Cillian Murphy is probably today’s generation’s most popular and well-loved actor. His versatility, humility, and charm have made him pretty well recognized and well-accepted both within the inner circle of Hollywood as well as among the die-hard movie buffs. The 46-year-old Irish actor has attained a substantial amount of critical acclaim by collaborating with some notable directors and producers in Hollywood, but his most popular show was, by all means, Peaky Blinders. Born in Cork, Ireland, on 25th May 1976, Murphy was raised by a French mother and Irish father.
They were four siblings – two younger sisters and two older brothers, Murphy being the oldest of all four. Being educated primarily in a Catholic school, Murphy found little interest in core academia and would often get into trouble for being naughty. He had his first taste of theater and play-acting at a drama performance organized by Pat Kiernan, director of Corcadorca Theatre Company. The experience enriched him so much that he decided to take up acting or even start a band with two of his close friends.
Cillian started his early career days by acting in Enda Walsh’s Disco Pigs, organized by the very same Corcadorca Theatre Company in 1996, and needless to say, it was a huge success. Murphy’s brilliant acting as a cocky teenager from Cork grabbed attention and the show that was originally supposed to last for a few weeks ended up touring the whole of Europe and Canada.
He started making regular appearances in many theaters, the most notable ones being Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, and a mini-series aired on BBC, The Way We Live Now.
Over a career spanning 20 years almost in Hollywood, Cillian Murphy has starred in a wide array of movies and portrayed roles of all kinds, from the sinister villain with a traumatized past to the do-gooder protagonist with a knack for action and gunfights. His performances have won him several awards, including the BAFTA and the Golden Globe. If you are a true fan of Cillian Murphy and everything that he does, then here are the top 42 movies and TV shows of his that you should watch. Each movie is handpicked that portrays his unique range of acting skills and would surely appeal to you.
1. The Trench
Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig star in this one-of-a-kind historical war piece written and directed by William Boyd. The Brits and Germans are engaged in the First World War, and Sgt. Telford Winter is in charge of the massive operation. Except the men under his charge are young, naive, inexperienced, and crapping their pants on the day before the battle.
The movie simply goes through the emotions of each of the soldiers on the eve of the battle, with their lieutenant trying to escape the jitters by sulking into a corner, sipping brandy, and writing poems. The movie opened slowly at the box office, but Cillian Murphy turned quite a few heads with his remarkable acting as Rag Rookwood.
2. On the Edge
Directed by John Carney, this 2001 American psychological drama portrays the inner conflict of a suicidal man who gets pulled back from the brink of embracing death. Cillian Murphy plays the role of Jonathan Breech, a young man troubled by his alcoholic father’s death and who’s pretty depressed with everything going on in his life.
He plans to steal his father’s ashes and commit suicide by driving off the cliff, except he gets saved. By court order, he’s put into three months of compulsory therapy sessions under Dr. Figure, played by Stephen Rea, and he has a cathartic experience that helps him battle away his suicidal thoughts. Murphy pulled off a masterclass in acting with this movie, and it is a must-watch for all his fans.
3. Disco Pigs
Murphy got a second chance to act in the movie adaptation of the play Disco Pigs by Enda Walsh, the one that helped him make a breakthrough in his acting career. Pig and Runt are two seemingly unrelated healthy babies born on the same day at the same hospital and at the same time. However, they are so codependent on each other and share so many similarities that anyone would call them twins at first glance.
Some would even say that they are telepathic. They have built for themselves this secret make-believe world and even created their new language to communicate with each other, a signal of their fondness and belongingness for each other.
However, when Pig matures and experiences sexual urges, it seems to threaten the very premise of their relationship and friendship. It is essentially an indie movie but received immense critical appraisals.
4. Watchmen
Cillian Murphy and Barry Ward star in this comedy-drama short movie, all of ten minutes that shows two friends trying to unravel the mysterious dealings of their next-door neighbor. It can be termed as a brisk comedy of errors that follows a series of petty thefts and crimes that the two friends, played by Cillian Murphy and Paloma Baeza, a witness from their window, and their curiosity invite unwanted problems.
