Cillian Murphy’s Cheek Bones Are My Drug

Some features can make an actor intrinsically sexy. Chris Evans has a Doritos chest for days. Scarlett Johansson’s perfect lips will make any rational human swoon. Matt Bomer’s eyes can bore into your soul and deliver you a single rose. But there’s one hyper-specific hot celeb trait we need to spend more time appreciating. Cillian Murphy has the dreamiest cheek bones in Hollywood.

Much like the classic hottie evaluation SNL sketch “Why Is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot?” Cillian Murphy’s sexiness doesn’t make sense. His face is slim and narrow, easily transforming him into a believable psychopath. Who batted an eye when the conniving Scarecrow yanked off his potato sack mask to reveal a bespectacled Murphy in Batman Begins? Who was shocked when Murphy’s charming plane partner character turned out to be a stabbing monster in Red Eye? Literally no one. Those high cheeks and pursed lips scream irredeemable movie villain in a way not much else does.

But dammit when you pair them with Murphy’s piercing blue eyes and vaguely androgynous look? Heaven for your eyes. I mean look at his lovely face angels in 2007’s Sunshine:

You know in your heart of hearts that you should spend this scene worrying about a sun killing this space crew. But actually? The only thing that matters are those cheeks. You could bounce a quarter off them.

Looking for something more recent? Check him out in The Delinquent Season:

Is he plotting something sinister? Hurt and in need of a hug? I don’t know, and I don’t care. I just know that those face muscles could slice through paper. There’s something about angsty marital strife paired with exhausted hotties that is deeply satisfying. Murphy gets that. Cillian Murphy gets me.

Then there’s Peaky Blinders, an award-winning crime drama about gangs in the aftermath of the Great War. Peaky Blinders has so much going for it that isn’t its weird and confusing name. There are epic shootouts! Gang rivalries! Back-stabbings! Love triangles! Period appropriate costumes! BAFTA wins! All of those things are lovely. But there is also this:

Sculpted bliss with a haircut that would make a hipster swoon.

So why are we talking about Cillian Murphy and his perfect face? First of all, there’s truly no better way to end a long week then by gushing about a sexy boi who deserves his due. But on a more pressing note, Murphy’s dramedy The Party is currently on Hulu. In the crowded and specific subgenre of crazy dinner parties between friends going array, it’s pretty good. Patricia Clarkson and Emily Mortimer are in it. Oh, and it also makes great use of Murphy’s knack for drawing underscored drama from tense situations and blah blah blah. Murphy is an underrated and underutilized gem; you’ve heard the spiel.

But today I’m only here for those cheeks.

Where to stream The Party