Top 10 Cillian Murphy movies that you shouldn't miss

Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor, who has gained renown all over the world for his intense acting and ability to embody a character. The actor debuted in Disco Pigs and found wider success through the movie 28 Days Later. His collaborations with Christopher Nolan have resulted in a range of diverse work, such as Batman Begins, Inception, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer. The actor has won various accolades like the Oscar, the BAFTA, and the Golden Globe. Here are 10 movies by him, which everyone should watch.

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Red Eye, Oppenheimer, and other movies of Cillian Murphy that one should watch

1. Sunshine

Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, and others, this sci-fi psychological thriller, is set in 2057 and revolves around a group of astronauts, who are aboard the spaceship Icarus II and must go on a deadly mission to save humans and the dying sun by reigniting it. The movie is an underrated classic and Murphy plays the role of Robert Capa, a nuclear physicist.

Even though the movie did not fare well commercially, it was critically lauded for its visuals, philosophy, and scientific accuracy. The film’s third act was deemed a weak spot but it is elevated by using physicist Brian Cox, who worked on the movie as a scientific advisor. The movie is one of the earlier films in Murphy’s repertoire and the actor delivers a somber and reflective performance.

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2. Red Eye

Starring Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, and others, this psychological thriller directed by Wes Craven, is about a hotel manager, Lisa (McAdams), who is taking a red-eye flight to Miami, after attending her grandmother’s funeral. She meets a handsome man at the airport, Jackson (Murphy), who charms her with his small talk. The two even get seated next to each other on the flight.

However, things take a turn when Jackson turns out to be a terrorist and threatens Lisa to do as he says, or everyone on the flight will get into danger. He informs her that he works for a terrorist organization that plans to assassinate the US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. The movie is blended with tension, thrills, action, and horror. There are few films where Murphy plays the antagonist and therefore, this movie should be watched for his terrifying portrayal.

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3. 28 Days Later

Another movie directed by Danny Boyle, this British post-apocalyptic horror movie stars Cillian Murphy. The movie is about a bicycle courier, Jim (Murphy), who falls into a coma after an accident and wakes up 28 days later, he finds himself amidst a ravaged society. He soon learns that a bunch of infected chimpanzees have attacked humans, which has led to a deadly pandemic. The movie is written by Alex Garland, who took inspiration from the classic Night of the Living Dead films and a novel by John Wyndham.

The movie was made on a small budget, but turned out to be a massive critical and commercial success. It was the movie that served as the breakthrough for Murphy and launched his career. The film is also credited with reviving the zombie genre. The film has fast-moving and infected zombies, which are now a characteristic trope. Murphy delivers a stellar performance as the lone but brave survivor.

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4. The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Directed by Ken Loach and starring Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, and others, this Irish war drama is set amidst the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Irish Civil War. Amidst this, two brothers, Damien (Murphy), and Teddy (Delaney), join the Irish Republican Army to fight for the country’s independence from the UK. However, things take a turn when the brothers find themselves on the opposite sides during the Civil War.

The movie is a landmark in Irish cinema and won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. It was widely criticised for its direction, performances, and themes of brotherhood and family bonds amidst war. The movie’s title is a song by Robert Dwyer Joyce. Murphy delivers a brilliant performance as someone who is fueled by patriotism but torn as a brother. The film is a nuanced and sensitive take on war and its effects and is a must-watch.

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5. Disco Pigs

Directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Enda Walsh, this Irish coming-of-age romantic crime movie, is based on a play by Walsh. The film stars Cillian Murphy and Elaine Cassidy as Darren and Sinead, respectively. The two teenagers have a complex friendship since childhood, which is slowly becoming toxic, and when they reach adulthood, it threatens to destroy them both. The movie is Cillian Murphy’s first feature-film role and is a cult classic in Ireland.