The more interesting fact about this movie is that the screenplay has been penned by the same actor duo as well. It is a short drama directed by Paloma and also stars Jake Wood, Iain Robertson, Matthew Ashford, and other notable persons.
5. 28 Days Later
Directed by Danny Boyle, this sci-fi horror movie is probably one of the more coveted roles in Cillian Murphy’s acting career to date and might be credited with all the recognition and fame that came his way after this.
Written by Alex Garland, the plot begins with the UK collapsing due to a sudden outbreak of a deadly contagion and people either falling dead in the middle of the street or holing themselves in their homes with minimum physical contact or communication.
In the middle of all this is Tom, a 22-year-old patient who has just woken up from a coma after four weeks only to find the hospital deserted. He gets chased by zombie-like humans intent on feeding upon him and takes the help of two other survivors to escape from the jaws of death. Starring Cillian Murphy as Tom and Naomi Harris as Selena, the movie has 10 awards and 32 nominations to its credit.
6. Intermission
Directed by John Crowley, this Irish crime drama is truly one of a kind. The movie is both ingenuous in its plot as well as complex in its depiction and cinematography. It starts with a group of people who share no commonalities but all crave the same things- be it material wants or emotional needs like love or affection.
And then their paths intersect and what previously felt like a few parallel disconnected stories now come together to form one great plot that is enough to convince anyone about the existence of some greater good or a greater force that’ll make things alright in the end.
Starring Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Kelly MacDonald, and Shirley Henderson, the movie won several awards, including the British Independent Film Awards and the Irish Film and Television Awards (2003).
7. Girl with a Pearl Earring
Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth threw it out of the park with this beautiful movie adaptation of the fiction by Tacy Chevalier that explores the history behind Johannes Vermeer’s famous painting, The Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Johansson plays the role of the girl in the painting, whose identity to date is not known to the world. Here she is called Griet, a housemaid at Vermeer’s place, who’s funded and supported in his artistic endeavors by the wealthy Van Ruijven.
When Van Ruijven commissions Vermeer, played by Colin Firth, to paint a portrait of Griet, it complicates their relationship since Vermeer is married, and Grier could be subjected to social humiliation if word gets out. Starring Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Essie Davis, and Anna Popplewell in the supporting roles, the movie was nominated for 3 Oscars and won 17 awards in all.
8. Cold Mountain
Cillian Murphy plays a small role, rather a supporting cast member, in this epic period drama directed by Anthony Minghella in 2003. The movie stars Jude Law as the protagonist, a wounded soldier of the Confederacy who embarks on a quest to Cold Mountain, North Carolina, his hometown, where his childhood sweetheart, Ada, awaits.
The Civil war is almost over, but its toll on the spiritual and physical states of the men involved cannot be undermined in any way. Ada, on the other hand, is all by herself at her place and takes in a young, timid, stray girl, Ruby, to help her out at the farm. The movie was a huge success and earned Renee Zellweger her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe, and 2 BAFTA awards for music and production.
9. Batman Begins
Directed by Christopher Nolan, this DC comics adaptation of the millionaire orphan kid who plays the role of the masked vigilante over Gotham City by nightfall is probably the turning corner or even the highlight in Cillian Murphy’s acting career.
Christian Bale plays the role of Bruce Wayne or Batman, who’s taken it upon his shoulders to wipe away corruption from the pits of the city and make Gotham great again.
However, his work would interfere with Dr. Jonathan Crow’s plans, aka the Scarecrow, who works for the League of Shadows and wants to destroy the city. Murphy plays a brilliant role as the Scarecrow, posing as the calm-headed, unfazed, sinister scientist with evil intentions, capable of committing crimes of the highest degree. The movie made Murphy a household name and earned several awards and nominations.
10. Red Eye
Directed by Wes Craven, this 2005 American crime thriller stars Rachel McAdams as Lisa, a hotel manager who gets taken hostage by a band of terrorists led by Jackson (Cillian Murphy).
Jackson, in exchange for letting Lisa go away scot-free without as much as a scratch on her body, only wants her to help him plan the assassination of a US ambassador who’s supposed to be put up at her hotel.
The two make acquaintance on the plane, where Jackson reveals to Lisa that he has held her father captive and unless and until she agrees to help him execute his plan, he might put him down.
