probably in the making.
6. Kyle Gallner Is One of the Annoying Teens on That Flight
Blink and you’ll miss him, but yes, that’s Kyle Gallner—future scream king and punk hunk in Dinner in America—playing one of the surly teens on the plane. It’s a small part, but it feels like a fun precursor to his later horror roles (Jennifer’s Body, Smile, The Haunting in Connecticut).
He doesn’t do much besides bicker with his brother, but that’s the most realistic part of this movie. No teenager is being helpful during a mid-air hostage situation.
7. Jackson Is an Ideal Boyfriend, If Your Love Language Is “Tactical Threat Assessment”
Look, I know I’ve been hard on Lisa up to this point, but I totally get why she was so wooed by Mr. Rippner.
Lisa and Jackson meet in the check-in line after their flight gets delayed, and another passenger starts berating an attendant. It’s classic “ugh, travel!” trauma-bonding. He’s polite, helpful, easy on the eyes and seems like the kind of guy who actually texts back and remembers your dog’s name.
But it’s all premeditation. Jackson knew what flight Lisa was on, what seat she’d be in, and which airline she was using. This is no meet-cute. This is boy stalks girl and then engages in some heavy coercion and high-stakes extortion.
Nonetheless, it’s impressive. Meticulously timed. Logistically airtight. The man is damn good at what he does.
And if this weren’t a thriller, and if his “job” didn’t involve contract killing and manipulating traumatized proletariats, Jackson would be boyfriend material. He’s punctual, plans ahead, has good eye contact and actively listens. He pays attention to detail and is empathetic, with excellent banter and situational awareness. That’s soulmate-level effort…if your soulmate also carries a burner phone and will potentially murder your father if you don’t go along with his terrorist
8. Jackson Rippner Is Super Committed to His Job
You almost have to respect the work ethic. Not only is Jackson trying to off this government official, he’s also monologuing, blackmailing, emotionally manipulating, and sprinting through an airport bathroom all in business casual. The man is laser-focused.
But what exactly is his job? He says he’s a “manager,” but what does that translate to in the hitman industry? Is he a middleman contractor for a shadowy organization? It’s never really explained. All we know is he wants to blow up the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and keep his blowout intact while doing it (and he succeeds at the latter!).
9. All Lisa Had to Do Was Snitch Mid-Flight
Red Eye requires a little more suspension of disbelief than your average bottle thriller: Lisa goes full John McClane, risks her life, her dad’s life, and probably violates three Florida traffic laws when all she really had to do was say something. Anything. To anyone.
Jackson tells her point-blank that the assassin won’t kill her father without his signal. So, like… Lisa. You’re sitting next to the human green light. In 2005. In post-9/11 airspace. Just yell out “he’s got a bomb” or something similar, and Jackson would be taken down mid-flight by an air marshal or kept under watch until landing, then arrested the moment he stands up. Meanwhile, back in Florida, police roll up to her dad’s house and arrest the hitman before he can screw the silencer on his gun.
Though… there is the possibility that the narrative exists outside of realism, functioning more as a stylized parable about trust and the illusion of safety in public spaces. Yeah, that tracks, actually.
10. The Kid on the Plane Is the Only Person with an Ounce of Discernment
Let’s give a standing ovation to Rebecca, the elementary-aged passenger with the pink suitcase and incredible instincts. She notices something is amiss with Jackson almost immediately and tries to call out Jackson’s unusual bathroom visit, but, as usual, no one ever listens to kids.
She looks at an extremely rattled Lisa and notes the sinister glares from Jackson. Then she puts the vibes together faster than any adult on that flight.
And then, at the very end of the flight, she does something about it. As Jackson is trying to run off the plane to chase Lisa, Rebecca slides her tiny pink suitcase directly into his path. He stumbles and falls. The moment is fleeting, but it’s deliberate. She knew, and she made her move.
11. Brian Cox Was Not a Secret Villain, Even Though He Was Giving That Energy Big Time
Brian Cox plays Lisa’s sweet, protective dad, Joe. But the entire time I kept expecting a twist. The way he holds the phone like he’s going to deliver a monologue? The gravitas he brings to a scene where he’s just reading a book? He had major secret-villain energy.
Thankfully, Joe turns out to be a supportive dad who still uses a landline and somehow doesn’t ask any follow-up questions when his daughter calls and cryptically says, “Just trust me.” He’s the emotionally available father we all wish we had growing up in the early 2000s.
12. Lisa’s ‘Home Alone’ Moment
Just when you think Red Eye is going to end on the tarmac, the movie pivots into full-blown home invasion horror. Lisa, bloodied but locked in, spots the assassin standing outside her front door, gun drawn. So she does what any emotionally wrecked woman with a trauma backlog and a stolen SUV would do: She floors it and drives straight into him, crashing through her own front door like a one-woman SWAT team.
This is survival fueled by customer service burnout, daughterly devotion and years of repressed fear finally breaking loose in one gloriously destructive move.
But it’s not over. Jackson shows up, wounded and relentless, and corners Lisa inside the house. After a struggle downstairs, she bolts, running upstairs without a weapon, without a plan, running on pure adrenaline.
Suddenly, the movie turns into Home Alone by way of Wes Craven. No booby traps or holiday cheer—just Lisa racing around her childhood home, knocking over chairs and fixtures to slow Jackson down and arming herself with her childhood field hockey stick.
Her dad lands the final blow, but only because Lisa sets the stage perfectly. She’s the five-star general of final girls. And in her house, guest services are permanently closed.
Final Thoughts
Red Eye might not hold up under the weight of realism (or modern airport security), but who cares? It’s a compact, efficient thriller with two gorgeous leads, one plane bathroom brawl, and some of the wildest plot turns ever crammed into 85 minutes.
Rachel McAdams proves she can do way more than teen comedies and Nicholas Sparks adaptations. Cillian Murphy is terrifying and hot in that specific “early-career villain” way. And Brian Cox is just happy to be here, sipping his scotch and pretending not to be a secret criminal mastermind.
Would I recommend rewatching it? Absolutely. And if you’ve ever worried about chatting with strangers in line at check-in… Red Eye will absolutely validate your anxiety.
Danger Bowie 
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