User Reviews

I suppose this worked for me not because it has Liam Neeson dispensing typical Liam Neeson savior duties, but for its '70s Irish backdrop, some fine supporting performances, and a snowball-ish plot. For a change, Neeson looks and feels comfortable on his home turf, and his "good heart" becomes the reason for things spiraling out of control. An attempt to help one of the locals invites trouble, and though this is somewhat of a cliché in actioners featuring older stars, the story progression is quite interesting. Kerry Condon, in an antagonistic role, is having fun and chewing up the scenery (I can't wait to see how good she is in Night Swim). There's also the amusing sidekick character played by Jack Gleeson and the confused cop friend played by a reliable Ciarán Hinds; both commendable. Tom Stern's effort in capturing panoramic Irish imagery is probably the strongest reason, however, to watch the film.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners shows perfectly how you make a solid movie without putting billions into special effects and explosions - just tell an old tale new with the help of a superb cast. Especially the acting shines bright in this little flick and makes the story and the characters believable. No doubt, for someone just wanting lots of bum bum and computer generated gimmicks a la Fast and Furios or Tom Cruise's quests on high octane, this won't work to well, but for someone who wants a well told story, this one will do and provide plenty. Not an excellent one but a good one for sure.

At first glance this movie looks like the typical Liam Neeson action-revenge-flick that we all have gotten used to. But "In The Land of Saints and Sinners" stand out due to great acting by a stellar supporting cast and by fantastic cinematography.

The story takes place in a small irish coastal town during the 70's. Liam Neeson plays an ex war hero now turned hitman, and when trying to turn his old sinful life around he gets in trouble with a bunch of IRA.terrorists in hidehout after a bombing in Dublin.

The movie is filled with great supporting actors such as Ciarán Hinds, Cold Meaney,Jack Gleeson and Kerry Condon. The latter was great in The Banshees of Inisherin, and in this movie she plays a fantastic villain. The overall story and dialogue is OK, but it's the acting together with the beautiful cinematography that carries this movie to an above average Liam Neeson revenge flick.

In the land of Saints and Sinners is one of the better offerings from Liam Neeson which have been released in the last 5 or 6 years.

Set in Ireland at the time of 'The Troubles' it's pretty clear what you're going to get as soon as the film starts. And there won't be any twists and turns. But the film still entertains.

It moves along at a good pace and despite (Liam's character) Finbar being of a very dubious disposition we soon root for him against a gang of evil IRA bombers who have been blowing kids up.

The Irish scenery is beautiful and at times bleak.

The film manages to look and feel like a 70s story and the acting is very good from everyone involved.

This one is well worth a watch.

Entertaining and satisfying.

Great for a rainy night in.

After one generic action movie after another, Liam Neeson stars in a different kind of movie.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the former, this movie was a pleasant surprise for me for two reasons: first, it's a slower paced movie that's more of a drama than an action thriller. Secondly (and most importantly), there is no clear line between good and evil. Most of the characters can be seen as both saints and sinners in their own way.

I also liked the actors (besides Liam Neeson, especially Ciarán Hinds), the score and the landscape shots.

If you like Liam Neeson's earlier action movies but want to see something different with him in the lead role, you should watch this movie!

Once again one of the better Liam Neeson films. The film is entertaining and has a great cast. The simple story, about IRA terrorists who cross paths with Liam Neeson, stands out above all because of the camera. The landscape shots are beautiful. The music is atmospherically good. The film is told in a straight forward manner. No action fireworks, but a quiet and atmospheric thriller. A worthwhile film that is surprisingly different to otherwise tried and tested Liam Neeson films. It's amazing what this little film brings out of its actors in terms of performance. Little jewels in a simple setting.

Liam Neeson seems well suited to the role as a widowed hitman going up against the IRA, probably because its on his home turf and seems more relaxed around others from the same county?

He plays well off Ciaran Hinds as the local Garda and their friendship is funny and touching.

Kerry Condon is excellent as the villian; believable and refreshing to see a female as the baddie.

I liked the scenery (obviously!) and the soundtrack is solid.

We did struggle a lot with the dialogue , the accents here are very thick so we found it difficult to follow events.

The sweet, good natured Irish villagers and their simple life seemed trite and stereotypical but it's an watchable, well acted would be 'Western'

The movie mostly shines in capturing the essence of a 70s Ireland by showcasing some vintage cars and presenting beautiful visuals of the Irish countryside. It introduces compelling thematic elements that spark interest but frustratingly remain unexplored throughout the narrative.

Despite its unique and independent storyline, the film's delivery falls short. The story feels a bit shallow and the motives behind the antagonists actions at times seem unclear.

