Murder, Espionage, and In-Flight Entertainment — Red Eye (TV Review)

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard this flight from London to Beijing. Before we begin this review, please make sure your seats are in the upright position, your tray tables are locked, and prepare for take-off. Red Eye, ITV’s newest high-octane thriller takes you on the flight of your life, that will leave you guessing right till the very end.

Written by the genius behind Flight Plan, Peter A Downing, with episode 4 being penned by Jingan Young, (Life and death of a journalist), this 6-part drama delivers an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, that, along with its all-star cast of Richard Armitage, (Fool Me Once),  Jing Lusi, (Crazy Rich Asians), Lesley Sharp (The Full Monty) and newcomer Jemma Moore, will want you begging for a second season.

When we first meet Armitage’s Dr Matthew Nolan, he’s being chased out of a nightclub in Beijing, but it’s his return to London that sees his nightmare, and alas, our addiction, begin. As the drama unfolds, you’re left asking who you can trust, and as the thriller crosses into the halls of Whitehall, nothing will prepare you for what comes next.

Whilst Armitage does shine in his role as Nolan, you can’t help but compare it to the majority of roles he’s played before. From his espionage double-crossing roots of Spooks to the ever-mysterious characters he plays in every Harlan Coban series on Netflix. That being said, you truly do want to find out if he’s innocent or not and Armitage kicks his performance out of the park, especially as he tries to convince Li that he’s not a murderer.

The show belongs to Jing Lusi, best known for her roles in Stan Lee’s Lucky Man and Crazy Rich Asians. Lusi steals every scene she’s in and really makes you believe in her character, in a way that Armitage’s Nolan doesn’t. Her dry wit and no-nonsense portrayal of DC Hana Li add brilliant comedic value to the ever-building tension of an eleven-hour flight where the passengers are being picked off one by one.

Whilst viewers may draw similarities to the recently aired Hijack, they couldn’t be more dissimilar… except for the plane. Downing and Young effortlessly create and build the tension that flows throughout these six episodes. But it’s not just the drama in the air that keeps you captivated.

The goings-on of Hana’s family, including that of her struggling freelance journalist sister Jess (Jemma Moore), leads them into a world of conspiracies where getting to the truth is easier said than done.  For once, it’s nice to see a family story that actually goes somewhere, rather than just feel like an overzealous B-plot, that you’d be happy to skip.

Sharp’s head of MI5 Madeline Delaney takes no prisoners. Despite her troubled personal life and sick husband, she’s willing to risk it all to uncover what’s going on, no matter the consequences. In doing so, she’s matched perfectly by Sherlock‘s Jonathan Aris, who plays her old mentee and now senior officer. With a supporting cast of Dan Li, Kevan Mackenzie and Elaine Tan, there are no weak links in this drama.

Directed by Kieron Hawkes (Strike: Silkworm), the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a mettle tin box in the sky, only adds to the tension and intrigue,  But it’s his use of the vast landscape of the plane, that somehow makes you feel comfortable.

Red Eye airs weekly from April 21st on ITV, with all episodes being available on ITVX.