The movie is a fascinating and thrilling watch, with both actors delivering top-notch performances that are sure to glue you to your seats. If you are a Cillian Murphy fan, this is the one movie you should watch.
11. Breakfast on Pluto
Directed by Neil Jordan, this 2006 American comedy-drama is based on a novel of the same name, written by Pat McCabe, and sends out a powerful social message. Cillian Murphy plays the role of Patrick, a transgender, who has a hard time figuring himself out and coming out of the closet.
Patrick’s childhood is not a rosy one, having been abandoned at the steps of a church by his mother when he was just a babe and later discovered by his father, played by Liam Neeson, who put him into foster care.
The rest of the movie chronicles the gradual transition of Patrick and how he has to come to terms with his real self, all the while on a quest for a fairy tale romance. Cillian Murphy as Patrick/Kitten is remarkable and poignant, the plot is so well constructed, and the actor stands out as a diamond in the mine. The movie won several awards, including a Golden Globe.
12. The Wind That Shakes the Barley
One of the best period war dramas that you’ll ever see, this movie, directed by Ken Loach, revolves around the Irish Civil War of Independence from Britain. Cillian Murphy plays the role of Damien O’Donovan, a young Irish soldier who wants liberation for his people and is filled with hatred for British troops and rosy ideas surrounding the people who fight in wars.
On the opposite side is his brother, Teddy, played by Padraic Delaney, who has fought on the frontlines in the war and is under no illusion that a peace treaty could prevent further merciless abuse of human lives.
This puts the brothers on two different sides in the Civil War, and a bloody massacre ensues. The movie won 7 awards and 24 nominations, including a standing ovation at the Palmes D’or festival.
13. Sunshine
Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne star in this sci-fi thriller directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. This is the second collaboration among the director, actor, and writer and, again, a belter of a movie.
Murphy and Byrne play the roles of two space scientists who have been entrusted with the responsibility of saving the Earth by preventing the complete burnout of the Sun via nuclear fission.
The movie is futuristic in the sense that it imagines the Sun would burn out 50 years in the future, and to save the Earth, astronomers need to take it into their own hands. This is an exciting drama, and for all the Murphy fans and cosmos nerds out there, this will be worth the watch.
14. Watching the Detectives
Cillian Murphy in a rom-com is a treat to the eyes. This is one undeniable fact. But since it’s Murphy, you cannot expect the movie to be a lazy watch. Written and directed by Paul Soter, Murphy plays the role of Neil, a movie geek who spends his days vicariously through film noir. He is the owner of Gumshoe video, a shop for selling movie DVDs and the like, and has had the same routine forever.
His life turns upside down when he meets Violet, played by Lucy Liu, who dares him to experience life and several firsts not from the comfort of his couch or the black and white TV but by actually venturing out into the world. Cillian Murphy once again plays a brilliant role as the introverted movie geek in love, which makes it both refreshing and inviting.
15. The Dark Knight
Murphy plays a small role, rather a cameo, in this Nolan movie but steals the show with his superb acting skills in the brief time window he is provided with. A sequel to the original movie Batman Begins, Murphy is resurrected in his role as the Scarecrow, the evil genius scientist with a spirit for vengeance.
The real deal, however, was Heath Ledger, who played the villain, Joker, opposite Christian Bale’s Batman. The movie was a huge success, and most DC Comic nerds credit this movie for the immense popularity of the Dark Knight trilogy even today.
16. The Edge of Love
John Maybury probably hit a potluck with this movie, its plot, and an incredible cast that comprises Cillian Murphy, Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, and Matthew Rhys. Murphy plays the role of a Welsh poet, Dylan, who shares a deep bond with his childhood sweetheart Vera, played by Keira Knightley.
However, as in all doomed childhood romances, Dylan and Vera’s love story was broken up abruptly and tragically by the Britain-Wales War, and Dylan moved away to get a new life and a new girl, whom he’d eventually marry.
So when the newly married couple returned to the poet’s hometown, little did they expect that the first person they’d run into would be Vera. Vera, on the other hand, never completely moves on from Dylan and is filled with joy and adoration but, at the same time, is kind of enamored by the dashing William. The movie won several nominations, including a BAFTA, and is probably one of the best movies by Murphy.
