When Batman Begins premiered in theaters in June 2005, it instantly defined what superhero films would become in the following decades. It also introduced mainstream audiences to Cillian Murphy in the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane, better known as the Scarecrow. His gaunt features, piercing eyes, and unnervingly calm demeanor make him an instant standout performer in the film, even among a cast that included Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Liam Neeson.
But just weeks later, Murphy returned to theaters in a very different kind of villainous role – one more grounded, intimate, and psychologically disturbing. In Wes Craven’s Red Eye, Murphy sheds the comic book theatrics and instead delivers a performance so restrained and predatory, it capitalizes on fears we often have to experience in reality. Now streaming on Netflix, Red Eye offers a reminder that Murphy’s most terrifying characters don’t wear masks or rely on fear gas – they only need to give Murphy control.
Cillian Murphy Played a Villain With a Different Kind of Mask in ‘Red Eye’
In Red Eye, Murphy portrays Jackson Rippner, a smooth-talking stranger who strikes up a conversation with hotel manager Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) during a red-eye flight. At first, Jackson appears charming, even flirtatious. But once the plane is in the air and any possibility of escape becomes impossible, his tone shifts – flirtation transforms into threat, and kindness into coercion. The full extent of his plan – to force Lisa into facilitating a political assassination – becomes chillingly clear.
Murphy doesn’t need the surrealism of a comic book universe to be frightening, he uses proximity and control to unsettle Lisa, and in turn the audience as well. Unlike the larger-than-life fear tactics of the Scarecrow, Jackson Rippner operates in the realm of the familiar. He’s a man who seems polite until he isn’t, the charming stranger who turns predatory the moment charm no longer serves his purpose. The performance is more than just scary – it’s plausible, and that’s what makes it so effective.
Jackson Rippner doesn’t have an elaborate costume, a twisted backstory, or a need for chaos. The horror comes from how easily he blends in. The performance proves how much Murphy can do with very little. Where the Scarecrow creates fear through illusion, Jackson creates it through presence. Every smirk and quiet line delivery cultivates a character whose silences feel dangerous, and the role is a reminder that often the most terrifying monsters are the ones who never even have to raise their voice.
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Cillian Murphy Traps Rachel McAdams in a Claustrophobic Nightmare
Craven, best known for horror classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, trades in gore for tension in Red Eye. The majority of the film takes place in the cabin of an airplane – a setting that inherently limits freedom, mobility, and privacy. Craven utilizes the limited space to its maximum effect. Every camera angle tightens the psychological vice around Lisa as she tries to think her way out of an impossible situation.
Murphy thrives in this setting, with the tension behind his performance reaching the perfect temperature in this pressure cooker. He doesn’t overplay Jackson’s menace, instead letting it simmer. The way he shifts from affable to icy with a single glance is masterful. His performance doesn’t need dramatic gestures or volume to be effective – his threats land because they’re calm and calculated. Watching Red Eye is a film that feels like being cornered with no exit, and Murphy’s performance in the plane is the reason why.
Cillian Murphy’s ‘Red Eye’ Villain Tapped Into a Very Real Fear
Released at a time when post-9/11 anxieties were still fresh in the public consciousness, Red Eye taps into fears that go beyond personal safety. The film touches on the unease surrounding surveillance, terrorism, and the terrifying ease with which one’s life can be hijacked and upended by a complete stranger with the right information. Lisa isn’t targeted at random, but because she’s capable and competent – traits that Jackson exploits. Murphy’s performance embodies this era of villainy: cold, impersonal, and systemic. He doesn’t need to overpower Lisa physically; he only needs to convince her that he already holds all the cards, and that he is in complete control. It’s a psychological game with stakes that feel real, and Murphy plays the role with unnerving precision.
In the years since Red Eye’s release, Murphy has continued to give many complex performances, including Peaky Blinders’ Tommy Shelby and the tormented physicist in Oppenheimer, for which he reteamed with Christopher Nolan after Batman Begins. But Red Eye remains one of his most underrated and unsettling performances to this day. His portrayal of Jackson Rippner is focused and sinister, and offers a deeper glimpse into the depths and realities which Murphy is able to utilize in order to deliver a chilling, lingering performance.
Now that Red Eye is streaming, it’s the perfect time to revisit the performance and remember that 2005 gave us two unforgettable Murphy villains. The difference here is that one is unbelievable because his mask is that of a comic book villain, while the other’s mask is only pretense and the reality of villainy.