Cillian Murphy delivers an energetic performance, even in his early acting days. He is able to translate the complex and layered aspect of his character and the premise of the plot, with sincerity. The movie explores the harmful effects of co-dependent relationships, which turn toxic and can destroy lives. While the film might be relatively unknown, fans of the actor should watch this one and know about the actor’s early repertoire.

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6. The Delinquent Season

Starring Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott, Catherine Walker, and Eva Birthistle, this Irish romantic drama directed by Mark O’Rowe, is about two married couples in Dublin, who struggle with infidelity and loss of love. Cillian Murphy plays Jim, who is one half of one of the two couples in the movie. The movie tackles themes of love, marriage, infidelity, and relationships. And the movie is a mature look on how marriages work and sometimes don not work.

The film is a multi-layered work and Murphy delivers a striking performance while embodying the frustrations of a person stuck in a dead-end marriage. It is one of the few films with Cillian Murphy in a romantic role and very few films in his repertoire feature him in romantic dramas. Therefore, the underrated movie is a must watch and fans of the actor should definitely watch him in a more introspective role.

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7. Dunkirk

Starring an ensemble cast of Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, and others, this historical war thriller directed by Christopher Nolan, is about the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II, where thousands of British troops were evacuated from Northern France. The film is shot through the perspectives of land, sea, and air and was a critical and commercial hit. It was lauded for using extensive practical effects and delivering war scenes with an accurate portrayal by using period planes and historic boats.

The film was praised for its cinematography, direction, score, and screeplay. Cillian Murphy plays the role of an unnamed soldier, who is saved by civilian sailors, after his boat is destroyed by the Nazi German boats. The film is intense, engaging, and thrilling. Even though Murphy is in a supporting role, he delivers the sense of tension and danger due to the war, through his acting.

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8. Inception

Another movie directed by Christopher Nolan, this sci-fi action heist movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, and others. The film is about a troubled thief Cobb (Leonardo), who goes inside a person’s subconsciousness and steals information by infiltrating him through an experimental dream-sharing technology. His latest mission is to infiltrate the wealthy son of a businessman, a competitor to Saito, who has hired Cobb to implant an idea into his head, in exchange for Cobb to get his criminal record erased and finally meeting his children.

Cillian Murphy plays the role of Robert, the businessman, Cobb will infiltrate and plant an idea into. Even though Murphy is in a supporting role, it was one of his most widely known roles, which introduced him to a wider audience. Cillian Murphy delivers a stellar performance alongside Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, and others. The film was a smash hit and was praised for its visuals, thrilling action, and a unique premise.

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9. Batman Begins

Starring Cillian Murphy, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and others, this superhero movie, directed by Christopher Nolan, is a famous reboot of the Batman film series, based on the DC Comics character. The first part in a trilogy, the movie focusses on the origins of Bruce Wayne (Bale), who becomes the caped crusader, saving Gotham from villains like Scarecrow and Ra’s al Ghul. The movie has a darker and more realistic tone and focusses on the emotional complexities of its lead characters.

The film became a massive hit and was credited for revitalizing the Batman character in movies and creating a more serious tone. Cillian Murphy plays the role of the sadistic villain Jonathan Crane, known as Scarecrow. Even though it was one of his first roles in a mass-produced action blockbuster, he delivered an insidious performance as a villain and was able to create a fan-following. His menacing performance is a must-watch.

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10. Oppenheimer

Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, and others, this epic biographical movie, chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was an American theoretical physicist, who is credited with developing the first nuclear weapons during World War II. The movie follows through various events of the scientist’s life, such as his studies, direction at the Los Alamos lab, and 1954 security hearing. Based on the biography by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film was a smash hit.

Nolan used heavy practical effects and was lauded commercially and critically for his direction, cinematography, performances, especially those by Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, and Emily Blunt, and visuals. The movie is the magnum opus of Murphy and highlights his caliber as an actor. He single-handedly delivers a stellar performance as the genius but troubled scientist, weighed down by the effects of his deadly creation. Fans of the actor should definitely watch this one.