For audiences who now associate him with the intense, intricate genius of Thomas Shelby or the burdened brilliance of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy’s breakthrough into American stardom came via a quick-moving, confined psychological thriller. That 2005 film, Red Eye , was a commercial success, yet the actor has recently admitted the project still “bothers” him. Murphy now bluntly dismisses the cult classic, which centers on a terrifying flight, as a fun but ultimately “schlocky B-movie.”
The movie in question is Red Eye , the 2005 psychological thriller directed by horror master Wes Craven.The tight premise revolves entirely around a red-eye flight from Dallas to Miami. Onboard, hotel manager Lisa Reisert, played by Rachel McAdams, has a seemingly romantic “meet-cute” with fellow passenger Jackson Rippner, played by Murphy. Once the plane is airborne, the charming façade shatters violently: Rippner is revealed to be a domestic terrorist intending to blackmail Lisa into helping assassinate a high-profile politician on the ground.
For Murphy, Red Eye was a crucial Hollywood stepping stone, released the same year he debuted as the villainous Scarecrow in Batman Begins . The role of Rippner appeals to him specifically for its immediate psychological shift. Murphy once recalled the turn, stating, “I think it’s the duality of it.It’s why I wanted to play it. Those two things. The nice guy and the bad guy in one.”
Despite the film being a box office success, grossing over $96 million worldwide, and enjoying a massive cult following thanks to relentless cable airings, Murphy has repeatedly expressed lukewarm feelings toward the final product.He has been candid about his judgment of the thriller, which is often praised by fans for its tight pacing and claustrophobic tension. In a blunt dismissal to GQ , Murphy stated, “I love Rachel McAdams and we had fun making it.But I don’t think it’s a good movie. It’s a good B movie. I remember when I saw it [I] was like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of a schlocky B-movie.'”
Murphy’s reluctance toward Red Eye is rooted less in the quality of the acting, which is often lauded, and more in a broader, notable career event: his long-standing disdain for the relentless press cycle that followed a hit movie. Even the years of fan adoration for Red Eye , which continues to be one of the films most American audiences recognize him from, is a source of frustration. Murphy, who famously shies away from the spotlight and has expressed being “so bored” by the conventional Hollywood promotional model, sees the film as a lasting reminder of his difficult early transition into the commercial American industry—a flight he can’t seem to disembark from, no matter how many Oscar-caliber roles he takes on.