On the silver screen, Irish actorCillian Murphyhas played five soldiers in total, as well as J. Robert Oppenheimer. Even on television, he portrayed gangster and war hero Thomas Shelby in the hit seriesPeaky Blinders(2013–2022). No matter the medium, the greatest characters of Cillian’s career (barring one or two) are of the soldier archetype. Mostly, he’s put tremendous work intowar movies.
Some of these were made by Cillian’s greatest collaborator — English filmmaker Christopher Nolan — and a couple of other entries are among his greatest movies, as well. Though you’re likely to recognize most of the titles on the list, some of these films could appear unfamiliar. Two were produced in Ireland, but they still hold name value for a certain corner of film fans. And still, they hold up well today. This is every war movie that features Cillian Murphy, ranked.
6The Trench (1999)
The first war movie of Cillian’s career came at the turn of the twenty-first century by way ofThe Trench(1999), directed by William Boyd from his own, original script. Though he didn’t craft the deepest of plots that you’ll read about today, Boyd nonetheless succeeded at creating a memorable atmosphere. Set during the last two days before the Battle of the Somme, the whole film takes place in the eponymous shelter, withbrilliant sound designand careful camerawork highlightingThe Trenchuntil the fireworks of its finale.
A Committed Cast
However, perhaps most prominently worth noting would be the monumental efforts of its star-studded cast. Sure, Cillian’s role as Pte. Rag Rookwood is supporting, not too important in the grand scheme ofThe Trench. But he did bring about the film’s midpoint — spoilers: his soldiers often die in brutal and memorable fashion — and put forth a hilarious performance beforehand.
Along with co-stars Paul Nicholls, Daniel Craig, James D’Arcy, and Ben Whishaw, the actor at hand spent a night living in a replica trench to accurately paint the brutal pictures of war. Clearly, their efforts paid off. This is perhaps the most underrated war film of Cillian’s acclaimed oeuvre, evident by its paucity of name value and mediocre response from critics. In hindsight, however,The Trenchholds up just wonderfully.Stream on Prime Video.
The Trench
5Anthropoid (2016)
Directed by Sean Ellis with Anthony Frewin as his co-writer,Anthropoid(2016) features Cillian as a Czechoslovakian soldier by the name of Jozef Gabcik. Something of a forgotten hero of the Second World War, he and Jan Kubis orchestrated the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the leading mindsbehind the Holocaust.
An Underrated Performance From Cillian
After his groundbreaking Tagalog filmMetro Manilla(2013) received widespread praise from critics and film fans alike, a certain corner of audiences had their eyes on Sean Ellis. And with the greatest war actor of all time portraying his lead character therein, you’d think the hype would’ve lived up to those mighty expectations. But in spite of eliciting some of Cillian’s best work, Ellis came up a bit short with his biographical war picture.
Upon release,Anthropoiddeserved far more respect — it bombed at the box office, and was hardly favored by critics. It wasn’t panned, or anything. But a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t quite do justice to the well-paced script by Ferwin, nor the keen direction from Ellis. They shone brilliant light on two key figures of WWII, and across the board, everyone among the cast and crew ofAnthropoidshould be lauded for their work. That includes Cillian Murphy.Stream on Max.
Anthropoid
4Cold Mountain (2003)
Here inCold Mountain(2003) — written and directed by Anthony Minghella — the actor of the hourplays a Confederate soldier, named Bardolph. And although he appears for just a single scene throughout the lengthy runtime ofCold Mountain, he nonetheless performs with great emotion and a clear passion for the work.
A Forgotten War Epic
AlthoughCold Mountainhas been thrown a bit too close to the wayside of contemporary relevance, Minghella without a doubt deserves credit for both adapting the script and directing the cast. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name, penned by Charles Frazier, its plot homes in on a man named Inman. He’s played by Jude Law, and he kicks off the plot by fleeing his Confederate regiment during the American Civil War and setting out to return to his loved one.
Nicole Kidman shows up as the protagonist’s love interest, named Ada, while other names include Natalie Portman and Brendan Gleeson. It’s a stacked cast, and as impressive as their efforts may have been, the true star of Cold Mountain was perhaps Anthony Minghella. He’d previously made great waves in the war genre, like in the decade prior withThe English Patient(1996). And althoughCold Mountainwith Cillian pales slightly in comparison to Minghella’s first wartime endeavor, it still holds up wonderfully, more than 20 years later.Stream on FuboTV.
