This movie is so Hitchcock. Like so many of his thrillers that open with a light, friendly everyday situation, it starts out with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, who initially meet at an airport terminal while waiting to board a flight, and they strike up a romantic banter, while surrounded by a bunch airport clichés (the irate passenger on a delayed flight, the nosy passenger, the flirty blonde passenger and the pushy stewardess). So you think this is going to be a rom-com, until about 20 minutes into the flick, Cillian turns completely psycho, revealing to Rachel that he is going to use her to carry out his agenda to kill the head of the Department of Homeland Security, and if she doesn't cooperate, her father will be killed.
Then the cat-and-mouse thriller begins. Cillian manipulates Rachel with emotional threats and physical violence on a plane full of passengers with such subtlety, that no one else notices. It's carried out so believably, and that's what so brilliant and scary about the movie. For example, Cillian attacks Rachel in the bathroom, and the stewardess shames them when they come out, accusing them of trying to join the mile-high club.
This has all of the elements of Hitchcock: a beautiful and immaculate leading lady, seemingly unsuspecting/nice people who are actually evil, an everyday situation turned desperate, and random elements of humor mixed in with suspense which takes the edge off things. And like a Hitchcock pic, not everything about this movie is entirely believable, but enough of it is so that you can sit back and enjoy it for what it is.
Then the cat-and-mouse thriller begins. Cillian manipulates Rachel with emotional threats and physical violence on a plane full of passengers with such subtlety, that no one else notices. It's carried out so believably, and that's what so brilliant and scary about the movie. For example, Cillian attacks Rachel in the bathroom, and the stewardess shames them when they come out, accusing them of trying to join the mile-high club.
This has all of the elements of Hitchcock: a beautiful and immaculate leading lady, seemingly unsuspecting/nice people who are actually evil, an everyday situation turned desperate, and random elements of humor mixed in with suspense which takes the edge off things. And like a Hitchcock pic, not everything about this movie is entirely believable, but enough of it is so that you can sit back and enjoy it for what it is.
