The 21 Best Cillian Murphy Movies Ranked
Cillian Murphy has been acting in both his native Ireland and Hollywood for more than 20 years. In that time, he's developed a reputation as one of the most interesting actors working today, equally adept at taking on hero and villain roles (and often characters that fall somewhere in between). Though perhaps best known for his starring role as Tommy Shelby, the head of a criminal family in 1920s Birmingham, on the series "Peaky Blinders," he's also made a name for himself performing in blockbuster and independent films. In recent years, Murphy and director Christopher Nolan have become frequent collaborators, their partnership culminating in his biggest film role yet as J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, in this year's "Oppenheimer."
Despite not yet feeling any love from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences — who knows what'll happen with "Oppenheimer"? — that doesn't mean he's gone completely without recognition. In 2020, The Irish Times included him on a list of the best Irish actors of all time. Murphy's major studio films are extremely well known, but a number of his worthwhile indie projects slipped under the radar. Below are the best entries in Murphy's filmography.
21. Sunburn
"Sunburn" rates as one of Cillian Murphy's least famous films. In fact, even his most completionist fans hardly know it. But as a window into the early years of his career, it merits a watch. Murphy stars as a young Irishman who, frustrated with the lack of opportunities in his small town, joins a group traveling to the United States to work over the summer. They end up in a beach town on Long Island, soaking up the sun and enjoying the carefree company of the coastal community's summer tourists.
It didn't turn the world upside down, but "Sunburn" is a breezy, fun little film that helped launch the careers of Murphy and co-star Sinead Keenan, best known for her performance as Nina on "Being Human." As a counterpoint to the more serious, intense roles that dominate Murphy's filmography, "Sunburn" also offers viewers the chance to see him at his most laidback and lighthearted.
20. The Delinquent Season
If you ever wanted to watch a character played by Cillian Murphy exhibit the worst decision-making skills known to man, may we present ... "The Delinquent Season." It revolves around two couples in Dublin contending with some serious issues created or made worse by Jim (Murphy). His wife's best friend Yvonne is going through a lot, with her husband's (Andrew Scott) recent terminal cancer diagnosis, so naturally, Jim's first instinct is to have an affair with her. Things get messy, lessons are learned about the grass being greener on the other side and the value of appreciating what you have, and everyone goes away at least a little bit emotionally damaged. Thanks, Jim.
Although the film received mixed reviews, Alex Heeney of Seventh Row wrote positively of Murphy's performance, calling him "fascinating as a well-meaning man who is regularly a jerk, and the film slowly excavates his psychology; Murphy is especially still in this, as other people orbit around him and push his life in various directions."
19. Watching the Detectives
Could this possibly be Murphy at his goofiest? Indie romcom "Watching the Detectives" stars Murphy as the uptight manager of a video rental store — possibly the last non-period film ever made featuring someone in that profession — who obsesses over classic Hollywood, especially film noir. But his world turns upside down when entropy in human form walks into his store, and the two begin a whirlwind (and frankly exhausting) romance. Violet (Lucy Liu) enjoys "pranking" him, a polite way of saying that she tortures him mentally but he's not allowed to get mad about it because it was just a joke.
No, "Watching the Detectives" doesn't necessarily depict the healthiest of relationships. Yes, Violet is supposed to be a femme fatale but is actually just a bog-standard mid-2000s manic pixie dream girl (although to be fair, if you have to have one of these in your movie, they probably should be played by Lucy Liu). Despite these considerable flaws, Murphy and Liu are charming together, and the slightly surreal nature of their hijinks is just enough to stop Violet from coming across as the villain of the piece rather than the romantic lead.
18. Intermission
Directed by John Crowley — perhaps best known for his work on "Brooklyn" with fellow Irish stars Saoirse Ronan and Domhnall Gleeson — "Intermission" gives audiences a glimpse into the fractured romantic relationship between John (Murphy) and Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald). He decides to break up with his girlfriend but comes to regret it almost immediately. Rather than going back to her and apologizing, however, he opts instead to team up with a small-time criminal (played by Colin Farrell) to punish her new boyfriend, a much-older bank executive, for his mistake. Great plan, John. That'll get her back for sure.