Cold Mountain
3Oppenheimer (2023)
For his sixth performanceunder Christopher Nolan’s direction— the lead inOppenheimer(2023), a theoretical physicist — Cillian Murphy became the first Irish-born winner of Best Actor in Academy Award history. And justifiably so. He pulled out all the stops as the creator of the first atomic bomb, firing on all cylinders in an epic biographical picture alongside some all-time greats of Hollywood.
Leading an All-Star Cast
On top of Cillian’s win at the Oscars, there was another winner among the cast: Robert Downey Jr., who walked away with a golden statuette for Best Supporting Actor. He performs brilliantly as Lewis Strauss, while Emily Blunt also steals a couple of scenes as Kitty, the wife of the protagonist. Like Cillian and Robert, that famous British actress was also nominated at the Oscars (for her, it was Best Supporting Actress), albeit to no avail.
Other members of the cast include Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, and Josh Hartnett, and until the explosive finale ofOppenheimer, each of those well-known thespians performs with the utmost respect for the history they brought to life. It’s clear that everyone put in their research, including the auteur, Nolan. He crafted an intelligent script forOppenheimer, and directed the overall product witheach of the filmmaking techniquesthat put him on the map in the first place. As its numbers of success may suggest, this is an essential war film that stars Cillian Murphy.Rent on Apple TV.
Oppenheimer
Related:Einstein and the Bomb Fills in the Blanks Oppenheimer Left Out
2Dunkirk (2017)
Before he took part inOppenheimerby Nolan, the actor at hand played an unnamed soldier inDunkirk(2017), which was also directed by Nolan. It’s a memorable appearance from Cillian — like Thomas Shelby, his famous character in the television showPeaky Blinders(2013–2022), his character inDunkirkis affected heavily by the brutalities of the battlefield. Cillian has put great work into the war genre even outside of film, with his role as Thomas Shelby going down as one of the finest portrayals of post-traumatic stress disorder ever, regardless of medium.
The Genius of Christopher Nolan
He utilizes those skills inDunkirk, with Cillian acting alongside famous actors such as Barry Keoghan. The latter plays George, while Fionn Whitehead shows up as the lead soldier, named Tommy. It’s a famous plot, chronicling the eponymous evacuationduring World War II. But writer-director Christopher Nolan put a fabulous spin on the tale, tellingDunkirkfrom three perspectives: the land, the air, and the sea.
In tandem with well-shot set pieces and brilliant performances, the script by Christopher Nolan is impressive by itself, with everything coming together as one of the best movies of its decade. Although his appearance as “Shivering Soldier” renders him a supporting character, not the lead,Dunkirkis nonetheless a high-quality war film that bolsters Cillian’s claim as the best.Stream on AppleTV+.
Related:Best Ken Loach Films, Ranked
1The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
Written by Paul Laverty with Ken Loach as director,The Wind That Shakes the Barley(2006) helped put Cillian on the map. An Irish production, it’s set during the War of Independence, with Cillian’s protagonist Damien O’Donovan kicking off the plot. Along with his brother Teddy, played by Pádraic Delaney, the lead character enlists in the Irish Republican Army to combat against the British.
An All-Time Great War Movie
To the point of its release,The Wind That Shakes the BarleyfeaturedCillian’s greatest performance— it still very well might, at least with regard to films — even over28 Days Later(2002) by Danny Boyle. The latter was well-received upon release, but it’s arguably picked up even greater traction in recent years. The same can’t be said forThe Wind That Shakes the Barley. Sure, it was successful in theaters, and acclaimed by critics. But despite holding up brilliantly, its name value has waned as of late.
Its plot runs the gamut of emotion, thrilling in one moment and poignant in the next, and even from a technical perspective,The Wind That Shakes the Barleyis an absolute triumph. Keen tactics of continuity transitioning, notable shot value, an imposing score, and brilliant camerawork — across the board of production, this modern war film features world-class technique, led by legendary British director Ken Loach.
He created the best war movie of Cillian Murphy’s career, and helped render the Irishman the greatest war actor ever.Stream on AMC+.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
The Wind That Shakes the Barley, set in 1920s Ireland, follows young doctor Damien O’Donovan as he joins his brother Teddy in the Irish Republican Army after witnessing British Black and Tans' violence. The film explores the brothers' involvement in the Irish War of Independence and the resulting personal turmoil.
