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Few actors have a voice and general demeanor that’s quite as recognizable as Liam Neeson’s. When Liam Neeson walks on screen, whether he’s in the lead role or just an extra, there’s a palpable energy shift. All of a sudden, an overwhelming sense of comfort and strength comes over the audience. “Everything is going to be alright,” Neeson says, not with his voice but with his eyes. This sense of security that Liam Nesson is able to instill in viewers is absolutely necessary; after all, most of his roles involve some sort of severe danger.
Northern Ireland-born Liam Neeson first made his foray into Hollywood in the early 1980s. And, since then, he’s acted in a wide variety of movies. He starred in the 1998 adaptation of Les Miserables. He acted under the direction of Steven Spielberg in the 1993 version of Schindler’s List. Clearly, Neeson has the acumen to perform in weighty and serious roles.
However, he’s also played the lightsaber-wielding Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars series. And, of course, who could forget Neeson’s stony demeanor in the 2008 action film Taken?
While Neeson sometimes gets a reputation as a one-sided actor (the leading man in an overproduced action thriller full of explosions), his career has shown that he’s a versatile thespian capable of portraying a wide variety of different types of personas. And, after several decades of Hollywood experience, Liam Neeson has given the world some unforgettable roles. These are, in my opinion, the 5 best movies of Liam Neeson’s career.
1. Schindler’s List
Considered by many to be one of the best films of all time, Schindler’s List is definitely the crown jewel of Liam Neeson’s career. It’s no small undertaking to create a film adaptation of one of the most famous books about the Holocaust ever written. However, with Steven Spielberg as the producer and the director and Liam Neeson in the leading role, this film did due justice to the novel on which it was based.
Liam Neeson plays the role of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saves more than a thousand Jewish refugees from the Holocaust by employing them in his factory during World War II. The film was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and in seven of those categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Schindler’s List undoubtedly deserves to be considered one of the best films ever made, and that’s thanks in no small part to the amazing performance of Liam Neeson.
2. Taken
Most members of Generation Z probably had no idea that Liam Neeson starred in Schindler’s List, but they absolutely know him from the 2008 action film Taken. I would argue that Taken is a near-perfect action film. It doesn’t try to be too profound or philosophical. It’s just Liam Neeson kicking ass with his “very particular set of skills” for 93 minutes straight. And it’s incredible.
In all seriousness, this film is a heart-pumping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire duration. Neeson plays ex-Green Beret and former CIA officer Bryan Mills. When Mills tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter Kim, things go astray and Kim gets kidnapped. However, the kidnappers obviously did not know who they were messing with. Mills is their worst nightmare and probably one of the most iconic action characters ever to grace the silver screen.
3. Darkman
Personally, my favorite Liam Neeson film of all time has to be Darkman. This film is a wonderfully refreshing take on the superhero trope as Neeson stars as Peyton Westlake, a scientist who gets brutally attacked and disfigured by a group of mobsters. He then gains the ability to take on whatever face that he chooses, giving him the element of surprise in almost every scenario. Westlake uses this ability to hunt down those who wronged him.
This wonderfully violent film is somehow a horror flick, a high-stakes adventure story, and a superhero film all at the same time. The way that Sam Raimi (who directed the film and wrote the short story on which the film was based) blends genres with Darkman is extremely interesting and original. When the film was released in 1990, it achieved relative success. However, it also spurned a second and third installment in the series, neither of which had any reason to exist. Watch the first one. After that, you’re done with the Darkman trilogy.
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4. Batman Begins
While Liam Neeson doesn’t play the leading role in Batman Begins, the film wouldn’t be the same if he hadn’t been cast as the film’s main villain: Ra’s al Ghul. Batman Begins was the first of the three Christoper Nolan-directed Batman films. And, when it first came out, this film grossed more at the box office than any previous Batman movie and was considered by many to be the best Batman movie ever made (until the release of subsequent Christopher Nolan-directed Batman films).
After the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne (portrayed by Christian Bale) spends years of his life learning about the criminal underworld and immersing himself in combat training until he learns of the cryptic League of Shadows. After meeting Ra’s al Ghul, leader of the League of Shadows, and completing his training, Bruce learns of the group’s evil intent and finds himself at odds with Ra’s al Ghul, his former master. While the other Christopher Nolan-directed Batman films are usually considered to be better films, no one can deny Liam Neeson’s genius in Batman Begins.
5. Silence
In his second time working with Martin Scorcese after Gangs of New York (which I really wanted to include on this list but didn’t feel like Liam Neeson had a prominent enough role to justify doing so), Neeson starred in the 2016 film Silence. The movie follows the story of two Jesuit priests who travel to Edo-era Japan to find their missing mentor. This film is contemplative and philosophical. It was a passion project of Scorcese’s and it took over 25 years to come to fruition.
After it hit theatres in 2016, Silence received generally positive feedback from critics and fans alike. Both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named it one of the best films of the year. And, in my opinion, Liam Neeson’s performance in this movie is amazingly heartfelt and believable. If you’ve never seen Silence, it’s one of Martin Scorcese’s more unknown masterpieces.
