7 Cillian Murphy movies you can see now as his “gripping” new drama Steve arrives on Netflix

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Cillian Murphy stars in the new Netflix film Steve, which is based on Max Porter’s book Shy. The movie is a drama set at a school for boys who struggle with their behavior.

Throughout one challenging day, Murphy stars as the school principal desperately trying to save his school from closing. Meanwhile, a student named Shy (Jay Lycurgo) is dealing with his own personal mental health struggles.

Critics generally praise *Steve*, giving it a 77% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. *The Observer* described the film as both “gripping and exhausting,” and highlighted both the movie itself and Eddie Murphy’s performance as exceptional.

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According to *Empire*, the film showcases Murphy’s impressive emotional depth. They describe his performance as a powerful depiction of a failing education system, calling it a modern equivalent to *Dead Poets Society*.

Want to see more of what Eddie Murphy can do? We’ve picked 7 of his greatest films that are currently available to stream.

Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy gained significant recognition for his performance in the 2023 film *Oppenheimer*, where he played J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist known as the father of the atomic bomb, and won an Academy Award for the role.

The film received the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with numerous other awards. It tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, from his days as a student through his leadership of the Manhattan Project – the top-secret effort to create the first nuclear weapons – and the subsequent, contentious hearing regarding his security clearance.

According to Digital Spy, Cillian Murphy delivers what they call a career-defining performance in this film, which is one of many projects he’s done with director Christopher Nolan.

Available to stream on Netflix and Sky Cinema.

28 Days Later

The first film in the horror series launched Murphy’s career, featuring him as Jim, a bike messenger who wakes up from a coma to discover a virus has wiped out civilization.

The film *28 Days Later* is considered a classic horror movie from the early 2000s, according to *The Movie Sleuth*. It also has a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 87% of critics giving it a positive review.

A follow-up film was made without Murphy’s participation, but he’s expected to return for the next movie in the continuing *28 Years Later* series.

Available to stream on NOW with a Sky Cinema membership.

Sunshine

After working on *28 Days Later*, Naomie Harris teamed up with director Danny Boyle again in the 2007 science fiction film *Sunshine*. The movie centers around a team of astronauts in the mid-21st century who are sent on a dangerous mission: to fly a nuclear bomb into the sun and try to revive the fading star. But their mission doesn’t go as planned.

The film features a fantastic cast, including Chris Evans and Benedict Wong from the Marvel universe, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne of *Platonic*, and Hiroyuki Sanada from *Shōgun*.

Empire magazine praised the film *Sunshine* as a thrilling and intense action movie, highlighting it as another successful genre exploration by director Danny Boyle.

Available to stream on Disney+.

Inception

Cillian Murphy appeared in a supporting role in Christopher Nolan’s popular 2010 film, alongside stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

This sci-fi thriller follows a thief who can steal secrets by going into people’s dreams. He gets a shot at freedom if he can successfully plant an idea in the mind of a CEO (played by Murphy).

The movie *Inception* has received positive reviews, earning an 87% ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics generally describe it as intelligent, groundbreaking, and exciting.

Available to stream on NOW with a Sky Cinema membership.

Batman Begins

Cillian Murphy worked with director Christopher Nolan on *Batman Begins*, playing the villain Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as The Scarecrow. He later made brief appearances as the same character in the following two *Dark Knight* movies.

Batman Begins tells the story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman, focusing on his fight against the Scarecrow and another villain who are plotting to terrorize Gotham City by poisoning the water supply with a fear toxin.

According to Deep Focus Review, the hit movie isn’t just another superhero film – it completely reimagines the genre and is a truly captivating, emotional, and thrilling watch.

Available to stream on Prime Video and ITVX.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

This highly praised 2006 film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Cillian Murphy as one of two Irish brothers who become involved with the Irish Republican Army during the fight for independence.

A few years later, the brother and sister from County Cork end up fighting on opposing sides of the Irish Civil War.

Ken Loach, the director of *I, Daniel Blake*, brings us *The Wind That Shakes the Barley*, starring Liam Cunningham (known from *Game of Thrones*), Pádraic Delaney (*Knightfall*), and Orla Fitzgerald (*The Young Offenders*).

Available to buy and rent on Prime Video.

A Quiet Place Part II

In the 2020 follow-up to the popular horror film *A Quiet Place*, John Murphy plays Emmett, a loner who was friends with the late Lee (John Krasinski). The story brings him together with the family from the first movie, and Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe all reprise their roles.

Similar to the original, *Part II* received very positive reviews, earning a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In our review, Digital Spy praised the film for matching the suspense and scares of the first movie while also successfully building upon its world.

Available to stream on Paramount+ and buy and rent on Prime Video.

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2025-10-08 17:50