3 Best Movies to Watch by Liam Neeson

actor › Liam Neeson
Staff & contributors
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Shot from the movie

, 2016

There are moments in cinema when the character and actor are irrevocably linked– to think of one is to think of the other, to the point that the line is blurred between both. One such pair is Spock and Leonard Nimoy, and, after his death, it was inevitable that the documentary about Nimoy would also be a documentary about Spock. For the Love of Spock is the first of two Nimoy documentaries, made by his son Adam, and it’s a lovely tribute to the iconic sci-fi legend that shifted the entire genre and the fan culture that emerged, but it was also a personal film where the family reckons with the fame that occurred as a result. Superfans might not learn that much about Spock (some of them are interviewed in the film), but For the Love of Spock is an excellent profile, even if it’s not as objective and logical as the character itself.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Adam Nimoy, Avery Brooks, Barry Newman, Bill Prady, Bobak Ferdowsi, Brooke Adams, Catherine Hicks, Chris Pine, Christopher Lloyd, D.C. Fontana, Diana Ewing, Donald Sutherland, George Takei, J.J. Abrams, James Arness, James Doohan, James Duff, Jason Alexander, Jeanne Bal, Jeffrey Hunter, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jill Ireland, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Karl Urban, Leonard Nimoy, Liam Neeson, Majel Barrett, Mayim Bialik, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Nichelle Nichols, Nicholas Meyer, Peter Duryea, Simon Pegg, Ted Danson, Terry Farrell, Tom Selleck, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, William Windom, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana

Director: Adam Nimoy

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Shot from the movie

, 2004

For the longest time, sex has been notoriously hard to discuss, in part due to politeness, social norms, and religious attitudes surrounding the topic. Because of this, it took a certain kind of courage, and also a certain disregard of modesty, in order to finally explore the topic. Kinsey is centered around the titular pioneer of sexology, and writer-director Bill Condon cleverly takes the interview questions Kinsey used to structure the scientist’s life and work. It’s a fairly straightforward biopic that does skip over some of Kinsey’s controversies, but it’s one that honors him and his cornerstone contributions, especially with the excellent performance of Liam Neeson.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Arden Myrin, Benjamin Walker, Chris O'Donnell, Dagmara Domińczyk, David Harbour, Dylan Baker, Harley Cross, Heather Goldenhersh, Jarlath Conroy, Jenna Gavigan, John Krasinski, John Lithgow, John McMartin, Julianne Nicholson, Katharine Houghton, Kathleen Chalfant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Luke Macfarlane, Lynn Redgrave, Matthew Fahey, Oliver Platt, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Curry, Timothy Hutton, Veronica Cartwright, Will Denton, William Sadler

Director: Bill Condon

Rating: R

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Shot from the movie

, 2023

In Marlowe, Liam Neeson joins the lofty lineup of actors who have stepped into the shoes of Raymond Chandler's titular detective, famously played by Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, and Elliott Gould. These are big boots to fill — and, if you’ve been paying attention to Neeson’s career over the last decade or so, you’ll be aware that he hasn’t exactly been stretching himself, dramatically speaking.

But Marlowe is something of a happy anomaly in Neeson’s filmography, because it has more than just adrenaline-pumping ambitions. Written by director Neil Jordan (of Michael Collins fame) and William Monahan (the screenwriter behind The Departed), the 1930s Hollywood-set plot is steeped in noir’s characteristic cynicism, giving it the seductive pull of that well-loved genre. It’s true that a not insignificant portion of the dialogue is so hard-boiled you can see the cracks — a clunkiness that’s repeated in a couple of the phoned-in supporting performances and the movie’s awkward action sequences. However, with a couple of bright spots in the starry cast, handsome production values, and a labyrinthine plot that just about passes muster as homage and not muddle, there are enough noir trappings here to keep the movie slinking along well enough, even if it ultimately isn't nearly as memorable as Marlowe’s previous screen incarnations.

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alan Cumming, Alan Moloney, Colm Meaney, Daniela Melchior, Danny Huston, Darrell D'Silva, Diane Kruger, François Arnaud, Gary Anthony Stennette, Ian Hart, Jessica Lange, Julius Cotter, Kim DeLonghi, Liam Neeson, Mark Schardan, Michael Garvey, Minnie Marx, Mitchell Mullen, Patrick Muldoon, Roberto Peralta, Seána Kerslake, Stella Stocker, Tony Corvillo

Director: Neil Jordan

Rating: R

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