Top 5 Underrated Cillian Murphy Movies, Ranked

Regarded as one of the exceptionally talented actors in the industry, Cillian Murphy is remembered for his portrayal of Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. The actor’s collaboration journey with Christopher Nolan began with him portraying Scarecrow in The Dark Knight Trilogy, followed by his appearances in Inception and Dunkirk. Murphy’s work as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Nolan’s Oppenheimer was critically acclaimed, earning him his first Oscar.

He has appeared in movies including A Quite Place Part II, 28 Days Later, The Silent City, Sunshine, and more. Cillian Murphy can be perfectly described as reserved and private, who has no interest in talking about his life outside of acting, and even that he does scarcely. Though reserved, Cillian Murphy is one of the most influential people worldwide, having acquired a dedicated fanbase. Following the success of Oppenheimer, fans went ahead to explore some of Murphy’s underrated movies that should have had the spotlight upon release.

From On the Edge to Breakfast on Pluto, Cillian Murphy’s Top 5 Underrated Movies

There is no doubt that Irish actor Cillian Murphy is known for playing the characters with utmost honesty and bringing depth to his characters. Marking his debut on-screen with Disco Pigs in 2001, to playing J. Robert Oppenheimer, Murphy has come a long way. However, some of his characters that needed recognition got lost on the way. So here are top 5 underrated movies of Cillian Murphy:

1. On the Edge

2001’s Irish drama movie, On the Edge, directed by John Carney, stars Cillian Murphy as Jonathan Breech. The movie follows the story of a suicidal young man and his stay in a Dublin psychiatric hospital. In the hospital, the young man ends up making new friends who influence his life. As Jonathan Breech finds his way back to life, the movie delves into the themes of redemption, self-discovery, and human connections.

Murphy’s performance as Jonathan Breech, who finds himself in a mental institution after a failed suicide attempt, is one of the most underrated performances of the actor. The actor, via his character portrayals, has also showcased that he is not called talented for no reason. In fact, he can deep dive into the emotions and manage to make the audience feel what the character is going through. The movie holds a 79% audience score and 63% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

2. Red Eye

2005’s psychological thriller movie Red Eye, based on the story by Ellsworth and Dan Foos, stars Murphy alongside Brian Cox and Rachel McAdams. The story follows a hotel manager ensnared in an assassination plot by a terrorist while flying from a red-eye flight to Miami. The movie was well received by the audience but somehow did not receive the recognition it deserved.

In his interview with Uproxx, the actor admits that he hasn’t watched the movie since it came out, adding that he was hard on everything that he was a part of. He mentioned that when he watched the movie for the first time, he thought that he gave a very nuanced performance. The actor noted that he’s a little less hypercritical of his work now. Murphy’s work was appreciated, and critics at the time noted that his chemistry with McAdams worked really well.

3. Anthropoid

Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan star in 2016’s war film Anthropoid, directed by Sean Ellis, and depicted Operation Anthropoid, i.e., the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in World War II. The movie is based on true events during WWII. Murphy’s performance as Josef Gabčík goes underrated and under-appreciated, overshadowed by the large narrative.

The character suffers from survivor’s guilt as he feels responsible for risking and losing the lives of the people he encountered in his operation. In speaking to Slant, Murphy noted that the second half of the movie is where it got wrenching because of the psychological and emotional weight. The actor is known for playing deep characters, and sometimes these deep characters, instead of resonating with the public, repel. Which is, probably why, Murphy’s performance in Anthropoid remains underrated.

4. Breakfast on Pluto

Directed by Neil Jordan, 2005’s comedy-drama movie Breakfast on Pluto follows a transgender woman going on a journey to find her mother in the setting of 1970s Ireland. The actor’s performance as Kitten Braden was highly lauded by the critics and the audience and became a poignant exploration of LGBTQ+ issues.

In an interview with Black Film, the actor shared that he was very happy to have applied for the part, adding that Neil Jordan is one of his favorite directors. Talking about his approach, he said that his wife was very supportive of him taking on the role and spent time at Transvestites Club in London to understand how to act feminine for the part. Murphy’s approach and the themes tackled in the movie remain one of the highlights of Breakfast on Pluto that needs to be seen by a larger audience.

5. The Wind That Shakes the Barley

2006’s Irish war-drama movie The Wind That Shakes the Barely is directed by Ken Loach and is set during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. The movie tells the story of two brothers who join the Irish Republican Army to fight for their country’s independence, only to find themselves standing against each other in the Irish Civil War.

The movie performed well at the box office and won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. However, Murphy’s fans have noted that his role in the movie often goes unnoticed despite him performing well. The actor’s portrayal of Damien O’Donovan is described as heartbreaking, adding that it’s fascinating to witness how Murphy’s characters have transformed over the years, putting his beliefs and cause above everyone.

Steven Knight on returning for Peaky Blinders movie

In an interview at The Royal Television Society’s London Convention, the creator of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, described the cast of the upcoming feature that follows the six-season series as mindblowing. He said (via THR)

We’ve announced Rebecca Ferguson and Barry Keoghan, and we’ve got some more announcements coming. It’s set in the second world war, and it’s really good.

At the time when the film was announced, Cillian Murphy shared a statement (via THR) stating that it seemed like Thomas Shelby wasn’t finished with him. He had said that it’s very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders.

Knight also shared at the time that he was excited and thrilled that the movie was about to happen. He teased by stating that it’s going to be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story.

Peaky Blinders is available to stream on Netflix.