Condon as the villain is the standout performance of the film, and the involvement of Jack Gleeson is intriguing, but largely due to his nearly unrecognizable appearance due to his mustache. The film has a tremendous cast but it doesn't really seem to know what to do with them.

The thick Irish accents occasionally pose a challenge in understanding the dialogue, but it's a refreshing change to witness Neeson embracing his natural accent.

Nonetheless, Liam Neeson, at 71, continues to impress, adding another film to his impressive roster of action movies. Though this one feels much smaller than the rest, it goes without saying that he's showing no signs of slowing down.

Liam Neeson has been pumping out so many slightly generic action/revenge thrillers with the regularity of an alarm clock since Taken took off in 2008 that sometimes it's refreshing to see him do... an actual movie lol. In The Land Of Saints & Sinners is admittedly an action/revenge thriller by definition but it's a damn sight more thoughtful and artistic than most he's done lately and reminds us just what a powerful presence he can be with the right material. Here he's Finbar, a hitman in 1970's Northern Ireland who works for a local kingpin (Colm Meaney) whose outfit solely targets bad people. Finbar has vowed to give up killing, until he can't help himself knocking off the relative of a friend of his whose daughter the guy has been molesting. One less scumbag in the world, the only problem being that this particular scumbag is heavily connected to IRA factions that have been skulking in the area and soon his fiery sister (Kerry Condon) comes looking for those responsible with guns blazing. This is a wickedly suspenseful, character driven piece with vicious bursts of violence and terrific passages of philosophical dialogue in between. Neeson hasn't been this good in a while, he isn't simply on tough guy autopilot, he's actually playing *somebody.* Condon is terrifying as the fierce villainess, a monster who lost sight of her cause long ago and despite twisting morality to suit her own bitter agenda, isn't without a humanity herself that emanates through in her performance. Jack Gleeson proves that he's got more that Joffrey Lannister's sickening impudence in his acting stable and provides solid character work as a younger hitman with an unfortunate past who both admires and resents Finbar, while the usually striking Ciaran Hinds is oddly and sadly underused as the ineffective local policeman. This is a fine thriller with a rock solid, emotionally charged Neeson performance, intense antagonist work from Condon and gorgeous Irish scenery, one of the strongest films so far this year.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

In the early 1970's, a rebel IRA faction, headed by Doiraenn McCann (Kerry Condon) plant a carbomb in a side street. Meanwhile, Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) is a former World War II veteran and mercenary, carrying out assignments for contractor Robert McQue (Colm Meaney.) Burnt out and cynical, he finds a personal reason to care when he sees a young girl being controlled by Curtis Jane (Desmond Eastwood), which sets in motion a shattering chain of events, involving a collision with Doiraenn and her clan.

No matter how much time passes, the western remains one of the most enduring genres, always finding new life in different variations in different styles of films, even to the point of being used in films set in the present times. Director Robert Lorenz is the latest example of this, following in the footsteps of films like 2016's Hell or High Water, with this slow burner. If you don't know it's been framed as a 'modern western', it won't immediately dawn on you, making the experience all the more of a meandering one.

Set against the backdrop of some pretty turbulent events in Ireland's history, it gives it some pretty heavy baggage to contend with, against the motivation of making some kind of modern day Clint Eastwood film. But in terms of lead star Neeson, it just feels like another notch on the post of his later life action hero trajectory, which he infuses with his usual gruff, mumbling style, to much the same effect as ever. He's propped up by a support cast, including veteran's such as Meany, and Condon, who is effectively icy and hard faced as the dogged central protagonist.

For die hard fans of the western genre who still exist in this day and age, the slower, more meandering pace and atomised plot might be more acceptable. It may even do this for those with a passing interest, and the result is something at least marginally successful. ***

Apart from the producers 'cramming in' an African musician playing Irish music in 1970's rural Ireland (why do they feel a need to do that?) it was a fairly entertaining film.

Liam Neeson is back in familiar territory with a moody good guy/bad guy persona but I thought the story line was a bit weak. The Irish countryside was the star of the show- magnificent sweeping vistas of the beautiful Donegal coastline. I'm somewhat surprised they found so many sunny days to shoot the film!

The film has snippets of humour and some quite dark parts but it dealt with the violence of the period pretty well.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners is an Irish Western that prioritises its characters over any action which makes it one of the better Liam Neeson vehicles of recent memory. It covers familiar ground in an effectively old fashioned way, operating as a slow burn and all the better for it.

Liam Neeson is on top form here. He's consistently engaging even if nothing is happening and with this focusing on the character work, he gets to show off more of his dramatic chops. Jack Gleeson has a roguish charm and Kerry Condon is a pretty ruthless villain despite the odd bit of sympathy.

