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Navigating the sea of Cillian Murphy's filmography is like taking a stroll through an art gallery where each painting is more captivating than the last, and out of this collection, 20 movies stand out as the crème de la crème, according to the critics at Rotten Tomatoes.
Murphy, with his chameleon-like ability to blend into any role, ranging from the psychologically complex to the charmingly straightforward, has built a portfolio of films that don't just entertain, but linger in the mind long after the credits roll.
1. "The Dark Knight" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Batman, District Attorney Harvey Dent, and Lieutenant Gordon form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City, but are challenged by a chaotic and sadistic criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who seeks to undermine Batman's influence and throw the city into anarchy.
2. "Oppenheimer" (2023) Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% A Nolan-directed biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist and the "father of the atomic bomb," that eventually became one of the biggest box office hits of 2023.
3. "Dunkirk" (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% This film presents the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II from three perspectives: land, sea, and air. It portrays the intense struggle of Allied soldiers to survive and evacuate the beach amid relentless German attacks, highlighting the bravery and despair of war.
4. "A Quiet Place Part II" (2021) Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world. Continuing to fight for survival in silence, they realize that the creatures hunting by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.
5. "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% In early 20th-century Ireland, two brothers, Damien and Teddy, join the Irish Republican Army to fight for independence from Britain. The film portrays the brutalities of the Irish War of Independence and the ensuing Civil War, exploring themes of freedom, loyalty, and the cost of conflict.
6. "28 Days Later" (2002) Rotten Tomatoes score: 87% A powerful virus escapes from a British research facility. Transmitted in a drop of blood and devastating within seconds, the virus locks those infected into a permanent state of murderous rage. The story follows four survivors' desperate struggle to survive in the aftermath.
7. "Inception" (2010) Rotten Tomatoes score: 87% Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the best in the dangerous art of extraction: stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state. His rare ability has made him a coveted player in corporate espionage but has also cost him everything he loves.
8. "Batman Begins" (2005) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% After witnessing his parents' murder as a child, Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect, and an array of high-tech weaponry to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.
9. "The Party" (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% Janet hosts an intimate gathering of friends to celebrate her political ascension. However, the soirée quickly escalates into something much more sinister when revelations and accusations emerge, turning the evening into a hilarious, yet bitter, battle of wits and egos.
10. "Red Eye" (2005) Rotten Tomatoes score: 80% Lisa Reisert hates to fly, but the terror that awaits her on the night flight to Miami has nothing to do with a fear of flying. Upon boarding the plane, Lisa is trapped beside a charming and handsome stranger who turns out to be a ruthless terrorist.
11. "Sunshine" (2007) Rotten Tomatoes score: 76% Fifty years into the future, the sun is dying, and mankind is dying with it. Our last hope: a spaceship and a crew of eight men and women. They carry a device which will breathe new life into the star. But deep into their voyage, they discover they are not alone.
12. "Intermission" (2003) Rotten Tomatoes score: 74% Set in Dublin, "Intermission" weaves together several narrative strands, including a man's attempt to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, a petty criminal's plan to rob a bank, and a detective's pursuit of a hotheaded criminal, culminating in an intersecting tale of love, betrayal, and redemption.
13. "Girl With a Pearl Earring" (2003) Rotten Tomatoes score: 73% A fictional tale set in 17th century Delft, Holland, about a housemaid, Griet, who becomes a secret muse for Johannes Vermeer and inspires him to paint one of his most famous masterpieces, dealing with themes of art, desire, and social boundaries.
14. "Free Fire" (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 70% Set in 1970s Boston, the film revolves around an arms deal in a deserted warehouse that turns into a chaotic shootout between two gangs. Amidst the confusion and humor, survival becomes the ultimate goal for the colorful array of characters.
15. "The Delinquent Season" (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 67% Two married couples in suburban Dublin appear to live in marital bliss until an affair between two of the adults threatens to tear both relationships apart, exploring themes of love, lust, and the complex nature of the human heart.
16. "Anthropoid" (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 66% Based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, the WWII mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich. Two soldiers from the Czechoslovakian army-in-exile are parachuted into their occupied homeland, where they must find a way to kill this man, the third in command of the Nazi forces.
17. "On the Edge" (2001) Rotten Tomatoes score: 63% Jonathan Breech, dealing with the recent death of his father and the complexities of his own mental health, is admitted to a psychiatric clinic. There, he meets two fellow patients, and together they form a bond that helps them to confront their individual traumas.
18. "Broken" (2012) Rotten Tomatoes score: 62% The story of a young girl in North London whose life changes after witnessing a violent attack, "Broken" weaves a tale of innocence lost, navigating complex relationships in a suburban setting, and the impacts of adult actions on children's lives.
19. "Retreat" (2011) Rotten Tomatoes score: 62% Kate and Martin escape from personal tragedy to an Island Retreat. Cut off from the outside world, their attempts to recover are shattered when a man is washed ashore, with news of an airborne killer disease that is sweeping through Europe.
20. "Breakfast on Pluto" (2005) Rotten Tomatoes score: 58% Patrick "Kitten" Braden, a transgender woman, leaves behind her small Irish town in the 1970s, embarking on a whimsical journey through London in search of love and a place to call home, encountering a variety of eccentric characters along the way.
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