17. Waveriders
Directed by Joel Conroy and starring Cillian Murphy, Kelly Slater, and brothers Keith and Chris Malloy, this is a documentary on the big wave surfing on the west coast of Ireland. The movie mostly focuses on how the sport of surfing became such a big attraction in Ireland, especially courtesy of Irish-Hawaiian surfer George Freeth.
It also covers the story of the Malloy brothers, who tried to conquer one of the biggest high waves originating on the Irish Atlantic Coast, all with their surfboards. An interesting fact about this movie is that it was shot on 35mm film to lend it a retro style. It was critically acclaimed among documentary patrons and received several awards, including the 2008 Audience Choice Award at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.
18. Perrier’s Bounty
Cillian Murphy stars in this 2008 American crime thriller drama as Michael McCrea, a good-for-nothing guy who lives his life one day at a time. Michael borrows money from a thug named Perrier, who demands payment by nightfall and even sends goons to his place to beat it out of him.
Desperate to save his life, Michael plans a bank raid that goes astray and grabs the attention of Perrier. On the way, he is aided by two other guys and his suicidal neighbor, who even shoots one of the attackers in the head.
Michael also reconciles with his estranged father, Jim, who wants to help his son put and regain his place next to him. Directed by Ian Fitzgibbon, the movie is quite gripping and engaging, and with Cillian Murphy at the helm, there isn’t any scope for error.
19. The Water
This is 14 minutes long short drama directed by Kevin Drew and starring Cillian Murphy and David Fox as a father-son duo. The drama encircles 24 hours of a bleak winter morning when the two men are trapped inside their home, completely isolated, owing to the heavy snowfall outside.
The film hardly has any dialogues or gripping action scenes or climaxes, but it occupies all fourteen minutes beautifully, poetically, and so efficiently that it will feel like a novel unfolding right before your eyes.
It explores the time-strained relationship between the father and son, their irrefutable yet non-verbal love for each other, and the tragedy of the mother’s death that seems to cast a pall of gloom on their seemingly mundane, inarticulate lives. The drama is complex, well crafted, and serves as a fulfilling watch.
20. Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan, this futuristic sci-fi thriller is one of the best movies that has ever existed and is quite unprecedented in its genre to date. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Dominic Cobb, who happens to be a master con man working for the CIA and can steal information from people’s subconscious when they are either asleep or dreaming.
However, this virtue comes with a price; for Cobb, it has meant losing his loved ones, including his wife. Now he wants to protect his kids at all costs and to do this. He has to accomplish the near-impossible inception.
Cillian Murphy plays the role of Robert Fischer, a wealthy business tycoon who wants to go through this inception in an attempt to reconcile with his dead father. The movie earned four Oscars, 158 other awards, and several nominations in various categories.
21. Tron: Legacy
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, this 2010 American Sci-fi action movie focuses on Sam, a teenager who is fixated on seeking out his father, a creator of video games and all virtual gaming worlds, and probably one of the best. His quest leads him ironically to the inside of a virtual world created by his father, whereupon he has to seek him out.
The only problem is that the entities in this world have turned rogue and are way more dangerous than his father intended. Further, they are planning for a takeover of the human world which puts the father-son duo in a race against time to save the Earth and get out of this world without risking their lives. The movie is different and entertaining and has Murphy in an uncredited yet brilliant role of Dr. Dillinger.
22. Retreat
Directed by Carl Tibbets, the movie revolves around three strangers who find themselves trapped on an uninhabited island and must fight strange forces to protect their and each other’s lives. Cillian Murphy, Thandie Newton, and Jamie Bell play the role of three young people who escape to an isolated island amid an epidemic breakout to relieve happier memories of an uncomplicated past.
However, they are caught in a web of lies and motives as each day passes in each other’s company. The movie is a psychological thriller but not very intense and ideal for a Saturday night watch with your partner.
Murphy pulls off his role efficiently as the stranded guy searching for a way out and his superb acting skills and masterful dialogue delivery make the movie worth watching.
