10 Most Underrated Colin Farrell Movies, Ranked

Unquestionably, one of the most talented actors of his generation, Colin Farrell’s status as a Hollywood star has only increased in recent years. Farrell made a breakthrough in 2022 when he received his first Academy Award nomination for his work in Martin McDonagh’s punishing dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, which took advantage of his “sad sack” personality to its fullest extent. Within the same year, he also earned acclaim for his heartbreaking performance in the sci-fi family drama After Yang and his terrifying version of The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ reboot of The Batman.

Known for his intense commitment and knack for playing unusual characters, Farrell has a unique career that isn’t just defined by his biggest successes. Farrell is the type of actor who can even elevate a mediocre movie, and generally makes projects more interesting as a result of his involvement. While some of his best films are now regarded as modern classics, much of Farrell’s filmography has been sadly overlooked by general moviegoers. Here are the ten most underrated Colin Farrell movies, ranked.

10 ‘Phone Booth’ (2002)

Directed by Joel Schumacher

While Joel Schumacher earned some significant backlash for the campy direction he took the Batman franchise, his underrated 2002 thriller Phone Booth is an expert way of creating tension within a confined environment. Farrell gives one of his most unlikeable performances as the arrogant publicist Stu Shepard, who is forced to answer calls from an enigmatic stalker (voiced by the great Kiefer Sutherland) as he waits at a public New York phone booth.

While the events of the film quickly escalate and grow increasingly unbelievable, Farrell helps keep Phone Booth somewhat grounded in reality with his measured performance. Nonetheless, it’s a role that also suitably fits his inherent idiosyncrasies as an actor, allowing Farrell to relish in the absurdity of the material. Critics of Schumacher’s other films shouldn’t be dissuaded from checking out this nail biting satire of toxic masculinity that’s personified by one of Farrell’s wildest performances.

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9 ‘The New World’ (2005)

Directed by Terrence Malick

While Terrence Malick is a filmmaker of great acclaim, The New World is a highly ambitious historical epic that aims to rewrite common myths about the foundation of America’s first community. Set during the emergence of the Jamestown colony in the early 17th century, The New World stars Farrell as the British traveler Captain John Smith, whose life was saved by the Powhatan Princess Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher). Over the course of their relationship, Smith begins to drift from the woman who saved his life, leading to a heartbreaking love triangle with her new suitor James Rolfe (Christian Bale).

While it’s certainly a heavily romanticized version of actual history, The New World deserves credit for its visceral beauty and earnest romanticism. The film showed a more empathetic and compassionate side of Farrell, who shied away from any overt melodrama to give one of the more grounded performances of his career. It’s an underrated gem that serves as a deepening of Farrell’s persona and a more thoughtful depiction of indigenous culture than most historical epics have included.

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8 ‘Miami Vice’ (2006)

Directed by Michael Mann

While the original Miami Vice series changed television forever with its stylized approach to the procedural cop drama, Michael Mann radically reinvented the original source material he helped create with his heavily existential 2006 reboot. Farrell and Jamie Foxx step into the iconic roles played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the original series for a thrilling new mystery that tests their characters’ partnership.

Miami Vice showed a deepening of Farrell’s charisma, as his version of Detective Sonny Crockett is a far more realistic version of the character than Johnson’s. While Miami Vice initially attracted criticism for its gloomy atmosphere and largely incomprehensible narrative, it has since become a cult classic thanks to its impact on the development of digital cinema. While certainly a technical marvel, Miami Vice has remained such an essential crime thriller because of the emotional foundation of Farrell’s performance.

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7 ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ (2009)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Although it’s often ranked among the best films directed by Terry Gilliam, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassuswas a film that was completed under tragic circumstances. Although Heath Ledger had initially been cast in the leading role of Ennis Del Mar, his death in 2008 forced Gilliam to recast him in order to complete the film. In order to pay respect to the fallen icon, Gilliam enlisted the help of Farrell, Johnny Depp, and Jude Law to help finish Ledger’s role in the film.

Farrell’s real friendship with Ledger makes his performance in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus more powerful, as it’s evident that he’s channeling the late star’s energy in an emotionally charged performance. While not the commercial hit that Gilliam may have anticipated, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is certainly not a film that lacks ambition; thanks to Farrell, it’s not lacking in sincerity either.

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6 ‘The Way Back’ (2010)

Directed by Peter Weir

While the survival thriller genre has sadly been deprived of new classics in recent years, The Way Backis a refreshingly old-fashioned throwback to classic adventure films. Set during World War II, Peter Weir’s large scale epic centers on the prisoners Janusz Wieszczek (Jim Sturgess), Irena Zielińska (Saoirse Ronan), and Valka (Farrell) as they escape from a Soviet labor camp in Siberia. Tensions escalate when the escapees must survive within the debilitating conditions of the wilderness.