Robert Lorenz's direction is thoroughly old school, all the way down to playing the credits over a final extended scene. It's workmanlike in its construction with some gorgeous scenery. Diego Baldenweg's score has a mournful quality that's an ideal fit for a film that's obsessed with the emotional toll of the violence opposed to the thrill of it.

Set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland in 1974, Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) is an aging widowed hitman who seeks to leave his work behind. During one of his walks through the village, Finbar comes across Moya (Michelle Gleeson), the daughter of village bartender Sinead (Sarah Greene) and sees several bruises upon her. Walking her home Finbar soon learns Curtis June (Desmond Eastwood), a man claiming to be her uncle, is the one abusing her and takes matters into his own hands and kills him. Curtis' sister Doireann McCann (Kerry Condon), the head of an IRA cell in hiding after a bombing goes wrong, sets about finding her brother putting Finbar on a violent collision course.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners is the latest action thriller starring Liam Neeson and features the actor once again in a mid-budget gritty affair as an aging man of violence. Neeson was apparently quite taken with the script as well as the opportunity to work with longtime friend Ciaran Hinds and sees him return to work with Robert Lorenz of The Marksman. While the movie doesn't stray too far from the established Neeson mold, its setting and neo-western framing help to make it a cut above the crop of the recent variety of this kind of movie.

As with The Marksman, Robert Lorenz stages the film like a classic western albeit transferred to the lush green of Ireland's Northern Coast. While Neeson is once again playing a man with a heavy violent past, the movie feels like it's channeling something like Shane to a degree in trying to escape ones past. The best scenes of the movie are in the opening 40 minutes with Neeson interacting with various people in the village with Sarah Green, Ciaran Hinds, Nimah Cusack, and especially Michelle Gleeson giving good performances and there's a sense of melancholy in these scenes where he's getting to know his community free of the burden of his profession. Once we get more into the revenge angle it becomes somewhat more conventional but the IRA cell lead by Kerry Condon's Doireann are well acted and some engaging antagonists for Finbar to face off against. I do however feel the movie is uncertain as to whether its playing as more of a character piece or a more disposable case of revenge wish fulfillment down to an ending that I feel undermines parts of the movie. In terms of movies that are set during this time period it treats it pretty shallow and surface level in comparison to more dramatic works like Belfast or even something that was more aligned with thrillers like the underrated '71.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners has more dramatic weight than it really needed for this kind of movie and while it starts with a lot of promise it opts to go more conventional as it goes along and culminating in an ending that I personally don't feel fits with the earlier thematic framing. I do however mildly recommend the movie as a decent neo-western with a novel setting and a good performance by Neeson.

An engaging, and thankfully not too long Crime film. Starring a back to form Neeson, some trusty old favourites, and a handful of excellent new faces, plus of course some beautifully wild Irish scenery, shot to perfection. The production did a great job of reproducing the 1974 era, fashion, decor, cars and music.

The plot moved along at a steady pace, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. A bit more action would not have been out of place, it is a liam Neeson film after all. Dialogue was believable and fitting to the characters, which were all convincingly portrayed. Though the thick Irish accents were at times difficult to follow, for this viewer anyway, but nothing important was missed.

An enjoyable 1 hour 30 plus, and a solid 7/10. But I was left with the feeling that some judicial rewriting, more intense directing, and a bit more soul, could have made this a 9, and a possible action/drama classic?

At last, another Liam Neeson film that hasn't been exclusively slated, so I'll take a look. Not the standard setting of recent years, the avenger in the here and now, but only relocated to the past. The historical background is one of the hard-to-digest kinds, but without really playing a significant role. Liam plays a good man whose angelic deed is the slaughter of people for money. Or was. Now the thumb of his moral thumb also decides life and death for free. Speaking of acting, the good Liam, and I really hate to say this, does this most moderately in the really high-quality cast. He is and remains a lumbering giant, now aggravated by his age. The pace is realistic, i.e. Age-appropriate. Viewed differently, however, it is also that of a western, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The really great pictures fit in with this, Ireland how beautiful you are, it doesn't always have to be the South Seas or some metropolis. The suspense builds up step by step, just like in a western, and ends in a furious finale. Slow, yes, but not boring. And the last half hour is just right, except for the CGI explosion. That was a lot of cynicism to begin with, but that doesn't mean I regretted seeing it. Nevertheless, it was probably the only one I've ever seen.

I have to admit that I had not heard about this 2023 action crime thriller titled "In the Land of Saints and Sinners" from director Robert Lorenz. But seeing that it was a movie that had Liam Neeson on the cast list, of course I found the time to sit down and watch the movie.

The narrative in "In the Land of Saints and Sinners" is interesting and good, well at least I found it to be that. If you sit down to watch this movie with the expectations of it being an archetypical Liam Neeson movie of recent years, then you'll be sorely disappointed. Writers Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane put together a compelling and interesting storyline that was driven forward by a well-written storyline with interesting characters and interesting events, and not being non-stop action from beginning to end.