23. In Time
Will Salas is a decent guy caught in difficult times brought upon by the fact that he’s condemned to a world where people do not age once they hit 25 and, in an attempt to live on forever, must bury their times on Earth.
The only problem is that it results in a power struggle between the rich and the poor, with the former having most of the time and the others gradually perishing away.
Will then has to find a way to keep himself alive, all the while fighting the injustice and corruption brought upon by people trying to steal time off each other. Along with him is the girl he loves, Sylvia, and they encounter the Timekeeper, Raymond Leon, played by Cillian Murphy. The movie is futuristic and has a gripping storyline and what makes it even more interesting is that it has Cillian Murphy in a key role.
24. Red Lights
Rodrigo Cortés brings together some of the big names in Hollywood for his 2012 American fantasy drama that focuses on a band of psyche experts trying to figure out the truth behind a few recurring paranormal incidents.
Sigourney Weaver plays Margaret Matheson, a renowned psychologist who has been called upon to look into the case of the sudden disappearance of psychic Simon Silver, who also happens to be one of the most notable men in the field.
Silver reappears mysteriously, too, which sparks Tom’s interest, Margaret’s assistant, and he becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. Cillian Murphy, as the deeply inquisitive and probing psychologist Tom is refreshing and oddly satisfying to watch. The movie also stars De Niro as Silver and never fails to impress the viewers.
25. Broken
Adapted from a novel by Daniel Clay and inspired by Harper Lee’s To kill a mockingbird, this British indie movie is a beautiful and revealing watch. Tim Roth plays the role of Archie, an overprotective dad of a teenage daughter, Skunk. Skunk’s stepmom is dating Mike, played by Murphy, who ironically winds up as a teacher in her high school.
When the family witnesses a gruesome rape on their street, it brings to question several interfamily dynamics and a probable confrontation with the truth. The movie is both thought-evoking and poignant in its depiction, which adds a new twist every fifteen minutes into it. It is more than a kitchen sink drama, as evident fr the numerous awards and accolades it has to its credit.
26. The Dark Knight Rises
The final movie in the Dark Knight trilogy, this Christopher Nolan direction is once again a masterpiece in its genre and probably one of the best book-to-screen adaptations you’ll ever see.
Cillian Murphy reprises his role as the Scarecrow, the evil genius scientist who was condemned to prison after being caught by Batman. Except he managed to escape later, only to be caught again by the sinister Ra’s Al Ghul and their devilish leader, Bane.
Murphy’s role is pretty crisp and doesn’t have many dialogues, but even in this short span of screen time, he manages to overdeliver on his performance. He is seen scrambling along the walls of a well, trying to escape while all of Gotham’s wrath pours on him. If you are a fan of the DC comics and loved the previous two movies, this Christian Bale-Anne Hathaway starrer should top your watchlist.
27. Aloft
Nana Kunning is a struggling mother of two, participating in odd jobs in an attempt to make ends meet. In the middle of this, one of her sons is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and Nana seeks the help of a faith healer, the Architect. By a tragic turn of events, however, her son doesn’t get saved.
Nana, out of grief and desperation, abandons her son Ivan, played by Murphy, to completely immerse herself in the art of spiritual healing. Ivan gets reunited with his mother some twenty years later, and this results in an unprecedented outpouring of the most tragic kind.
Directed by Claudia Llosa, the movie stars Jennifer Connelly as Nana, Cillian as Ivan, and Melanie Laurent as the 20-something journalist who wants to reunite the mother and son.
28. In the Heart of the Sea
Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Holland star in this 2015 American action drama that revolves around an 1820 ship crew caught amid a violent sea storm and chased by a sperm whale for 20 days.
Based on real events, the movie chronicles the 20 days of being stranded in the sea and how the men fight the whale, all the while hoping that the tempest would calm down and they could find their way back home.
Ron Howard has brought out the best in the three actors with his brilliant thought, production, acting directions, and cinematography. If you are a Cillian Murphy fan, you simply cannot miss this.
29. Anthropoid
This 2016 war thriller drama stars Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan as two Czech soldiers who return home with an agenda to do in the Nazi officer, Reinhard Heydrich. Based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, which took place in WWII, Heydrich was the chief Nazi commander in the Third Reich after Hitler and Himmler.
