5 most underrated movie roles Cillian Murphy got featured in

Peaky Blinders icon Tommy Shelby, aka Cillian Murphy, is a name that resonates all across the film industry - thanks to the Oscar-winning actor's versatile on-screen presence, impeccable delivery, and noteworthy theater background. From big franchises like Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy to Academy Award winners such as Oppenheimer and Dunkirk, Murphy has won millions of hearts over the years with his noteworthy contribution.

However, only true fans of his would know specific underrated Cillian Murphy roles that have ever been featured on the big screen. Some of the many such movies include Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), Anthropoid (2016), and last but not least, Inception (2010).

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Some of Cillian Murphy's most underrated movie roles

Inception (2010)

The 2010 sci-fi action piece Inception is still to date considered to be one of the best works of Christopher Nolan. Here's a synopsis of the movie, per IMDb:

"A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster. "

Cillian Murphy's role as Robert Fischer did wonders for Inception, and is one of his most underrated performances. Murphy portrayed the role of the successor to an influential corporate business.

Fischer is a key character in Inception, and the story centers around Dom Cobb (portrayed by Leonard DiCaprio) tries to meddle with the former's subconscious using the method of 'inception' - an attempt to derail a big empire.

The movie portrays the changing dynamics of Fischer's relationship with his family as he is eventually manipulated. The plot has a certain emotional depth, and the portrayal of Fischer's complex mental state (while constantly waging war with his inner self) adds so much more than an espionage angle to the story, thanks to Cillian Murphy's remarkable yet one of the most underrated performances.

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The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)

Ken Loach's historical war drama, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, featured Cillian Murphy as Damien O'Donovan, a man who gets recruited to the Irish Republican Army along with his brother Teddy O'Donovan (played by Pádraic Delaney) amidst the ongoing Irish War of Independence.

By virtue of a star-studded cast, flawless direction, and impeccable narration, the movie got a remarkable reception and bagged solid RT scores, not to mention its recognition at the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. As a result, it is one among the many underrated works of Cillian Murphy and is often not talked about as much as his other, more famous projects.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley is not only the story of a deadly war but is also a rollercoaster of emotions revolving around two siblings as they venture out against the British army. Here's a brief synopsis of the movie, per IMDb:

"Against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, two brothers fight a guerrilla war against British forces."

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Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

The 2003 historical drama titled Girl with a Pearl Earring should also be on the list of Cillian Murphy's most underrated roles. The Peaky Blinders star was featured in the film alongside Marvel icon Scarlett Johansson (as the protagonist Griet) and Academy Award winner Colin Firth (Johannes Vermeer).

The official synopsis of Girl with a Pearl Earring, per IMDb, reads:

"A young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works."

While the movie featured an ensemble lead cast, Murphy was seen appearing in a less important role - a local butcher named Pieter who also had romantic ties with Griet. The movie is a prime example where Cillian Murphy did more than justice to an underappreciated yet mysteriously attractive role.

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Breakfast on Pluto (2005)

Neil Jordan's 2005 drama adaptation Breakfast on Pluto is another masterpiece that featured Cillian Murphy in the role of a transgender woman named Patrick "Kitten" Braden. The story revolves around Patrick, aka Patricia's chronicles to London, while in an attempt to seek her mother, who has been long lost.

It is also a journey of self-discovery while exploring major social issues, one of them being transphobia. In comparison to Murphy's other projects, Breakfast on Pluto is a movie that is less discussed despite the strong message it delivers while addressing major LGBTQ+ problems that linger to date.

The official synopsis of the movie, per IMDb, reads:

"In the 1970s, a young trans woman, Patrick "Kitten" Braden, comes of age by leaving her Irish town for London, in part to look for her mother and in part because her gender identity is beyond the town's understanding."

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Anthropoid (2016)

Cillian Murphy's underrated movie streak continues with the 2016 war drama titled Anthropoid that explores true events from World War II, mainly centering on the infamous Operation Anthropoid.

Here's a look at the synopsis, per IMDb:

"Based on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the WWII mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution and the Reich's third in command after Hitler and Himmler."

Cillian Murphy has portrayed a Czech operative named Jozef Gabčík in Anthropoid, who plays a key role in the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heydrich, a military figure who was a major part of the Holocaust. Considering the historical backdrop, the immersive and broad narrative overpowers Murphy's portrayal of a journey that not only poses a threat to life but also paints the emotional journey of a man fighting his inner struggles.

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