Liam Neeson is one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, with dozens of memorable performances. Besides his blockbuster action films from the 2000s, the star has been very versatile with his roles, from voiceovers to negative roles and whatnot. After all, he has a career spanning over four decades.
The films selected in this article are chosen across genres. You can explore how amazing he is from picks here. You may have already watched some of these via your Spectrum TV Choice or some other cable service. But if you haven’t, it is highly advisable to add them to your watchlist. Here are the 5 Liam Neeson films you should not miss out on:
Batman Begins
According to a lot of moviegoers, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is legendary. Apart from the charismatic Christian Bale starring Bruce Wayne, Liam Neeson had a superb screen presence that did more than justice to Ra’s al Ghul role. The fighting sequels, dialogues, and everything is a feast for the eyes.
Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul is intimidating, evil, and awesome in every way. Watching Liam usually play the protagonist, watching his villainous performance is pleasantly surprising.
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the best works of fantasy fiction. It is one of the films that your family can enjoy together regardless of whether you are watching it for the first time or re-watching it. If you have watched it already, you are sure to remember Aslan.
Aslan is the super powerful speaking lion with magical powers. One thing common in Liam Neeson and Aslan is that when they are on the screen, you know things are about to go down. Voiced by Liam Neeson, Aslan is one of the favorite fantasy characters of a lot of millennials and Gen Z.
Taken
The Taken franchise is the signature Liam Neeson action franchise. This film is one of the best performances of Liam Neeson in the action genre. Not only did the film and its sequel do well at the box office, but it also inspired many other blockbusters of a similar theme, including John Wick.
Taken is an action film starring Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA agent who goes berserk on the bad guys when they kidnap his daughter. If you watch the film, chances are that you would want to watch the sequel as well. Liam’s phone scene is one of the most iconic moments when he says, “I will find you, and I will kill you.” If you are an OG Liam fan, chances are that you have already heard this dialogue or memorized the whole speech. Even people who are not hardcore fans know about the dialogue.
Darkman
Darkman is an underrated thriller that came before, well before Batman Begins and Taken. The Darkman trilogy was written and co-directed by Sam Raimi. It was his first superhero project. Even 32 years back, Liam Neeson was doing helicopter chases and action-filled fights. There are three movies from the sequel, but Liam appears in only the first one.
The film is about Dr. Peyton Westlake, who works on a project to help burn victims with artificial skin. That skin is photosensitive and only stable for 99 minutes. While he is experimenting with the skin, the bad guys, backed by a corrupt mafia boss, come to take classified documents from Dr. Westlake, who has no idea of them. Only his girlfriend, an attorney at law, knows about them. The bad guys torture Liam, disfigure his face, and leave him to die. But Dr. Westlake survives, and that’s how Darkman is born.
Darkman is a psychotic hero with bandages covering all his face but eyes. For a younger generation, this film can be an undiscovered gem. It is another film you can enjoy.
Schindler’s List
Schindler’s List is arguably one of the best works of Steven Spielberg and one of the films that earned Liam Neeson the reputation as one of the best actors. The film is based on the story of Oskar Schindler, who saved 1,100 plus Jews from Auschwitz in the Holocaust. Even today, the film is one of the best Holocaust films to date.
The film shows Oskar Schindler has a change of heart even with his close Nazi ties and how he helps in saving hundreds of lives. Unlike most of his films, this one does not show Liam’s actions. The protagonist has a depth of character, polite dialogue delivery, and expressions that deliver the true sense of cinema. Liam, fan or not, this film is worth watching for everyone.