He was responsible for carrying out mass-scale murders and terror attacks all over Czechoslovakia, which made him one of the most feared faces in the Nazi party. Directed by Sean Ellis, the movie won several awards and more nominations in a variety of categories. Murphy did utmost justice to his role as Joseph Gabick, the soldier who wants to avenge the lives of his countrymen and is worth the watch.
30. Free Fire
If you are looking for a guy who can act in all different kinds of roles, then Cillian Murphy is the guy for you. In this movie, he plays the role of an American gangster based out of Boston and is caught in a power struggle with another gang from the same city. What follows next is a botched-up agreement between the gang leaders that ultimately result in a violent shootout and a struggle to escape alive.
The movie also stars Brie Larson as the intermediary between the two gangs, Armie Hammer as one of the representatives, and Ord and Sharlto Copley as the arms dealer who made a pact with Chris, played by Cillian Murphy. The movie won three awards and 9 nominations and is one of the more acclaimed directorial works from Ben Wheatley.
31. The Party
Directed by Sally Potter, this British black-and-white comedy-drama follows the story of Janet, who wants to throw an intimate soiree among close friends and peers, but what was envisioned to be a lovely evening full of life, laughter, music, and entertainment quickly turns into a nightmare of sorts.
Janet’s best friend, April, arrives, and her husband makes an announcement that sends the balls rolling with every person either making a revelation or saying something that marks the evening fun and ultimately ends with someone pulling out the gun at the dinner table. The movie won several awards, including the British Independent Film Award for Best supporting actress for Patricia Clarkson.
32. Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy are a match made in heaven, and this movie is yet another testament to their extraordinary camaraderie and pairing. After collaborating on three previous successful directions, they get together for the fourth time, this time with Cillian in one of the meatier roles.
The movie focuses on the consequences of WWII, where the British, Belgian, and French forces plan to retreat from the small coastal town of Dunkirk after a successful but catastrophic battle with the Nazi Germans.
The aftermath of the war, even though they emerged victorious, was nothing short of a tragedy, with some of the best men gravely injured while others are deeply traumatized, and one of them is played by Cillian Murphy. If you like war dramas and Nolan, then this movie is the one for you.
33. The Delinquent Season
This Irish movie is the fourth collaboration between Cillian Murphy and director Mark O’Rowe. It is a romantic drama where Cillian Murphy and Catherine Walker play a young couple in Dublin with seemingly laid-back lives, spending afternoons in the cozy embrace of each other.
However, trouble brews when they get into an innocent altercation, but that puts to question the very dynamics of their relationship and puts to test their love and commitment towards each other. The movie also stars Andrew Scott, Eva Birthistle, and Lydia McGuinness and is an entertaining watch for a romantic drama.
34. The Overcoat
This animated adaptation of famous Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat narrates the story of an officer who intends to save up his salary to purchase a new overcoat for himself for Christmas. Except, fate intervenes in the form of a ghostly figure that spoils his plans.
Murphy does the voiceover for Akaky, the officer in the movie, and is accompanied by other actors like Alfred Molina, Michael McElhatton, Fiona Shaugnessy, and others who lend voices to the other characters in the animation.
The special effects and cartoon caricatures are spot on, and every minor detail is dealt with. with such care that you’ll fall in love with the characters. It is a fresh take on the Russian short story and probably one you’re likely to remember for quite some time.
35. Anna
Anna Poliatova is a trained assassin with a deadly aim that can strike you out with a single blow. But more fatal is her beauty and charm that’ll make it almost impossible for you to realize that she might be a spy working in disguise for the KGB. The fact is that even she is looking for a way to get out of this deadly pact because someday they might come after her, too, provided she fails at her job.
So when Anna gets approached by a CIA official, Olga, played by Helen Mirren, to help them out in catching the KGB operators, she decides to function as a double agent. But that only invites more trouble for her and potentially brushes up with death. Directed by Luc Besson, the movie stars Cillian Murphy in a key supporting role as CIA official Lenny Miller.
36. A Quiet Place Part II
A sequel to the 2018 movie A Quiet Place, this 2020 American action horror movie deals with supernatural creatures taking down the world and a single mother’s battle against them to save her children’s lives from the same.
