After decades of shying away from the genre that made him a recognizable and well respected filmmaking talent, Wes Craven has finally received praise for a movie that shifts from out and out terror to claustrophobic tension as Rachel McAdams’ Lisa Reisert discovers that a charming airline passenger is about to force her to make a terrifying decision; assist with the assassination of a powerful executive, or your father will die.
The film moves quickly from start to finish, shifting flawlessly from its potential romcom beginnings, to panic and finally an explosive climax. The film is basically about two people and this allows relative newcomers McAdams and Murphy the chance to shine, with McAdams heroine sure to see her star quality soar.
Cillian Murphy manages to showcase a huge range, be it devilishly charming, alarming or threatening throughout the film’s short running time, and the supporting characters are also well cast.
Craven does a great job of ratcheting up suspense whilst we are within the confines of the plane, but more so towards the film’s climax, which takes place in the female protagonist’s family home. It is here that his talent for intentional misdirection comes into play and allows for some exceptionally well timed jumps.
It doesn’t always look like Wes Craven, but you can tell he was at the helm, and it’s definitely one of the best films I’ve seen in the last few months.
OVERALL SUMMARY
If you want a fast paced thriller with great performances and a simple, yet well executed story, this is the flight for you. It’s not as amazing or as tense as I had expected, mainly due to the fact that most of the plot points which occur on the plane are shown in the trailer, but nevertheless it’s a very enjoyable thriller.