It was refreshing to actually see a Liam Neeson movie that deviated from the many years running formula of action crime thrillers that he has been starring in. Not that I am complaining about his past many movies, not at all, because I do have enjoyed them. But what I am saying is that it was nice to see him take on a new type of crime thriller where he wasn't a one-man-army going up against insurmountable odds and coming out winning.

Aside from Liam Neeson, "In the Land of Saints and Sinners" has a few other familiar faces on the cast list; that being Ciarán Hinds, Jack Gleeson and Colm Meaney. However, it should be noted that the cast ensemble in the movie was good, and all the actors and actresses put on good performances throughout the course of the movie. And, of course, Liam Neeson carried the movie quite nicely, as if there would be any doubt of that.

"In the Land of Saints and Sinners" is definitely a movie that is well-worth spending 106 minutes on watching. And I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the entire movie. It is a movie that I warmly recommend.

My rating of "In the Land of Saints and Sinners" lands on a six out of ten stars.

The movie captivated me from the beginning with its enchanting soundtrack and stunning graphics. The actors' performances felt so authentic, drawing me into the story effortlessly. Despite its brevity, I found myself thoroughly enjoying every moment of the film. The inclusion of beautiful classic cars added an extra layer of charm to the overall aesthetic. Additionally, the portrayal of different climates and weather in the movie added a visually striking element to the storytelling. I couldn't help but wonder if the filmmaker behind this masterpiece would one day be recognized with an Oscar for their exceptional work.

I did find it watchable and Neeson adds to it with his screen presence. Personally, I found the lead female actress very weak and unconvincing. Some lovely scenery! I would say it is a decent film to watch on a rainy night, but it is not one you will remember for very long as apart from Neeson, the acting is very weak and soft. I suppose Neeson has become Ireland's Jason Statham, where you know you will get some decent action and that Neeson saves the world.

This film is a bit too Hollywood in that it doesn't get into any real detail about the reality of the civil war, it skirts around it so it can make the very usual hero v bad guy plot.

After their Belfast bombing goes awry in terrific 1974-based Irish dramatic thriller "In The Land of Saints And Sinners", IRA militant Kerry Condon (excellent again) & crew hide out in the small Donegal hometown of Ciarán Hinds (a quiet cop) and his pal Liam Neeson (a low lying hired killer (with Jack Gleeson (outstanding)) under Colm Meaney). As paths cross, friction flares, violence kicks in, all leading to quite the explosive show-down. While director Robert Lorenz doesn't QUITE do justice to his superb cast (the film's not as dark & weighty as it maybe coulda been), writers Mark Michael McNally & Terry Loane certainly still make it engaging. Eminently watchable fare.

A retired assassin gets drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists...

Director Robert lorenz does adapts a usual formulaic predictable screenplay that doesnt test ur patience but effortlessly promises a better Neeson film...

The stunning visuals of the plains of ireland easily tunes the mood of the flick that travels at a study pace,While Neeson methodical acting gives a novelistic flavour that won't allow ur eyes to take of in his personality....

Also the star cast gives the best performance to elevates the movie thats too simple in narratives...

"But a saint gotta be a sinner first"

"Indulgences draws the weak to an early grave"

Are very few but impactful dialogues that adds value to the flick...

Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) is a retired hitman, looking forward to a peaceful life in a village with minimum friends. Set in 1974, in the middle of attacks from a group calling themselves as freedom fighters, 3 of them are on the run after a bombing leads to their faces being recognized. They are hiding at the same village Finbar is in. As expected, things force Finbar to clash with them and eventually they all go on a duel to sort things out. What happens to them and ofcoure with Finbar is for the audience to check out in the film.

Once again, Liam Neeson gets a rehashed story set in the 1970s where a little kid is the center of the conflict, prompting Liam to take matters into his own hands leading to the baddies to seeks revenge. This done to death story offers nothing new expect rely on Liam Neeson's shoulder to carry the film and he does keep the film barely engaging. With nothing more happening thanks to the generic villain and not much contribution from the 1974 Irish setting as well, it ends up as a one time watch for Liam Neeson fans only.

While this had potential and kept the interest still it could have been a lot better.

Like first half of the movie was kinda boring and nothing much happened until sometime after like 30-40 minutes things became better and the movie got more intresting.

Neeson as always plays a role to keep u intrested but the movie should be done differently and could be a lot better if they had give us more and not just what they did with that red haired criminal dude and his crazed sister.

Maybe if neeson had a love interest in the movie it could help things.

Anyhow u could check this out but it's not one of neesons' best efforts.

Grade // C +