The Best Cillian Murphy Movies and TV Shows

• Year: 2023
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Rating: 94%

When it was first announced that Cillian Murphy was slated to take the lead role in Christopher Nolan's new blockbuster biopic on the creation of the atomic bomb, fans were rightfully excited. This was the first time Murphy had earned the role of lead in a film with long-time collaborator Nolan, and boy, did he not disappoint.

Oppenheimer gives us an intimate and behind the scenes look on the complicated life and story of J. Robert Oppenheimer as he goes from student to lead on the trinity project during World War II. Murphy does an incredible job showing the emotional strain that Oppenheimer must have gone through after the United States dropped not only one, but two atomic bombs on the Japanese. This is without a doubt Cillian Murphy at his best.

• Year: 2013- 2022
• Director: Otto Bathurst, Tom Harper, Colm McCarthy, Tim Mielants, David Caffrey, Anthony Byrne
• Rating: 88%

"Peaky Blinders" is a British television series created by Steven Knight that first premiered in 2013. Set in Birmingham, England, after the end of World War I, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family and their gang, known as the Peaky Blinders. The series is renowned for its gripping storytelling, complex characters, and stylish period setting.

Led by the charismatic and cunning Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, the Peaky Blinders are a gang known for their distinctive flat caps with razor blades sewn into the brims, giving rise to their name. Thomas Shelby, known as Tommy, is the ambitious and strategic leader of the family, who seeks to expand their criminal empire while navigating a treacherous and politically charged landscape.

• Year: 2002
• Director: Danny Boyle
• Rating: 87%

"28 Days Later" is a British post-apocalyptic horror film released in 2002, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. The movie is known for revitalizing the zombie horror genre and introducing the concept of fast-moving, rage-infected "zombies," setting it apart from traditional slow-moving zombies.

The film's protagonist, Jim, played by Cillian Murphy, wakes up from a coma 28 days after the initial outbreak to find London in ruins and completely deserted. He wanders through the desolate streets, encountering horrifying scenes of devastation. Soon, he encounters a group of survivors who must all escape together.

28 Days Later is renowned for its epic portrayal of a post-apocalyptic London, with the streets nearly empty and looking absolutely massacred. The zombies also sprint with a deadly pace, the first of its kind in a zombie movie and it genuinely terrified people to see.

• Year: 2006
• Director: Ken Loach
• Rating: 90%

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" is a 2006 Irish historical drama film directed by Ken Loach. The movie is set during the early 1920s in rural Ireland and portrays the events surrounding the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. The title is taken from the first line of a popular Irish ballad written by Robert Dwyer Joyce.

The story follows two brothers, Damien (played by Cillian Murphy) and Teddy O'Donovan (played by Pádraic Delaney), who are deeply committed to the cause of Irish independence and join the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to fight against British rule. The film delves into the complex political and personal struggles of the characters as they grapple with the realities of war, sacrifice, and loyalty. It's nice to hear Cillian Murphys Irish accent in full bloom as he doesn't have to don an American or English accent throughout the film.

• Year: 2010
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Rating: 87%

In the 2010 science fiction thriller "Inception," directed by Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy delivers a memorable performance as Robert Fischer, the heir to a powerful energy corporation. The film features an ensemble cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, and Tom Hardy.

Cillian Murphy's performance as Robert Fischer adds depth to the film's exploration of human emotions, identity, and the power of inception. His character's journey becomes a significant part of the movie's intricate plot, leading to moments of suspense, action, and philosophical introspection. It's also another Nolan and Murphy collaboration which should be enough to get you to watch Inception if you haven't already.