Cillian Murphy's movie roles ranked from worst to best, including 'Oppenheimer'

• Cillian Murphy has starred in a variety of thrillers, horrors, and dramas since the late 1990s.

• He starred in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, "Inception," "Dunkirk," and "Oppenheimer."

• The Irish star is also known for working with Danny Boyle on "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine."

9. "Red Eye" (2005)

Cillian Murphy had a big year in 2005. The Irish actor was introduced to American audiences in "Batman Begins" and Wes Craven's "Red Eye."

"Red Eye" follows Rachel McAdams as Lisa, a hotel manager who finds herself seated next to a charming and mysterious man called Jackson while heading home on a red-eye flight.

Jackson, played by Murphy, is a domestic terrorist who uses the claustrophobic setting to force Lisa into arranging for a US government official to be moved rooms in the hotel she runs so that his organization can assassinate him.

Murphy's intimidating performance is what really sells the thriller, especially when Jackson turns on the charm with the air hostesses and other passengers to avoid suspicion. Granted, he doesn't get much to do outside of menacing McAdams, but it's a fun thriller.

8. "Sunshine" (2007)

Murphy reunited with Danny Boyle, the critically acclaimed director behind "28 Days Later," in 2007 for "Sunshine," which sees him play Robert Capa, a physicist on a mission in 2057 to reignite the sun with a nuclear bomb.

It was another intense role for the Irish actor, as he and the crew debated the end of the world, physics, and religion. Oh, and they also have to fend off the captain of the previous ship that was sent on the mission but was driven mad by staring at the sun for too long.

Murphy easily holds his own against other talented stars, such as Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Michelle Yeoh, and the weight of the film is largely carried on his shoulders because Capa is in charge of detonating the nuke.

So, that's two films he's starred in about detonating a nuclear bomb. But we'll get to "Oppenheimer" later on.

7. "Batman Begins" (2005)

Murphy also made a splash in 2005 with Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins," in which he played Jonathan Crane, also known as the villain, Scarecrow.

No, the actor didn't don a raggedy jumper and a pointy hat to play the creepy comic-book antagonist. Instead, to match the grounded nature of Nolan's world, Crane is a psychologist at Arkham Asylum who experiments with a toxin that makes his patients hallucinate. Not only that, but he induces their terror by wearing a burlap mask over his head to break his victims' sanity.

Crane is scarier than typical comic book bad guys because of how he enjoys dismantling someone's psyche. It's no wonder that Nolan wanted to keep working with Murphy after seeing his performance.

Although, it's hard not to wonder what Murphy's Batman would've been like.

6. "Dunkirk" (2017)

Murphy once again worked with Nolan on 2017's "Dunkirk," which looks at the massive military operation to evacuate thousands of soldiers in World War II.

The Irish star played just one of several soldiers, airmen, and sailors that the film looks at, but interestingly he's never actually given a name,

Murphy's character is pulled out of the water by civilian rescuers, but he's so badly shell-shocked that he tries to fight them when he realizes they're sailing to Dunkirk. It's a gut-wrenching moment as the soldier's desperation to escape pushes him to turn on his rescuers.

Although he's only part of the film sporadically, there's no question that his role leaves an impact that stays with the audience long after "Dunkirk" has ended.

5. "Inception" (2010)

"Inception" was one of the biggest movies of 2010 thanks to its mind-bending premise and stunningly creative visuals, but what also makes the film so memorable is the cast of characters that populate the action-packed dream, including Cillian Murphy.

He plays Robert Fischer, the target of the dream heist, as the crew is tasked with persuading him to dissolve his father's company. But what this all boils down to is Fischer's fractured relationship with his late father. And it leads to a surprisingly emotional core at the center of the mission.

Murphy's executive maintains a slick presence for most of the film, but he completely breaks down when he finally deals with his grief and complicated emotions about his father.

It's great that Nolan is still keen to let his actors push their performances, even in the middle of a giant blockbuster like "Inception."

4. "Disco Pigs" (2001)

A lesser-known entry in the actor's filmography is 2001's "Disco Pigs," which is based on the stage play of the same name.

The film focuses on Murphy as Pig, and Elaine Cassidy as Runt, two Irish teenagers who try to navigate their complex relationship while growing up.

The pair mainly keep to themselves but struggle to cope when other people get involved with their lives, especially Pig, who is in love with Runt.

Murphy's performance is nothing short of astounding. And it all comes down to the huge contrast between the tenderness Pig shows to Runt and the ferocious temper that emerges when someone else is romantically interested in her.

The heartbreaking ending is tragically beautiful, with Murphy and Cassidy giving everything they've got.

3. "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (2006)

Murphy delivers another heartbreaking performance in Ken Loach's "The Wind That Shakes the Barley," a war drama about two brothers who fight in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.

Although it's a fictional story, it's an unflinching look at the dramatic divide in the country in the early 1900s through the lens of Murphy as Damien O'Donovan and Pádraic Delaney as Teddy O'Donovan, who find themselves on opposing sides.

It's a heart-wrenching story, and it's fascinating to see how Murphy's character transforms over several years — putting the cause and his beliefs above everything else.

One scene in which he cares for Orla Fitzgerald's Sinéad is a particular highlight, as is his final argument with his brother.

2. "Oppenheimer" (2023)

Considering how dedicated Murphy has been throughout his impressive career, it should come as no surprise that "Oppenheimer" is one of his best roles to date.

The star plays J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who led the Manhattan Project during World War II and created the atomic bomb.

Nolan's latest movie takes a close look at what made Oppenheimer tick, including his relationships with his wife, Kitty, played by Emily Blunt, and his mistress, Jean Tatlock, played by Florence Pugh.

The film doesn't exactly glorify the creation of the bomb — and that comes through in Murphy's performance as Oppenheimer weighs up the moral consequences of what he's making.

The star brings a deep intensity to the role, signified by the haunting, wide-eyed expression that frequently creeps across his face over the three-hour runtime.

1. "28 Days Later" (2001)

Boyle, the director, masterfully delivered a new sense of terror for horror fans in "28 Days Later" with a rage-inducing virus that turns its victims into zombies.

But these aren't the slow, shuffling groaners and moaners pioneered by the likes of George Romero. Oh no, the infected can sprint and scream before tearing into survivors.

It's all seen through the eyes of Murphy as Jim, a man who wakes up in a deserted London after coming out of a coma. He's plunged into a new world that he has to quickly adapt to, and it's a stunning performance from the star.

In just under two hours, the actor expertly shows grief, love, tenderness, terror, and rage in a multifaceted role that allows him to showcase everything that he's capable of.

Sure, "28 Days Later" is best known because it reinvigorated the zombie sub-genre, but it's elevated by Murphy and the way the audience experiences the apocalypse through Jim's eyes.

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