Red Lights (2012) is a thriller-horror movie, directed by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés.
Synopsis: World-renowned psychologist and paranormal investigator, Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant, physicist Dr. Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) travel around the world debunking fraudulent paranormal activities. Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) is a blind, internationally renowned psychic who makes a comeback after a 30-year absence from the limelight. Tom is adamant about investigating Silver but Matheson warns him to steer clear of Silver, because of an encounter many years ago of which Silver makes her doubt. However, Tom defies Matheson and with the help of student Sally Owen (Elisabeth Olsen), Buckley begins to investigate the illusive Silver.
This is a brilliant movie with a simple, taut storyline, and an unexpected ending. There are a lot of big scientific phrases but you will get used to them pretty soon. For example, Matheson teaches Tom to be on the lookout for 'red lights' (thus explains the movie's title) – technical clues that might reveal fraudulent psychics and catch them red-handed.
Sigourney Weaver is at her best as always; Robert De Niro strikes you as a dangerous old man whom you don't wanna mess with; and Cillian Murphy, with his haunted looks, delivers a top-notch performance. You will remember him as a worn-out physicist who finally accepts the fact he has always denied.
This is the most memorable line by Matheson: "There are two kinds of people out there with a special gift. The ones who really think they have some kind of power, and the other guys who think we can't figure them out. They're both wrong."
Here's an interesting article by a real-life parapsychologist Chris French: How true to life are the psychics and psychologists in Red Lights?
If you enjoy watching brain-twister sort of movie, you shouldn't miss this movie.
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