'Red Eye' Is The Title For Several Movies

When my daughter recommended the movie Red Eye to me, I noticed there are more than one of them with the same title. I am glad she told me it was on Hulu. Therefore, I binged watched all six episodes. Then I told a friend to watch Red Eye. However, I neglected to mention that it was on Hulu. Therefore, she watched Red Eye on Netflix. We had watched two different movies with the same title.

I then researched the title and discovered there are several films titled Red Eye, and they span different years, genres and plots.

1. Red Eye (2024 UK Series) – Political Thriller

I watched the 2024 British thriller titled Red Eye that was created by Peter A. Dowling. It stars Jing Lusi as Detective Constable Hana Li tasked with escorting Dr. Matthew Nolan (Richard Armitage) from London to Beijing after he was accused of manslaughter. When passengers begin to die in mid-flight, Dr. Nolan helps to solve the murders. The story explodes into a web of international espionage, surveillance, and moral ambiguity with a twist at the end.

2. Red Eye (2005) – Psychological Thriller

This Red Eye is a thriller in the sky directed by Wes Craven. It stars Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert, a hotel manager, and Cillian Murphy as Jackson Rippner, who is part of a terrorist plot. They sit side by side on the plane, and Jackson threatens Lisa's father’s life to coerce her into helping assassinate a government official staying at her hotel. Most of the suspense unfolds mid-flight, with Lisa being helpless in the air while a plot is about to take place below at her hotel with a government official and at her home with her father.

This 2005 film has recently resurfaced on Netflix after 20 years. It is drawing in a new generation of viewers. After I recommended Red Eye, my friend watched it on Netflix, while I was immersed in a completely different version on Hulu with the same title. We discovered that we had watched two different movies when we began to discuss what we had watched.

3. Red Eye (2004) – South Korean Horror

When one thinks about a red eye, they think about the flight that people take that departs at night and arrives the next morning, especially when the total flight time is insufficient for passengers to get a full night's sleep.

This Red Eye is a South Korean supernatural thriller set aboard a train, directed by Kim Dong-bin. A mysterious force haunts the passengers, and a conductor discovers a ghostly presence tied to a past tragedy. This 2004 horror film is eerie, atmospheric, and ghostly.

4. Red Eye (TV Series, 2007–2015) – Political Satire

This Red Eye is not a movie, but it is included because of its title and popularity. It featured satirical commentary on politics and pop culture, often with a humorous and irreverent tone. It was an American late-night/early-morning satirical talk show hosted by Greg Gutfeld on Fox News. It aired at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Personal Reflections

My daughter’s Hulu suggestion led me to espionage. My friend’s Netflix brought her face-to-face with a terrorist. And somewhere in South Korea, a ghost was on a train.

The big lesson my friend and I learned is that when we recommend movies, we should say which network or streaming service they are on. It is not uncommon for films to have similar titles. In our case, Red Eye was not similar. It was the exact title.

One great thing that happened because of our mix-up is that my friend and I got to watch two movies with the same title. We enjoyed both of them!