Emily Blunt plays the role of Evelyn Abbott, who has lost her husband (played by John Krasinski) to supernatural entities in a post-apocalyptic world and has to take care of her deaf daughter Reagan and two sons, one of whom is a newborn.
She makes the acquaintance of an old friend Emmett, played by Murphy, and together they try to get better off the creatures that threaten their existence on Earth. The movie received positive feedback from horror critics and several nominations in different categories.
37. Oppenheimer
Nothing much is known about this Christopher Nolan movie that is set to release next year, around July. But as the title suggests, the movie is supposedly based on the life and works of celebrated physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer, who is credited with the invention of the atomic bomb that claimed the lives of millions.
This will be the fifth collaboration between Nolan a Murphy and based on past results, that is sure to be another belter of a movie. The teaser is already out, where Murphy can be spotted rocking geeky glasses, a crewcut, a clean-shaven face, and an impeccably white lab coat.
He’ll be accompanied by Robert Downey Jr and Florence Pugh in the movie, and it is expected that he might deliver one of his career-high acting masterpieces in this movie.
38. Zonad
Zonad is a 2009 American comedy-drama directed by John Carney and stars Cillian Murphy as Guy Hendrickson, who finds a man passed out in his living room after a meteor shower. He is the brother of Jenny Cassidy, and everyone comes to believe that this fat man in red leather must be an alien.
What is more surprising is the fact that the man, who has passed out and is brought back to consciousness, is more than happy to play the role of an alien if he gets pampered in return. It is a short and crisp movie, around 78 minutes long, and can be a new and refreshing watch for all the Murphy fans.
39. The Silent City
This 2006 American short movie directed by Ruairi Robinson follows the story of three soldiers who are trapped on the outskirts of a war-torn city and are awaiting help. None of the characters has been introduced with a name, a notable feature of most arthouse movies.
The backdrop of the movie is again a post-apocalyptic world and some individuals battle for survival. The CGI work on the movie is pretty good, with all the actors doing complete justice to the roles and the scanty screen time they have been endowed with. The movie runs for 7 minutes and has even won a few awards.
40. Peaky Blinders
This is not a movie but rather a Netflix series featuring Cillian Murphy as the protagonist and supported by Tom Hardy, Paul Anderson, and the late Polly Gray. Murphy plays the role of Thomas Shelby, a leading ganglord based out of Birmingham, carrying out illegal activities behind closed doors and fighting other gangs simultaneously who keep eyeing his profit shares.
At the same time, the police catch a whiff of the nature of Shelby’s corrupt practices and set up strategies to catch him red-handed. The series ran for nine years and is probably one of the highest TRP ratings shows on Netflix and BBC. It has several awards to its credit as well, including quite a few British Academy Awards.
41. Sunburn
This 1999 American comedy-drama is probably one of the earliest movies Cillian Murphy starred in. The movie chronicles the experience of three young Irish people who plan a trip to the United States during their summer vacation.
They work their asses off in the daytime, but when night befalls, they let loose all their inhibitions and try to experience adult life. Far from the critical eyes of their families, the band of three young adults leads a summer they are likely to remember for the rest of their lives. Directed by Nelson Hume, this movie is regarded as one of his directorial best and stars Paloma Baeza and Barry Ward alongside Cillian Murphy.
42. Lennon or McCartney
This 2014 Canadian documentary by Matt Schechter tries to unravel the age-old musical debate regarding which singer was the best – Paul McCartney or John Lennon. It tries to compile the responses of more than 550 actors and celebrities regarding their choice of music and lead singer and the reason behind it.
Cillian Murphy is one of the guys who participate in this documentary and imparts his two cents on the mundanity of the question. For any true music lover and a Beatles fan, this documentary is worth a watch. So here is the list of the top 42 movies and TV shows featuring Cillian Murphy that you should include in your watch list if you are an avid fan of his work.
He is an actor of notable versatility and charm. Like a chameleon, he can change into any role as per the script’s demands and deliver with such grace and uniqueness that it’ll leave you baffled. You cannot miss out on a y of his works with this list.
Also watch: 35 Best Movies of Al Pacino That Showcase His Longevity
