Series – 2 Seasons – 6 Episodes (45 minutes) – Thriller
Third season unconfirmed but likely
A series unfolding in real-time and set mostly on an airplane, it’s a no-brainer, innit. At first, I thought they saw the success of Hijack, starring Idris Elba, and just decided to copy the formula. However, upon further inspection, I realized that the creator of Red Eye is none other than Peter A. Dowling, the writer of Flightplan. I don’t know if you remember that little gem from the early 2000s starring Jodie Foster? It’s quite entertaining and a great companion to Fincher’s Panic Room, also starring Foster. While we’re on the subject, I just want to mention another movie from that decade. Red Eye is a 2005 movie starring Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. It’s just enough entertaining to warrant a viewing.
And, I can say the same thing about the series I’m recommending you watch now. Red Eye Season 1 follows doctor Matthew Nolan, who finds himself accused of murder after attending a conference in Beijing, China. He claims he’s innocent, but with the Chinese authorities demanding his return, DC Hana Li is promptly dispatched to escort him on a “red eye” back to Beijing. Of course, it will soon become clear there’s a larger plot surrounding these events. A plot that will involve spies, killers, MI5, MI6, and CIA, and quite a lot of worried and intense stares. Overall, I found Red Eye to be quite engaging, perhaps because I’m a sucker for both spy shit and airplane shit.
Sure, there are a lot of cliches, plot holes, and a bit of padding, but when you want to watch something to relax, it’s a great choice. To counter these issues, they injected a fair bit of political and covert ops drama. In fact, I was quite surprised when I saw this, as I considered Red Eye a “mainstream” series that’s not gonna touch secret Chinese plots or nuclear energy. Moreover, one of the main characters is a Chinese-British detective with an eerily similar real-life backstory. The second season repeats the same formula, this time focusing on corruption, the military-industrial complex, and also a bit of good old “bad Russians” vibes.
In a lead role, we have Thorin himself, Mr. Richard Armitage. And within the opening ten minutes, he strips down to his boxers. I have to say I greatly appreciate that he looks like a normal guy and not a six-pack steroid-injected one-man-army. Plus, I bet he seduces and fucks better than those nasty critters. Oh my. This is the first time I’m seeing Jing Lusi, who plays Hana Lee, and I have to say she immediately caught my eye. She gave a pitch-perfect performance and has a strange sort of charisma that just pulls you in. I also want to mention Lesley Sharp, a perfect casting choice for MI5 Director-General Madeline Delaney.
Red Eye Season 2 shifts its focus to a deadly party at the American embassy in London, along with a private jet with a bomb on board. Both Jing Lusi and Lesly Sharp reprise their roles with the addition of Martin Compston, a sturdy Scottish lad with a charming accent. You can expect the same covert ops, cover-ups, and other high-stakes shenanigans. Sure, things get a bit too stereotypical and melodramatic towards the end, but I guess that’s just the way things go. At certain times, I felt like I was watching a Mexican telenovela. All that was missing was one intense “Yo soy tu madre” although we did get something similar.
The second season was still fairly plausible and even quite engaging at times. Especially when compared to the second season of Hijack. I mean, that was just a ridiculous blunder that had a lot of potential wasted on bizarre compromises. Here, we can even get our hopes up for a third, yet unconfirmed season. One thing I did miss from season one was the visual aesthetic. They did their best to maintain the neon-lit blend of neo-noir, but there are limits to what you can do when your setting is the American embassy in London. However, I do have to notice a slight bump in the production values, not that any of this really matters.
With solid character development, a slightly tense atmosphere, and interesting subplots, both seasons of Red Eye are definitely worth watching. If you’re looking for something cozy, you’ve just found it. There will be enough twists and turns to keep you engaged till the end. ‘Till the end of a relatively short season comprising just six episodes. Which is another plus because I simply can’t stand that atrocious padding most series now resort to. Speaking of which, I guess it’s time to wrap this up. After all, you’ve got another binger on your hands.
Directors: Kieron Hawkes, Camilla Strøm Henriksen
Writers: Peter A. Dowling, Jingan Young
Cast: Jing Lusi, Richard Armitage, Lesley Sharp, Martin Compston, Jemma Moore, Jonathan Aris
Fun Facts: Jing Lusi, who plays Hana Lee, was born in Shanghai, China, and moved with her parents to the United Kingdom at the age of five. She actually graduated with a law degree from University College London before pursuing acting.
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