Crowley's production presents a dingier aspect of Dublin, and at the time of its release, it emerged as the highest-grossing Irish independent film to hit theaters. Critics praised "Intermission" for Murphy and Farrell's performances as well as its gritty aesthetic sensibilities, with Brandon Judell of IndieWire calling it, "a hyperkinetic ride through Dublin's underside. Just imagine Robert Altman directing on speed."
17. Cold Mountain
Most people think of "Cold Mountain" and only remember the three main stars — Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, and Renee Zellweger — but the Civil War-era romance actually features a surprisingly large cast of talented actors who pop up just long enough to make an impact in the sprawling narrative. Murphy gets one of these moments, as his character Bardolph is part of a trio of Union soldiers who arrive on Sara's (Natalie Portman) doorstep. They initially claim that they're looking for food, but it becomes clear fairly quickly that at least some of them harbor more nefarious plans. When his two fellow soldiers enter the house in an attempt to sexually assault Sara, Bardolph is left outside alone with her infant child. He can't bring himself to hurt the baby, but it doesn't matter — he faces the same fate as the other two: shot by Sara after attempting to run away when his friends are killed.
"Cold Mountain" proved massively successful upon release, thanks in large part to the chemistry between Kidman and Law as star-crossed lovers. It earned seven Academy Awards nominations, with Renee Zellweger the sole winner for best supporting actress.
16. On the Edge
"On the Edge" marks another of Murphy's early performances as a young adult, and this one probably best showcases his skills. The first solo directorial effort by John Carney, who later became known for "Once" and "Sing Street," "On the Edge" features Murphy in the lead role. Jonathan Breech (Murphy) is a teenager committed to a psychiatric institution after stealing a car and taking his recently deceased father's ashes for a joy ride, intending to attempt suicide afterward.
While in the hospital, Jonathan connects with some of the other patients, including Toby (Jonathan Jackson), who is grief-stricken after the death of his brother, and Rachel (Tricia Vessey), with whom sparks quickly begin to fly. The longer he spends there, the more he begins to cultivate a sense of hope for the future, spurred on by these new relationships — although moving forward with life will not be without its challenges. A powerful coming-of-age story, "On the Edge" capitalizes on its thoughtful characters and strong lead performance from Murphy.
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15. The Party
We've all attended dinner parties that didn't go quite the way we expected, but director Sally Potter's "The Party" takes things to the next level. With a self-contained setting and just seven performers, it feels like a stage production but offers uniquely cinematic moments. Alongside renowned actors like Patricia Clarkson, Timothy Spall, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Bruno Ganz, Murphy plays Tom the finance bro, a character who continually excuses himself from the table to snort cocaine in the bathroom and hype himself up, and brings a chaotic energy to an already unstable gathering.
This dinner party consists of upper-middle-class professionals, politicians, and academics, so the expectation is that whatever their antics, they'll be fairly sedate — an expectation flipped on its head almost immediately. Amidst the cancer diagnoses, pregnancy announcements, and surprise affair reveals, all of these couples will have more than enough to dine out on for months. "The Party" is especially effective as a social satire, with Kate Taylor of Globe and Mail writing that, "Potter's comic dissection of the London intelligentsia's personal and political angst is completely of the moment."
14. How Harry Became a Tree
Another low-budget Irish film in Murphy's filmography, "How Harry Became a Tree" tells the quaint story of a small-town grudge that soars to new heights. In it, Colm Meaney plays Harry Maloney, a farmer so thoroughly dissatisfied with his life that he decides to focus his attention on the greatest distraction of all: A one-sided beef. He chooses for his Public Enemy Number One the most prominent businessman in town, George O'Flaherty (Adrian Dunbar).
