Cillian Murphy is considered one of the greatest Irish actors of all time, and for good reason. Here’s our take on his ten best movies of all time.
Cillian Murphy hails from ‘The Rebel County’ Cork and started his foray into acting back in 1996 when he appeared on stage in Enda Walsh’s Disco Pigs, which later went on to be made into a film in 2001, in which Murphy also starred.
Since then, he has graced our screens with a number of incredible, moving, and evocative performances, but which ones are his best?
Read on as we rank the best Cillian Murphy movies of all time.
- Cillian Murphy is considered one of the greatest Irish actors of all time, and for good reason. Here’s our take on his ten best movies of all time.
- 10. The Delinquent Season (2018) – a romantic drama
- 9. A Quiet Place Part II (2020) – a dark and mysterious role
- 8. Disco Pigs – disturbing and fascinating
- 7. Intermission (2003) – a black comedy
- 6. Breakfast on Pluto (2005) – one of the best Cillian Murphy movies of all time
- 5. Inception (2010) – the movie that had the world in a chokehold
- 4. 28 Days Later (2002) – one of Cillian Murphy’s unforgettable performances
- 3. All of This Unreal Time (2021) – an incredible short
- 2. Oppenheimer (2023) – the talk of 2023
- 1. The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) – the best Cillian Murphy movie of all time
10. The Delinquent Season (2018) – a romantic drama
Featuring a star-studded Irish cast including Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott, and Eva Birthistle, The Delinquent Season is an Irish romantic drama that tells the story of two married couples living in suburban Dublin who experience problems in their respective marriages.
The Delinquent Season might not be the first thing you think of when you think of great Cillian Murphy movies, but you should definitely give it a watch.
9. A Quiet Place Part II (2020) – a dark and mysterious role
Cillian Murphy swaps out the clean-cut look of his Peaky Blinders character for a more bearded and dishevelled appearance in A Quiet Place Part II.
However, like many of his roles, his performance in this one is dark, mysterious, and intriguing. In this movie, he plays the role of Emmett, a friend of Lee (John Krasinski).
After the darkened world has taken everything he loves from him, Emmett has become hardened, hopeless, and unafraid. This all changes when Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and her family seek solace with Emmett.
8. Disco Pigs – disturbing and fascinating
If you grew up in Ireland, chances are your teacher stuck on Disco Pigs one time or another when there was nothing else to do, and chances are it disturbed you a bit.
Disco Pigs is like one of those fever dreams. Did it really happen? Do your memories betray you? Unfortunately, no. Disco Pigs marks one of Murphy’s earliest performances, and it’s a great but disturbing one.
7. Intermission (2003) – a black comedy
Intermission tells the odd but intriguing story of a group of ‘weirdos’ living in Dublin. The movie stars Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, and Colm Meaney and explores the consequences of love, routine, and human nature.
6. Breakfast on Pluto (2005) – one of the best Cillian Murphy movies of all time
With a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, and Brendan Gleeson, Breakfast on Pluto sees Murphy play Patrick ‘Kitten’ Braden.
Kitten is a young transgender woman who leaves rural Ireland for the big lights of London, partly to find her estranged mother but also to find herself somewhere where people can actually understand her.
This is a role unlike any other Cillian Murphy has ever taken on before or since, and is certainly one of his best.
5. Inception (2010) – the movie that had the world in a chokehold
Inception had the world and its audience in a chokehold when it was first released in 2010.
Backed by a number of impressive accolades, Inception follows Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team as they are tasked with the impossible – implanting an idea into the subconscious of their biggest competitor’s son and heir – Robert Fischer, played by Murphy.
4. 28 Days Later (2002) – one of Cillian Murphy’s unforgettable performances
28 Days Later is undoubtedly one of the best Cillian Murphy movies of all time. Murphy gives a striking performance in this Danny Boyle post-apocalyptic horror as he awakes from a coma to find that the world has been ravaged by zombies.
This is a great survival tale that also stars Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson.
3. All of This Unreal Time (2021) – an incredible short
All of This Unreal Time is an incredible short film directed by Aoife McArdle. The 24-minute-long film is intense and dramatic but never overdramatic or forced.
Murphy stars as a hooded man walking through a city at night, alone, confessing his failings and shortcomings in life. This man could be any man. If you haven’t seen All of This Unreal Time, don’t miss out.
2. Oppenheimer (2023) – the talk of 2023
We toyed with Oppenheimer taking the top spot on the list of the best Cillian Murphy movies of all time, but ultimately, we placed it second.
Oppenheimer recently took the world by storm with its movie screening face-off with Barbie. It is, without any doubt, one of the best performances Cillian Murphy has given in his career so far.
He seamlessly shows his character’s struggle with pride, arrogance, guilt, and emotion across several decades in one of the best performances of the year.
1. The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) – the best Cillian Murphy movie of all time
Cillian Murphy stars in Ken Loach’s 2006 drama set against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence.
Murphy stars as Damien O’Donovan, a Cork man who is set to leave Ireland for London to practice medicine. His brother, however, leads the local flying column of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
After witnessing a number of atrocities and intimidation by the British Black and Tans, Damien decides to remain in Ireland and is sworn into his brother’s IRA brigade.
In our opinion, the poignant and harrowing performance by Murphy in The Wind That Shakes the Barley remains his best one yet.
