He has the charm, the mysterious aura, and let's not forget those mesmerising eyes. They've all earned him a huge fanbase across the globe. Here's a look at some of Cillian Murphy's greatest movie roles.
A young man – Disco Pigs
A young Cillian Murphy brings out all the emotions in this remarkable Irish coming-of-age drama. He takes on the role of a young Irish man named Darren aka Pig. The movie explores the tumultuous relationship between Pig and his female counterpart Sinéad aka Runt. The movie tugs at all our emotions and showcases love, jealousy, and heartbreaking moments that Murphy pulls off with ease.
A terrorist – Red Eye
In this chilling thriller by the late horror genius Wes Craven, Cillian plays Jackson Rippner, a terrorist on board a red-eye flight to Miami. Murphy's character threatens hotel manager Lisa Reiserthote (Rachel McAdams) in mid-air to help him carry out an assassination. Murphy's character switching from a dreamy-eyed polite stranger to a merciless terrorist is quite brilliant.
A survivor – 28 Days Later
Murphy sent shivers down our spine in this epic post-apocalyptic horror movie. He plays bicycle courier Jim who wakes from a coma, only to find out that the world is being consumed by a zombie-like virus called Rage. He must survive the apocalypse, outrun the flesh-eating zombies, and help a few other survivors do the same. There's just something about Murphy's character in full survival mode that is so satisfyingly realistic.
The shivering soldier – Dunkirk
Murphy teamed up with Christopher Nolan for a fifth time in this war film. Even though his part of the shivering soldier was small and his character didn't even have a name, it left a huge impact on the audience. This scene showed the versatility of Murphy's acting skills. He made the audience believe he was a soldier lost at sea, and his performance was very worthy.
The Scarecrow – The Batman trilogy
Murphy's first collaboration with Nolan came when he took on Batman in the director's Batman trilogy. Murphy played the part of his intelligent and deadly nemesis, The Scarecrow. The glasses, the accent, and just Murphy himself will forever be memorable, and he made a great opponent to the Dark Knight.
Oppenheimer
Murphy does justice to the renowned physicist in this incredible Christopher Nolan drama. One could argue it is his best performance to date. This role earned Murphy an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award. His embodiment of Oppenheimer was done so incredibly well that critics have praised his mannerisms, speech, and expressions in the film. See for yourself. Watch Oppenheimer on Sunday 5 May at 20:05 on M-Net 101 or on DStv Stream.
Watch the trailer below.
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