What to stream: Seek ‘Absolution’ with the action films of Liam Neeson

With Liam Neeson’s latest film “Absolution” hitting theaters this weekend, a reunion with his “Cold Pursuit” director Hans Petter Moland, in which he plays a mob enforcer struggling with memory issues (the fallout of his life of violence), it calls to mind the later period of his career in which Neeson has embraced the action-thriller B-movie mantle like a neo-Charles Bronson. Since 2008’s “Taken,” Neeson has made all manner of dramatic action films in which he’s demonstrated his particular set of skills. But not all of these so-called “geezer teasers” are created equal. So here’s a rundown of the best of these later period Neeson joints and where to stream them.

First up, “Taken,” of course, the Pierre Morel film which set Neeson on this course. While there are two sequels to this film about a retired CIA agent who sets out across Europe to rescue his daughter (Maggie Grace), stick with the original for this tour-de-Neeson. Stream it on Max or rent it elsewhere.

Then there’s Neeson’s Jaume Collet-Serra era, which has been waylaid by the Rock of late, with the Spanish filmmaker directing Dwayne Johnson in “Jungle Cruise” and “Black Adam.” But for a time, he was the auteur du Neeson, directing the actor in four high-concept thrillers. Starting with the 2011 mistaken identity film “Unknown” (rent it on iTunes or Amazon) then the transatlantic flight thriller “Non-Stop” (Netflix or rent) in 2014, mob movie “Run All Night” (rent on iTunes or Amazon) in 2015, and finally, “The Commuter” (Netflix or rent) in 2018, which is a twisty little mystery set on a commuter train. Fortunately, JCS will be reuniting with Neeson after “Jungle Cruise 2” with a “Run All Night” sequel, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to the action-thriller genre.

Neeson teamed up with his “Absolution” director Moland for the 2019 revenge thriller “Cold Pursuit,” a remake of the Norwegian director’s own 2014 film “In Order of Disappearance,” about a snowplow driver seeking revenge for his son’s death. This odd little piece strikes a distinctly Coen brothers tone with it’s ironic dark comedic flair. Stream “Cold Pursuit” on Netflix or rent it elsewhere.

Then there’s Liam Neeson and wolves in the 2012 Joe Carnahan survival thriller “The Grey.” Stream it on MGM+, Tubi or Freevee. There’s also Neeson on a ranch as he protects a young boy while living on the U.S.-Mexico border in “The Marksman” (2021), which is available to stream on Tubi or rent.

Finally, Neeson returns home to his native country in this year’s “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” a 1970s-set look at the Troubles in Northern Ireland (Neeson is from Belfast). This film, directed by Robert Lorenz, is set in a small village in Ireland, where Neeson plays an assassin attempting to live a quiet life, whose reverie is interrupted by a group of IRA car bombers who are attempting to hide out in the small town. This is a period B-movie thriller elevated by the performances, including Neeson, and a cast of terrific Irish actors including Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson (of “Game of Thrones”), Colm Meaney and Ciaran Hinds. Rent it on all platforms.