Not since 1984 have people been able to forget that fateful day when they stepped into the theater and watched “A Nightmare on Elm Street” for the first time. A classic pioneer of the “slasher movie” genre, the series that introduced the disfigured, knife-wielding Freddy Krueger is the keynote of director Wes Craven’s career.

These days, many critics and horror fans alike are saying that Craven has lost his edge as the “Slash Master” and are urging him to hang up his hat before he makes too many more flops.

In his latest film “Red Eye,” however, it seems Craven hasn’t lost his edge at all. Instead, he has begun a new career in suspense, a modest reach from the horror cinema that gained him international acclaim. In his new thriller, up-and-comers Rachel McAdams (“The Wedding Crashers”) and Cillian Murphy (“Batman Begins”) take a ride which is as claustrophobic for them as it is for the audience.

In an airplane 30,000 feet above ground, McAdams learns that the seemingly charming Murphy is an assassin assigned to keep watch over her and her father in a plot to kill the deputy secretary of homeland security. With literally nowhere to go, McAdams must use her intellect and nerve to keep both the deputy secretary and her father alive.

Rachel McAdams dramatically expands her acting scope with “Red Eye,” proving her expertise is not limited to love stories. She is forced to carry most of the film in a sitting position, with only her emotional conveyance to move it along and keep the tension high. Craven also proves his worth by keeping the audience interested within these confines — an ultra-sensitive balance of human interaction and creative camera angles nostalgic of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.”

Murphy is also able to show his diversity while portraying the cool villainy of his character, even though the dark and horrid aren’t exactly new to his career. His pacified evil and aggression, which he only reveals for brief moments throughout the movie, create a chilling anticipation for what he will do next. If this movie is any indication, neither of these two actors will have trouble finding work in the coming years.

Although Craven’s directing and script choice have taken a different turn, the movie is not without some influence of “Slash Master’s” older repertoire. Without spoiling any plot twists, “Red Eye’s” final scene could only have been created with the eye of a man who has seen numerous generations of coeds fleeing a determined predator inside their homes.

Craven’s upswing is impressive, but not masterful. Although his pacing suffices for the temperament of “Red Eye’s” conflicts, he is obviously a new fish in the water. There were a few scenes in which the tension could have mounted a little bit higher, yet he oversaw these opportunities.

In many respects, however, this film is the start of Craven’s new career. Even if he has been directing for over 20 years, taking on a new genre always proves to be a difficult undertaking and audiences should expect a learning curve. If this film is any sign of how quickly Craven’s hold of the genre will become solidified, great things can be expected from his future projects.

Rumors were whispered around the set that the script’s writer, Carl Ellsworth, was to be booted from the project, yet to his own surprise, he was kept on through the end of the film’s production. Taking his concern into context, there were some weak points to the script. Some of the dialogue was menial and elementary. Yet this was masterfully disguised behind the enthusiasm and motivation of McAdams and Murphy. In essence, if Craven’s casting directors, Lisa Beach and Sarah Katzman, weren’t as good as they were, chances are Ellsworth may have met a different fate.

Advertisers used the film’s previews to label “Red Eye” as a supernatural thriller, something they probably expected people to eat up when they saw Craven’s name behind the project. They entirely underestimated, however, the public’s appreciation for a new look on life for the seasoned director.

What advertisers should have done is embraced his transition into this new world of suspense, because audiences across the country will.