But when George, who also moonlights as the town's matchmaker, helps Harry's simple, earnest son Gus (Murphy) woo his lady love Eileen (Kerry Condon), Harry sees an opportunity to wreak more havoc. His attempts to paint George as a villain quickly get out of hand, and he ends up casting himself in an equally unflattering light. If you liked "The Banshees of Inisherin," you'll probably find much to enjoy in "How Harry Became a Tree." Its narrative of neighbors escalating petty grievances as a metaphor for larger national conflicts is just as astute.
13. Girl with a Pearl Earring
How many movies out there are based on one specific painting? Well, technically, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is based on a 1999 novel by Tracy Chevalier, which was in turn inspired by Vermeer's famous "Girl with a Pearl Earring" painting, but that's just splitting hairs. Scarlett Johansson plays the title role as Griet, a young housemaid called upon to pose for her boss, the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Murphy assumes a smaller but still crucial part as Pieter, the son of the local butcher who embarks on a tentative relationship with Griet, despite her fairly blatant disinterest. She grows increasingly attracted to Vermeer instead.
Although some critics disliked the languid narrative pacing of director Peter Webber's adaptation, they spoke positively of its aesthetic panache, with David Jays of Sight & Sound Magazine writing that "Webber's solemn evocation of art in a grey world gives his story an apt, unspoken gravity." "Girl with a Pearl Earring" went on to earn three Academy Award nominations – for art direction, costume design, and cinematography.
12. Sweety Barrett
A veritable Who's Who of Irish cinema, "Sweety Barrett" also holds the distinction of being Murphy's feature film debut. Released back in 1998, it features Andrew Scott, Liam Cunningham, and Brendan Gleeson as Sweety, a gentle giant of a man who is left wrong-footed after losing his job at the circus. He attempts to start over in a small seaside town, where he lands a new job working for a small-time booze runner and even finds himself a lady friend, albeit one with a violent husband freshly released from prison after being framed for a crime by a wildly unstable police officer — but you can't have everything.
Murphy appears briefly as a bartender at the local pub, where he can be seen being questioned by Cunningham's police chief. It marks an auspicious beginning for the young actor, who even in his first film foray is surrounded by some of Ireland's most talented performers. Although remembered mostly for Gleeson's commanding performance — if the film is remembered at all — "Sweety Barrett" is an interesting little tale with an outstanding supporting cast.
11. Free Fire
In "Free Fire," Murphy plays a member of the IRA in 1970s Boston, where he attempts to buy weapons from an arms dealer, and ... well, things go awry. An exchange of gunfire breaks out between two hostile groups and continues for basically the movie's entire runtime, with Angie Han of /Film even commenting, "The third-act shootout is a staple of a certain kind of film, but in Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire' it's essentially the entire movie. Against all odds, it works."
Murphy finds himself surrounded by a strong cast of performers — including Brie Larson, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor, and Sam Riley — who all know exactly what kind of picture they're making, and lean into the chaos. An energetic action film, "Free Fire" was well-received by critics but underperformed at the box office, earning less than $4 million on a $7 million budget. Luckily, many film fans have discovered the joys of its action-comedy sequences since its release, and it is better-regarded now than back in 2016.
10. Red Eye
Released on the heels of "Batman Begins" — literally two months after the Nolan film — "Red Eye" represents Murphy deep in the midst of his villain era. It's a good, old-fashioned thriller, directed by horror icon Wes Craven, so you know it'll serve up a few scares along the way. Murphy plays Jackson Rippner (close to Jack the Ripper, as if to signal murder on his mind), who engages in small talk with Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) on a plane before promptly forcing her to help with a plan to assassinate the Director of Homeland Security.
And you thought the guy across the aisle clipping his toenails on your last United flight was bad. A creepy little gem, "Red Eye" teaches audiences that when the charming guy starts chatting you up on a flight, you put your headphones on and do not engage — because you never know if he's got it in for Homeland Security.
