The 5 Films That Cillian Murphy Claims to Watch Over and Over – You Won’t Believe His Choices!

Cillian Murphy, the Oscar-winning Irish actor renowned for Oppenheimer, Peaky Blinders, and countless cinematic masterclasses, recently opened a window into his private world of movie favorites — specifically, the five films he claims he could watch endlessly without ever growing bored. Though Murphy is famously guarded about his personal life, a 2016 interview with Rotten Tomatoes offered rare insight into the movies that have profoundly shaped his artistic journey and remain his perennial go-tos.

Rather than a casual list, Murphy’s selections reflect his deep, almost reverent appreciation for film as an art form. These are not just movies he enjoys; they are works that have become part of his creative DNA.

Here are the five films Cillian Murphy never tires of:

1. Scarecrow (1973)
   At just 15 years old, Murphy stumbled upon Scarecrow by accident — a happy mistake that ignited his passion for acting. Featuring riveting performances by Al Pacino and Gene Hackman, the film’s raw emotion and character-driven storytelling left an indelible mark on him. Murphy credits this unexpected rental with profoundly inspiring his own career choice.

2. Mean Streets (1973)
   Martin Scorsese’s gritty, electrifying Mean Streets was a formative experience for Murphy. He admired the electric energy of Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, and the authenticity of 1970s New York that Scorsese captured. Murphy has often cited the ’70s era of American cinema as his gold standard — and Mean Streets remains its beating heart.

3. La Haine (1995)
   Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine struck Murphy with its visceral power and timeless relevance. Chronicling racial tension and disillusionment in the Parisian suburbs, the film’s raw energy and the magnetic performance of Vincent Cassel — whom Murphy calls a hero — make it one he revisits often, finding new layers each time.

4. The Butcher Boy (1997)
   This twisted, darkly comic adaptation of Pat McCabe’s novel holds special resonance for Murphy, not only because of its Irish roots but because of its masterful storytelling. Directed by Neil Jordan, The Butcher Boy balances horror and humor with unsettling brilliance — a quality Murphy deeply admires.

5. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
   A visually haunting classic directed by Charles Laughton, The Night of the Hunter is a film Murphy describes as both beautiful and tragic. With Robert Mitchum’s magnetic villainy and a style unlike anything else in American cinema, it’s no wonder this singular masterpiece holds a permanent place on Murphy’s list.

While later interviews, such as one with Far Out Magazine in 2023, have expanded on his favorites, adding titles like Harold and Maude and A Clockwork Orange, these five selections from the 2016 interview remain the clearest picture of the movies Murphy would gladly watch on an endless loop. They are not merely entertainment for him — they are touchstones of art, memory, and inspiration.

And for fans eager to glimpse the mind behind Tommy Shelby’s cold stare or J. Robert Oppenheimer’s tortured genius, these five films offer a revealing roadmap into the cinematic soul of Cillian Murphy.

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