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Cillian Murphy’s biggest asset is his mysterious nature. Despite being in our lives for more than 25 years, Murphy has largely stayed out of the public eye.
He’s an actor’s actor who chooses to let the work speak for itself. This dedication to his craft has led him to work with some of Hollywood’s best filmmakers, most notably Christopher Nolan.
This month, Murphy will reprise his iconic role, Tommy Shelby, one final time in “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man,” which premieres on Netflix on March 20. In honor of the “Peaky Blinders” feature film, here are five great movies starring Murphy that you can stream right now.
'Batman Begins'
Murphy’s collaborations with Nolan have produced some of the best work in their respective careers. It all started in 2005 with “Batman Begins,” the first movie in Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy. “Batman Begins” is the origin story of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), who leaves Gotham, travels the world, and trains in combat under Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). Seven years later, Bruce returns to Gotham and moonlights as Batman, the masked vigilante who takes on the criminal forces of the city.
One of those criminals is Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow (Murphy), the mad scientist who creates a toxin that facilitates chaos in Gotham. “The Dark Knight” is the best film in the trilogy. However, “Batman Begins” is more important because audiences responded to a darker, grittier version of the Caped Crusader, which inspired the magnum opus that would come in the sequel.
Watch on HBO Max
‘28 Days Later'
Murphy’s coming-out party came in 2002’s “28 Days Later,” Danny Boyle’s zombie horror movie based on Alex Garland’s script. After nearly a month in a coma, bicycle courier Jim (Murphy) wakes up in an abandoned London. During his state of unconsciousness, an infected chimp has spread the “Rage Virus,” which turns people into aggressive zombies. The virus has wiped out most of society.
Jim eventually finds a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) and Frank (Brendan Gleeson). As they interact with more humans, Jim and the group quickly learn that you don’t have to be a zombie to become a monster. “28 Days Later” revolutionized the zombie genre due to its fast-moving creatures and its allegorical themes about society. Hopefully, Boyle can make a third “28 Years Later” movie and bring Jim back into the fold.
Rent or buy on Amazon or Apple
‘Sunshine’
“Sunshine” poses an interesting dilemma: the Earth is freezing, and the Sun is dying. In 2057, astronauts on the Icarus II are sent on a mission to deploy a bomb in hopes of reigniting the Sun. As movies have taught us, space is unpredictable. The crew suffers multiple setbacks and faces several puzzling quandaries, including a distress signal from a previously missing ship that delays the mission.
“Sunshine” is not a particularly difficult film to predict in terms of what will happen in the first two acts. The crew (and the audience) quickly realize that this is a suicide mission. Death is inevitable; how many will perish is the mystery. Despite this predictability, “Sunshine” remains a dazzling sci-fi thriller with an excellent cast and memorable ending.
Rent or buy on Amazon or Apple
‘Inception'
What if “Heat” revolved around stealing dreams? That’s essentially what Nolan crafted with “Inception,” an original heist movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) is a man with a particular set of skills that allows him to enter people’s subconscious and steal their secrets. Branded as an international criminal, Cobb gets an offer he can’t refuse from the wealthy Saito (Ken Watanabe).
If his team successfully plants an idea in the subconscious of the heir to a business empire (Robert Fischer), then Dom’s criminal record will be wiped clean, allowing him to return home to his children. No one makes blockbusters like Nolan, who often slips emotionally complex themes into his popcorn movies. One minute, you’re in tears watching Murphy’s character bond with his dying father, and the next minute, you’re watching an action-packed set piece in the mountains. That’s Nolan for you.
Watch on HBO Max
‘Oppenheimer'
Murphy’s five previous movies with Nolan were all building toward “Oppenheimer,” his crowning achievement as an actor. “Oppenheimer” depicts the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy) positioned around two major events: the development of the Manhattan Project and the Senate confirmation hearing of Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.).
The biggest set piece is the testing of the atom bomb, a cinematic achievement in and of itself. However, the more impressive element is how Nolan transformed a movie predominantly revolving around conversations in rooms into one of the most suspenseful thrillers of the last five years. There is no “Oppenheimer” without Murphy, whose steadiness and stoicism shone on his way to the Oscar for Best Actor.
Rent or buy on Amazon or Apple
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