9. Sunshine
When it comes to Murphy's filmography, his movies tend to fall into two camps: Films appreciated right off the bat and films essentially ignored. "Sunshine" — directed by Danny Boyle — marks a significant outlier, as it was generally overlooked when first released and has only gradually begun to be recognized as intriguing and complex. Murphy portrays a physicist aboard a space shuttle who has been placed in charge of igniting the bomb that the astronauts intend to use in a bid to keep the sun from dying.
Despite its merits, "Sunshine" disappointed at the box office, failing to earn back even its modest budget of $40 million. Still, it garnered positive reviews from many critics, with Desson Thomson of the Washington Post writing that the film's visually dynamic set pieces "provide a hypnotically compelling striptease of exposition that also delivers, with nuance, Boyle's metaphor of man's smallness in the face of eternity."
Filming "Sunshine" also had a profound emotional impact on Murphy: He credits making the bleak science fiction movie with turning him towards atheism.
8. The Dark Knight
Readers may be surprised to find "The Dark Knight," widely considered an exceptionally made superhero film, not closer to the top of the list. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, Murphy has graced many good movies, and they can't all take the number one slot. More importantly, although Murphy's Scarecrow has a key role in the first Nolan "Batman" film, he's barely in "The Dark Knight," so it didn't seem fair to let this one edge out movies where he features much more prominently.
He's back hawking his psychosis-inducing nightmare drugs, but as you most likely remember, the villain that steals the show in "The Dark Knight" is the Joker, played by Heath Ledger shortly before his death. Nolan builds off his uniquely gloomy vision of Gotham from "Batman Begins" to create a standoff for the ages between Batman and perhaps his most memorable adversary. Although Murphy as the Scarecrow is the only villain to appear in all three of Nolan's "Batman" movies, he really only pops up in his terrifying burlap mask.
7. A Quiet Place Part II
After the surprise success of John Krasinski's "A Quiet Place," a sequel was all but assured. But where to pick up the story, now that the aliens' weakness of a specific audio frequency has been revealed? "A Quiet Place Part II" simultaneously looks forward and backward, showing us the very beginning of the alien invasion as well as the current plight of our heroes. Murphy joins the established cast from the original film as Emmett, a neighbor and friend from the before times. Despite growing disillusioned and cynical after losing his wife and child, he agrees to help rescue Regan (Millicent Simmonds) when she runs away to find the source of a mysterious radio transmission that she believes to be from a group of survivors.
Murphy sounded especially drawn to the role of Emmett: In an interview with Total Film, he said, "For me, Emmett represents where the heart of the world lies right now, which is: finally feeling like they've all given up. Here comes this girl [Regan] who allows you to believe in more, and allows you to believe in yourself. That idea, I've always been really enthralled by."
6. Anthropoid
Based on the true story of the murder of Reinhard Heydrich, the highest-ranking Nazi officer assassinated during World War II, "Anthropoid" is a harrowing period drama starring Murphy and Jamie Dornan. The two play Slovakian and Czech resistance fighters airlifted into Prague to pull off a massive operation: Killing the Acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, whose violence and cruelty earned him the nickname "The Butcher of Prague."
"Anthropoid" follows Jozef (Murphy) and Jan (Dornan) from their painstaking preparations amidst a heavily surveilled Czechoslovakia to the assassination attempt itself and one final, climactic shoot-out between resistance fighters and German forces, forging a palpable sense of doom as our heroes are backed further and further into a corner. Wendy Ide of Observer praised director Sean Ellis's sensitive treatment of the material, writing that he "has an acute eye for the ominous beauty of this occupied city and captures both the jagged terror of combat and its crushing, deathly boredom."
5. Inception
By the time Murphy and Christopher Nolan worked on "Inception" together, they were old pals: The mind-bending science-fiction epic represented their third collaboration. "Inception" stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Elliot Page as a team of thieves who essentially manufacture custom-made dreams to con their targets into revealing valuable information through their subconscious. Murphy plays their target, Robert Michael Fischer, a corporate nepo baby poised to inherit his father's successful company. Murphy mentioned in an interview with Irish Central that he researched The Sun founder Rupert Murdoch's two sons to get into the character.
