Colin Farrell could have got by on his matinee-idol looks, churning out action movies and romantic comedies and enjoying a pleasantly lucrative cinema career. Actors like that tend to toss in the odd arthouse hit or experimental cameo role to see off accusations of typecasting. In the case of Colin Farrell, the interesting films have gradually replaced the mainstream ones, but he has a knack for starring in boundary-pushing movies that still do well at the box office. See below for our pick of the ten best Colin Farrell films, and where to stream them.
Colin Farrell’s best early work was in collaboration with the director Joel Schumacher. In Minority Report.
Now in the big time, Farrell took a while to find his rhythm as a proper film star: the blockbusters he appeared in during the early 2000s are hit and miss. Signs of a more interesting actor started to emerge in Oliver Stone’s historical epic Miami Vice, before finding the director with whom Farrell would do his best work: Martin McDonagh.
McDonagh’s first movie was In Bruges, a fantastic thriller soaked in the blackest comedy. As a hitman riven with guilt at a job gone wrong, Farrell gives his definitive performance: funny and sexy when required, but with a dark vulnerability. Those qualities had been present before but the acclaim for In Bruges crystallised what sort of actor Farrell could be - he’s never looked back.
Collaborations with daring Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos were fruitful, notably The Banshees of Inisherin, with Farrell as a naive man who cannot understand why his best friend has tired of him.
Even his superhero movies are a cut above: Colin Farrell is now starring in the TV series The Batman.
Where to watch the best Colin Farrell movies online
As The Penguin reaches the small screen, you’ll want to stream The Batman to remind yourself of how Farrell got started in the role. For those wanting to find out where to watch the other movies on our list of Colin Farrell’s ten best, see below.
