Looking for the best action movies with Liam Neeson? We have a list of the best films featuring this charismatic actor. As Liam Neeson's 100th film hits theaters, it's time to look back at the actor's career. It's hard to remember a time when Neeson was known for his action roles, but in the lead-up to 2008's Taken, Neeson was eager to play more physical roles than the articulate theatrical roles he was known for, and it earned him an Oscar nomination "
This new priority led to his inclusion in supporting roles including Qui-Gon Jinn in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and Henri Ducard in the 2005 film Batman Begins. But after the massive success of 2008's Taken, Liam Neeson and his "special set of skills" became a subgenre of action films in their own right, including two sequels starring his character Bryan Mills. Here are the 10 best Liam Neeson action films to come out since the success of his career-changing thriller Taken:
The Ice Road 2021
Liam Neeson plays Mike McCann, whose brother Gurthy (Marcus Thomas) suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and aphasia. After Mike fights with a colleague to defend Gurthy's honor, the brothers are fired and instead find work as truck drivers on the ice road. They are hired to take a wellhead to a mine and rescue the miners, but the mission turns out to be much more deadly than they expected. Frozen Drive also stars Mindhunter's Holt McCallany and The Matrix's Laurence Fishburne.
The Marksman 2021
Liam Neeson plays grouchy rancher and Vietnam veteran Jim Hanson in this 2021 film. He is behind on payments on his property and surveys the border between Arizona and Mexico to report his adopted daughter (Kathryn Winnick) of the U.S. Border Patrol illegally crossing the border. One day, a young Mexican mother and son cross the border to escape a Mexican cartel led by Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). A shootout ensues in which the mother is killed, who, on her deathbed, begs Jim to take her son and a box of money to Chicago. He reluctantly agrees, but because Jim killed Mauricio's brother during a shootout, a target falls on his head.
Honest Thief 2020
This excellent Liam Neeson film suffered at the box office due to unfortunate timing and the Covid-19 pandemic. In it, Tom Dolan, aka the "gofer" (Neeson), meets a student (Kate Walsh) who works in the warehouse where he keeps his money. Annie and Tom fall in love, prompting Tom to give himself and his money up to start a new, honest life with Annie. However, corrupt FBI agent John Nivens (Jai Courtney) has other plans. He kills his partner and frames Tom so he can take the money himself. Tom and Annie go on the run, and Neeson's honest thief must prove his innocence despite seemingly killing a federal agent.
All night on the run (Run All Night) 2015
When retired boxer-turned-chauffeur Mike Conlon (Joel Kinnaman) witnesses a deal between his friend and the Albanian mafia go wrong, he has nowhere to turn but his disgraced father, former hitman Jimmy "Gravedigger" Conlon (Liam Neeson). Neeson's rusty skills and underworld connections give him a chance to save his estranged son and redeem himself. The film stars Ed Harris, Common, Nick Nolte and Vincent D'Onofrio.
Snow blower (Cold Pursuit) 2019
Snowplow driver Nels Coxman (Neeson) receives the ski resort's Citizen of the Year award before learning that his son has died from a violent heroin overdose at the hands of the Denver cartel. Thus begins Coxman's cold, Kill Bill-style revenge, which earns the film extra points through the use of quirky title cards when a new character dies. On paper, The Snowblower's plot isn't anything new, but stylistically, this 2019 film deserves praise.
Passenger (The Commuter) 2018
The Commuter stars Neeson as Michael McCauley, an insurance agent and former NYPD officer. After being abruptly fired from his job, Michael fears for his family's finances until a mysterious woman sits down with him and asks him to identify an unknown passenger who the woman claims is in possession of a stolen MacGuffin. She tells Michael where he can find $25 on the train and that another $000 will be paid to him upon completion of the job. Michael has his doubts, but of course finds $75 and becomes entangled in a web of conspiracy. The film stars Vari Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, as well as Breaking Bad's Sam Neill and Jonathan Banks.
Air Marshal (Non-Stop) 2014
Air Marshal is about former NYPD officer Bill Marks (Liam Neeson), who now works as a federal air marshal. During the flight, his secure phone begins to receive messages that every twenty minutes someone on the plane will die unless $150 million is transferred to a certain bank account. Marks is forced to find out which crew member is behind all this, and how to save as many lives as possible. The ensemble cast includes Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong'o, Michelle Dockery and Corey Stoll. The director of the film "Air Marshal", like the films "On the Run" and "The Passenger", is Jaume Collet-Serra.
Fight (The Grey) 2011
In Heat, starring Liam Neeson, John Ottway must shoot gray wolves in Alaska that are threatening oil drillers. Ottway (Liam Neeson) contemplates suicide and even writes a note to his wife, but cannot bring himself to follow through. The next day, he boards a plane to Anchorage for a two-week vacation, but when the plane crashes back into the Alaskan wilderness, Ottway remembers the value of his life and fights to protect himself and his companions from the wolves that surround them.
A Walk Among the Tombstones 2014
Starring Liam Neeson, the film takes place in 90s New York and stars Neeson as Matt Scudder, a retired police detective. He is approached by a drug addict named Peter (Boyd Holbrook from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Doom) who asks him to help his drug-dealing brother Kenny (Dan Stevens). Kenny's wife has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. But when Scudder delivers the ransom, he discovers that Kenny's wife is already dead. Scudder reluctantly agrees to help Kenny find his wife's killers, and is aided by young street kid TJ (Brian "Astro" Bradley), who turns Scudder's story into one of a bitter man who learns to forgive himself through his relationship with a child. The film also stars Stranger Things' David Harbor and is written and directed by Scott Frank.
Unknown (Unknown) 2011
Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife Liz (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for a biotech summit, but Martin realizes that he left his briefcase at the airport. He leaves the hotel and jumps into a taxi with a driver played by Diane Kruger. The taxi accidentally falls into the river and Martin falls into a four-day coma. Waking up, he returns to the hotel with vague memories and finds his wife with another man. Liz looks at Martin as if he were a stranger, and when Martin asks the other man who he is, he replies, “Martin Harris.” Martin no longer knows what is real, and once again teamed up with the taxi driver, the Unknown sees Martin struggling to uncover a conspiracy that is much deeper than he expected.
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