"Inception" exploded at the box office, earning more than $870 million (no small feat for an entirely original film in the 21st century) and winning four Academy Awards for cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing, and visual effects. It remains one of Nolan's most well-regarded films, with Tom Charity from CNN.com calling it "the smartest CGI head-trip since 'The Matrix.'"
4. Batman Begins
A lot of people forget that when Christopher Nolan took over the "Batman" franchise, success wasn't exactly guaranteed. The series endured two poorly received films in the '90s, after all, and the popularity of the Michael Keaton Batman films felt like a distant memory. The approach that Nolan took in devising a darker vision for the series defined not only his three Batman films but the tone of superhero movies in general for the next 10 years. And part of that aesthetic depended upon the gruesomeness of Murphy's villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow.
While serving as the Chief Administrator of Arkham Asylum, Crane also moonlights as the creator of a horrifying drug that induces extreme fear in its victims. And eventually, he gets the idea that all villains in Gotham apparently put in play at one point or another: Why not leak it into the city's water supply? Murphy brings an unhinged intensity to the role, making Crane terrifying both in his Scarecrow mask and even when he's just playing the mild-mannered, bespectacled psychiatrist. Although sometimes overlooked in favor of Heath Ledger's Joker, Murphy's Crane proves to be a genuinely disturbing villain in his own right.
3. 28 Days Later
So many zombie films begin at the logical starting point, with the initial outbreak and descent into a horrific landscape filled with the walking dead. "28 Days Later," the first collaboration between Danny Boyle and Murphy, takes a different tack. We follow Jim (Murphy) as he emerges from a month-long coma to the most unnerving of sights: An almost completely empty London cityscape, with nearly all of its population dead as a result of a devastating new virus referred to as "Rage." Alone and unsure of what happened, Jim teams up with a small group of fellow survivors and adjusts to his new reality — all while struggling to fight off roving bands of the infected.
"28 Days Later" ended up as a breakout hit at the U.S. box office, especially considering its modest budget of £5 million. It eventually grossed more than $85 million worldwide. Its popularity was such that it spawned the 2007 sequel "28 Weeks Later," although Murphy did not return for it, as the film featured a new cast of characters. However, Boyle and Murphy have discussed reuniting for a new round of terror.
2. The Wind That Shakes the Barley
"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" sees Murphy tap into his Irish roots, playing a young man from County Cork amid both the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War in the early 20th century. Directed by Ken Loach, the film highlights the experiences of two brothers caught up in the independence movement, with Damien (Murphy) joining the IRA despite initially wanting to leave Ireland to become a doctor in London. The violence they witness unfolding in their hometown on the part of the British Black and Tans brings them further into the movement, with devastating consequences.
"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" found success on the festival circuit, taking home the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. Critics praised the drama's unflinching look at the conflict, with Jim Emerson calling it "breathtakingly authentic," while David Ansen of Newsweek refers to it as "dense, brutal, with moments of shattering emotional power."
1. Dunkirk
At this point, putting Murphy and Christopher Nolan together pretty much promises success. Murphy joins a large ensemble cast in "Dunkirk," an epic World War II drama detailing the heroic evacuation of Allied forces across the English Channel from France, and he steals the show in the sequences that feature him. A humble fishing boat — manned only by Dawson (Mark Rylance), his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney), and hired hand George (Barry Keoghan) — decides to align with the Royal Navy in the massive effort.
They rescue a soldier (Murphy), who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and panics so much at the prospect of being forced to return that the resulting struggle for control of the boat leaves George gravely injured. With this role, Murphy essentially embodies two very different characters: A cool and collected officer commanding his troops, and the unstable, deeply traumatized soldier that he becomes by the end of his experience at Dunkirk.
"Dunkirk" cleaned up at the box office, and it earned eight Academy Award nominations, ultimately winning for sound editing, sound mixing, and editing.