List Liam Neeson Movies: What Most People Get Wrong About His Career

Liam Neeson is a walking contradiction. Honestly, if you ask the average person to list Liam Neeson movies, they’ll probably start and end with Taken. Maybe they’ll throw in Schindler’s List if they’re feeling fancy. But there is a weird, almost frustrating gap between the "I will find you and I will kill you" guy we see on every cable channel on a Sunday afternoon and the guy who was once the go-to for sensitive, towering dramatic leads.

He didn't even become a "punch-him-in-the-face" action star until he was 56. Think about that. Most actors are looking for a comfortable sitcom gig or a retirement home in the South of France by then. Instead, Neeson decided to sprint through European streets and jump over fences in 14 different cuts.

The Action Era: More Than Just "Taken"

It’s easy to joke about the "Liam Neeson thriller" formula. You’ve seen it: a grizzled man with a gravelly voice, a dead or estranged wife, and a set of skills that usually involves breaking thumbs. But to truly list Liam Neeson movies in the action genre, you have to look past the sequels.

• The Grey (2011): This isn't just a movie about a man fighting wolves. It’s a bleak, philosophical meditation on death. Neeson is incredible here because he's actually vulnerable. You aren't sure he’s going to win.
• Non-Stop (2014): Basically Taken on a plane. It’s ridiculous, but his collaboration with director Jaume Collet-Serra turned these "B-movies" into high-art popcorn flicking.
• In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023): This one is a recent gem. Set in 1970s Ireland, it feels more like a Western than a standard thriller. He plays a retired hitman (classic Neeson) but with a local, weathered soul that feels much more authentic than his Hollywood stuff.

The Dramatic Roots We All Forgot

Before he was saving his daughter, Neeson was the guy Steven Spielberg picked to carry the weight of the Holocaust on his shoulders.

The Oscar-Nominated Heavyweight

Schindler’s List (1993) remains his peak for many. His portrayal of Oskar Schindler—a man who starts as a war profiteer and ends as a savior—is nuanced in a way that modern action roles just don't allow. He uses his height not to intimidate, but to look down with a sort of growing, horrified empathy.

The Irish Icon

If you haven't seen Michael Collins (1996), you're missing out. He plays the Irish revolutionary leader, and it’s arguably the most "Irish" he’s ever been on screen. It’s loud, it’s political, and it shows off a theatrical energy he rarely uses now.

The Under-the-Radar Performances

• Kinsey (2004): He plays Alfred Kinsey, the famous sex researcher. It’s awkward, clinical, and completely different from anything else in his filmography.
• Ordinary Love (2019): This is a quiet, devastating movie about a couple dealing with a cancer diagnosis. No guns. No car chases. Just Neeson and Lesley Manville sitting in a living room, breaking your heart.

Hidden Gems in the Liam Neeson Movie List

There are some weird outliers that don't fit the "Action Hero" or "Prestige Actor" boxes. For instance, did you know he’s a fantastic voice actor?

1. A Monster Calls (2016): He provides the voice (and motion capture) for a giant, sentient tree. It’s a movie about grief that will make you sob. His voice carries this ancient, rumbling authority that is terrifying and comforting all at once.
2. The LEGO Movie (2014): Bad Cop/Good Cop. He’s hilarious. It’s one of the few times he leans into the absurdity of his own "tough guy" image.
3. Darkman (1990): This was a Sam Raimi superhero movie before superhero movies were cool. Neeson is essentially a burn victim in bandages seeking revenge. It’s campy, dark, and sort of brilliant.

What’s Coming in 2026?

The man is 73 and shows zero signs of stopping. He actually has a massive year ahead in 2026 with some projects that might actually break the mold he’s been stuck in.

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Cold Storage (February 2026)
Directed by Jonny Campbell, this is a sci-fi thriller where Neeson plays a retired bioterror operative. A deadly virus escapes a facility—standard stakes, but the word is that it leans more into horror than pure action.

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank (April 2026)
This sounds like a blast. It’s a heist comedy where he plays a grandfather whose granddaughter tries to rob a bank to save him from his old criminal crew. It’s based on a graphic novel and supposedly has a very "Ocean’s Eleven" vibe, but with kids.

The Naked Gun (August 2025/2026 release cycle)
Perhaps the most anticipated shift in his career. He’s taking over the Leslie Nielsen role in a reboot of the legendary spoof series. Everyone is wondering: can he do deadpan comedy? If you’ve seen his cameo in Life’s Too Short with Ricky Gervais, you know the answer is a resounding "yes."

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The Complete "Vibe Check" List

If you're looking to binge, don't just watch them in order. Watch them by "mood."

Actionable Insights for Your Next Watch

If you really want to appreciate why people keep hiring him, skip the Taken sequels. They're fine, but they're manufactured. Instead, watch The Grey followed immediately by Love Actually.

Seeing him as a man contemplating suicide in the frozen wilderness and then as a grieving, bumbling stepdad trying to talk to a kid about "the total agony of being in love" tells you everything you need to know about his range.

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Next Steps:

• Check out In the Land of Saints and Sinners on streaming; it’s the best "classic" Neeson performance in five years.
• Keep an eye out for the Naked Gun trailer later this year—it’s going to determine if he has a whole new career as a comedy lead.
• Revisit Batman Begins to see how he basically invented the modern "mentor who turns out to be the villain" trope.