Since being recognized as a major star after leading Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece Schindler’s List, Liam Neeson has seen his career take a sharp turn over the last two decades. The 74-year-old Oscar-nominated actor displayed his action chops first in the 2008 global hit Taken, a popular film that has already acquired cult status.

16 years later, and with a vast run through action, Neeson delivered a captivating performance in a film that mostly flew under the radar. Featuring some sequences and tropes that will remind viewers of Taken, this 2024 action thriller is still resonating with audiences on streaming, and has become Netflix‘s newest hit. Somehow, villains still haven’t learned they shouldn’t mess with weary, retired Liam Neeson.

Never Let Neeson Catch You During One of His Vendettas

In the Land of Saints and Sinners follows Neeson’s Finbar Murphy living in the small Irish town of Glencolmcille, as he tries to leave behind his past as a contract killer. Local crime lord Robert McQue (Colm Meaney) recruits him to do some dirty work, but Murphy’s had enough of his violent past. He bonds with local teen Kevin Lynch (Jack Gleeson) and even tries to convince him to stay out of trouble.

Murphy also discovers that a young girl has been abused by a former member of the IRA, as the group has been keeping a low profile in Murphy’s small town. When Murphy tries to get the authorities to deliver justice, nothing happens, leaving him and Kevin to take justice into his own hands, and triggering the reaction of the local IRA boss, Doireann McCann (Kerry Condon). McCann will stop at nothing until she also serves justice to whoever hurts her crew.

The Action Crime Thriller Finds the Redemption It Deserves on Netflix

Directed by Robert Lorenz, best known for collaborating with Neeson previously for The Marksman, In the Land of Saints and Sinners received a limited theatrical release without the support of a major studio. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the film was released directly to streaming. It only grossed a little over $3 million at the box office, and was quickly deemed a flop for Liam Neeson.

Nevertheless, the critical reception was good, with many saying it’s one of the best films starring Neeson in recent years. In the Land of Saints and Sinners currently holds an 83% critics’ score and a 74% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s officially the actor’s highest-rated action thriller. What stands out about the movie is that it runs on a bleaker-than-usual tone, and provides a background story that feels more authentic than most action movies starring Neeson. It’s not exactly realistic, but the dynamics of Glencolmcille are convincing enough to make us feel like Neeson is fighting a battle that’s more grounded than his usual action-packed adventures.

Viewers agree, as the film sits among Netflix’s most watched titles at the moment. The 2024 film sits at No. 2 on the streamer’s U.S. charts. The recent release The Last House quickly claimed the first spot on the list, but Neeson’s underrated revenge film ranks above huge titles such as Minions, Black Adam, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, among others.