Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Cold Pursuit: Liam Neeson's 10 most ludicrous action thrillers

Versatile veteran has starred in string of wildly improbable suspense movies since Taken in 2008, many in partnership with Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra

Joe Sommerlad
Thursday 21 February 2019 05:29 EST
Comments
Non-Stop Official Trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson made his film debut more than 40 years ago and returns to cinemas in February with Cold Pursuit.

A leading man in Schindler’s List (1993) and Rob Roy (1995) and a quality supporting player for the likes of Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan, Neeson has done it all, appearing equally at home in lavish blockbusters such as George Lucas’s Star Wars prequels as he is playing a Portuguese Jesuit missionary tortured into apostasy in feudal Japan in Silence.

Most recently, he brought his suave authority to two of this awards season’s most critically acclaimed dramas: Steve McQueen’s Widows and the Western anthology The Ballad of Buster Scruggs from Joel and Ethan Coen.

Aside from voice acting, his real bread-and-butter in recent times has been the action genre, in which he has led some of the most ludicrous mid-market thrillers ever shot, many with Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra at the helm.

Here’s our selection of his 10 most implausible outings.

“They’re still throwing serious money at me to do that stuff,” the actor told an audience at the Toronto Film Festival in 2017, with refreshing honesty. “I’m like: ‘Guys, I’m sixty-f***ing-five.’ Audiences are eventually going to go: ‘Come on.’”

Interpreted as a hint he was about to holster his Beretta for the final time, Neeson delighted fans when he subsequently clarifed the remark: “I’m going to be doing action movies until they bury me in the ground. I'm unretired.”

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in