The Way Back is effective because of Farrell’s commitment to the physicality, as the film shows the immense burden that these characters experience as a result of their traumatic conditions. While the film’s characterization of history may have been a bit too bleak for general audiences, both Farrell and Weir deserve credit for treating this powerful segment of history with the respect that it needed.

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5 ‘Seven Psychopaths’ (2012)

Directed by Martin McDonagh

Following the success of their collaboration on In Bruges, Farrell proved once more that he was perfectly suited for Martin McDonagh’s comedic sensibilities with the 2012 crime comedy Seven Psychopaths. Farrell stars as a struggling writer caught in over his head when his best friend (Sam Rockwell) kidnaps a dog that belongs to a ruthless criminal (Woody Harrelson). What begins as an amusing comedy of errors becomes a profound deconstruction of the artistic process that reckons with the trauma that “writer’s block” can have.

Farrell’s performance is underrated in how nuanced it is; while Seven Psychopaths is a film that relies upon the over the top sensibilities of actors like Christopher Walken and Michael Stuhlbarg, Farrell has a hilariously deadpan role that is even more amusing in comparison. The film’s bracingly dark sense of humor works because of the inherent charisma that Farrell has on screen.

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4 ‘Solace’ (2015)

Directed by Alfonso Poyart

Originally pitched as an odd legacy sequel to David Fincher’s classic crime drama Se7en, Solaceis an engaging serial killer thriller that features a delightfully villainous turn from Farrell. Jeffrey Dean Morgan gives a terrific performance as the FBI Agent Joe Merriwether, who teams up with the psychic John Clancy (Anthony Hopkins) to track down the violent murderer Charles Ambrose (Farrell). While director Alfonso Poyart doesn’t have the same attention-to-detail that made Fincher’s film such an all-timer, he does make up for it in terms of visceral thrills.

Solace is evidence that Farrell doesn’t need a lot of screen time to be memorable. Despite not having a substantial role in the film until the last act, Farrell’s delightfully demented performance is reason enough for genre fans to check out Solace. The film’s direct-to-VOD release was unfortunate considering its strong performances and style.

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3 ‘The Beguiled’ (2017)

Directed by Sofia Coppola

While the 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood was a classic in its own right, Sofia Coppola’s remake of The Beguiledmanages to improve upon the original in every way. Set at an all-female boarding school during the Civil War era, The Beguiled centers on the wounded soldier McBurney as he is rescued by the teacher Miss Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman). As he is nursed back to health, McBurney begins to develop a romantic relationship with the young woman Edwina (Kirsten Dunst).

While the original version of The Beguiled leaned into its kinetic genre elements, Coppola’s remake becomes a haunting study on toxic masculinity that is unafraid to lean into the campiness of the material. Farrell gives a brave performance that epitomizes male insecurity and jealousy; he transforms his inherently endearing persona into a villain that the viewer learns to love to hate.

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2 ‘After Yang’ (2022)

Directed by Kogonada

A quiet, pensive consideration of what constitutes both humanity and family, After Yangcontains one of Farrell’s most open-hearted and empathetic performances. Set in the not so distant future, After Yang centers on the parents Jake (Farrell) and Kyra (Jodie Smith-Turner) as they struggle to care for both their adopted stepdaughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja) and the android Yang (Justin H. Min) who they’ve adopted as a son. Farrell has a very nuanced role; he has to play a father who faces existential questions about the future of both his marriage and lineage.

While it received rave reviews upon its festival debut, After Yang was sadly only given a limited theatrical release, preventing many cinephiles from seeing it in the best possible format. Although it’s a far slower and more intimate sci-fi film than some may have expected, After Yang indicated Farrell could succeed in films without traditional commercial prospects.

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1 ‘Thirteen Lives’ (2022)

Directed by Ron Howard

Based on the incredible true story of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, Thirteen Livesis an inspiring tribute to real heroism that benefits from the seasoned direction of Ron Howard. Farrell stars as John Volanthen, a veteran diver who worked alongside his partner Richard Stanton (Viggo Mortensen) to rescue a group of Thai children who were trapped within a cave that was flooded with water. Farrell characterizes Volanthen as a seasoned, yet compassionate professional who understands the weight of responsibility that he is burdened with.

While a documentary about the same subject titled The Rescue was also quite popular, Thirteen Lives justifies its existence as a dramatized feature thanks to the empathic performances from Farrell and the entire cast. While its hybrid release on Prime Video left it severely underrated, Thirteen Lives tells one of the more inspirational stories in Farrell’s filmography.

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