Liam Neeson thriller tops Netflix chart despite being slammed as 'too bleak'
Liam Neeson thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners has landed on Netflix and it's going down a hit with film fans. The movie, set in Ireland, also stars actors such as Kerry Condon, Colm Meaney, and Ciaran Hinds.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners tells the story of former hitman Finbar Murphy, played by Liam, who strives to escape his violent past in an Irish coastal town. As he attempts to distance himself from The Troubles in 1970s Ireland, the universe has other plans for him. The character becomes involved in drama after finding out a new villager has been mistreating a local girl.
Liam drew on his own experiences for the role, having grown up amidst conflict. The pivotal decision for his character is whether to defend his village while risking revealing his dark past.
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When In the Land of Saints and Sinners was first released in 2023, it received plenty of criticism but it seems the movie is still very popular. Dozens have flocked to wash the film via Netflix. Opinions were varied when the film debuted, as many criticised its representation of Irish culture.
As stated by The Hollywood Reporter: "The paddywhackery's as thick as the Oirish brogues and flavourful caricatures in Robert Lorenz's In the Land of Saints and Sinners. Not since the merry blarney of Wild Mountain Thyme has a movie leaned so hard into Emerald Isle stereotypes, which makes it remarkable that Liam Neeson as a pipe-smoking, Dostoevsky-reading assassin manages to play it straight."
Elsewhere, Screen Daily said of the 'bleak' film: "For some, that film was a little too bleak and the humor a bit too black: The Land Of Saints And Sinners will be the more palatable Irish thriller for those in that market. And Neeson looks as strong as ever in the 'big lad' role: he's 71, and signs are that he will just keep on sinning as long as there is a child in distress."
Over in The Guardian the film received two stars, with the publication's review including: "There’s bits and pieces of entertaining stuff here, a few sharp lines and a gonzo final shootout, but the overall tone of cliche is a bit wearing, correctly signalled in the title, which appears to misremember the phrase 'saints and scholars'."
Nevertheless, the thriller has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81 percent, with an audience score of 75 percent. In The Land of Saints and Sinners is available to stream via Netflix.