Red Eye (2005)

I wish Wes Craven would make more pure-thrillers like "Red Eye". Perhaps the credit should be given to the screenwriter, Carl Ellsworth, who constructed an efficient script that, in the first two acts, brought forth relentless character/action and incisive dialogue that translated a psychological hijacking of great intensity onto the screen. A simple three act structure governs a plot of which Syd Field would approve. Two major plot points catapult the main action - a male professional killer mastermind (or manager as he likes to call himself) coerces a female hotel manager to assist him in the assasination of a political figure who frequents her hotel - into and out of Act 2 where most of the action takes place.

The following discussion will contain spoilers, so do watch the film before reading on.

The film's set-up is quick & involved much expositional editing. Editing is made frequently to depict Lisa (Rachel McAdams), her work, shots of her childhood photographs, her retired father (Brian Cox), and shots of expendable crewmen noisily opening crates of fish containing mysterious boxes. At the speed in which these bits of information are edited into a sequence, one may conclude the following: Lisa is a professional, a workaholic (problem solving via cellphone), a former victim (father's frequent phone calls & references to sel-help books), and those mystery boxes aren't leftover freebies from a tradeshow...

best sequence: the momentary fugitive escapes from the plane.

least effective: the final act dominated by a competently edited but cliched genre action sequence.

A good example of the standard screenplay structure for the novice student of film.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0421239/