Ranking 10 of Cillian Murphy's Best, Most Jaw-Dropping, Performances

Cillian Murphy is as versatile as they come. Working in film for over 20 years, Cillian has produced some of the most steadfast and entertaining pieces of cinema and television for us to enjoy. His body of work is vast, spanning multiple genres, and in some cases, genders. Cillian's work will well outlive him and us, so let's dive into my personal top 10 of all Cillain Murphy's work in both film and television.

10. Red Eye, 2005

While it may not be what Cillian is most well known for, Red Eye is a film that I have found to fit Murphy's style of acting phenomenally. In this film, Cillian plays a charming man on a flight with a lovely woman. When his true identity as an assassin is revealed, the plane ride becomes far more daunting. Cillian in physcological thrillers has always been such a niche of mine, and I love rewatching this for that icy blue devil stare that fits him so well.

9. 28 Days Later, 2003

End of the world/zombie apocolypse films are not a niche of mine. I struggle to get into them, and they often leave me unsatisfied due to a plot not well developed. 28 Days Later was different. First of all, the key moments of silence in this film played into the drama and anticipation of the most intense scenes so incredibly well. The characters' relationships were believable, Cillian's desire to save and protect was evident, and the whole story left me questioning the value of humanity, which what exactly the intended effect.

8. Inception, 2010

Another tricky sell for me is science fiction. Cillian pulled off the role of Robert Fischer masterfully. The visual effects, the plot, and the storyline of this film play right in the field of both Cillian and Chris Nolan. This is one of those films that you can revisit again and again and always find something new.

7. The Dark Knight Trilogy, 2005-2012

By never taking the lead as the villian in any of these three films, Cillian Murphy really proved his charisma because this character is still one that is not easily forgotten. Cillian plays masterfully into the psyche of this criminals and villians, and to see him bring such a comic book, larger than life character to the big screen was masterful.

6. A Quiet Place Part 2, 2021

You didn't know you needed Cillian Murphy in a horror film, did ya? ME EITHER! This was such an out of pocket choice from Cillian that I enjoyed SO much! This was such a great installment in this series, and Cillian was a noteable and wonderful addition to the second one.

5. Dunkirk, 2017

Okay, this is one of my absolute favorite performances of Cillian, and I'm going to tell you exactly why. There is nothing more powerful to me than putting an actor in a small role and watching them become the framework and the heart of the movie. In Dunkirk, Cillain plays a near mute soldier who is suffering from PTSD. The soldier, who goes nameless in the film, is rescued by a civillian boat. The power in this performance really goes to show the absolute versatility that Cillian brings to his performances.

4. Anthropoid, 2016

Cillian does something special in historical projects. I've always felt this way. What Cillian brings to this film is nothing short of spectacular. Playing a Czech soldier, Cillian and his partner are tasked with assassinating a Nazi officer who is occupying their homeland.

3. Watching the Detectives, 2007

A rather unpopular choice, I'm sure, but I'm begging someone to give Cillian Murphy more rom coms! He played this sweet, silly, and cutely immature character perfectly. This was such a breath of fresh air from the dark and emotionally complicated characters that we are used to seeing from him.

2. Oppenheimer, 2023

Remember what I said about his knack to do something special in historical projects? This is exactly what I mean. Given the chance to lead, Cillian does not dissappoint. This film has everything you could want: the drama, the horror, the moral crisis, the passion, all of it, and it's all because of Cillian Murphy.

1. Peaky Blinders, 2012-2022

Nothing will top Tommy Shelby for me. Cillian IS Tommy Shelby. This character was enhanced and perfected for 10 years, which gave audiences plenty of time to become engrossly connected to these characters, and what makes Tommy so unique is that he's easy to love by audiences. He's a good man in a very bad storm.