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Peaky Blinders

We don’t know about you, but we’re kind of obsessed with Peaky Blinders. The British crime drama is an intoxicating study in contradictions. It’s a period drama that feels completely hip and moder. Its drama is both sprawling and intimate. It’s heart-wrenching, and yet totally badass. It also might be the thing that finally makes Irish actor Cillian Murphy a bonafide star — even if he’s always been reluctant to be one.

There’s no doubt that the show owes much of its success to star Cillian Murphy. His performance feels absolutely revelatory, which is strange because he’s been around for over a decade. This feels like the perfect time to revisit Murphy’s stellar film history. Maybe you want to see what else Murphy has done or maybe you’re in the throes of developing a crush. Either way, we’ve compiled the five titles on streaming that we think are essential viewing for any Cillian Murphy fan. It’s kind of like a “meet cute” in a romantic comedy, but because it’s all streaming, we’re calling it your “meet queue.”

28 Days Later (2002)

Cillian Murphy first became an international name when he starred in Danny Boyle’s zombie film, 28 Days Later. Murphy stars as Jim, a bicycle delivery guy, who wakes up from a coma to discover that the world has been blighted by the zombie apocalypse. It’s pretty amazing and many consider it to be Boyle’s best film.

[Where To Stream 28 Days Later]

Red Eye (2005)

Red Eye is a tight, little thriller about a hotel manager (Rachel McAdams) who finds herself ensnared in the middle of a flight by a charming, if not also terrifying, assassin (Murphy). The film is a lean, mean 85 minute long tale that takes full advantage of Murphy’s peculiar ability to be both intimidating and alluring at the same time.

[Where To Stream Red Eye]

Batman Begins (2005)

By 2005, Cillian Murphy was gaining a ton of buzz in Hollywood. So much so that he was cast as the Scarecrow, the first real villain Batman faces in Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan was so impressed with Murphy’s take on the mad doctor, that he brought him back for cameos in the remaining two films and used him in Inception.

[Where To Stream Batman Begins]

The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)

After attracting a ton of Hollywood heat, Cillian Murphy decided to eschew convention. He didn’t jump straight into movie stardom. Instead, he started picking and choosing off-beat independent films to star in, like The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Sure, he’s appeared in supporting roles in other big budget films over the years, but as Murphy proved in this gorgeous and somber look at Irish politics, he’s much more interested in telling unique stories than being a box office king.

[Where To Stream The Wind That Shakes The Barley]

Peaky Blinders (2013-Now)

Even though we know that the famously shy Cillian Murphy has little interest in being a star, he does a good job playing an ambitious badass in Peaky Blinders. Murphy stars as Thomas Shelby, a former war hero turned gang leader who prides himself on always being three steps ahead of everyone else. Murphy not only turns in a masterful performance, but he once more radiates the kind of hypnotic star quality that garnered him so much buzz over a decade ago.

[Where To Stream Peaky Blinders]

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[Photos: Everett Collection]