In the constantly churning world of action thrillers, where new titles come and go with bullet-speed regularity, it’s easy to lose track of the ones that quietly came and went. Liam Neeson’s Run All Night, released in March 2015, is one such film that, at the time, was overshadowed by flashier releases and burdened by a lukewarm 59% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, there is a chance viewers may have misjudged Run All Night. Directed by Jaume Collet-Sera and starring Neeson alongside Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman, and Vincent D’Onofrio, Run All Night is more than a typical ‘Liam Neeson beats up the villains’ flick. It is a gritty, emotionally-charged thriller about a broken man fighting for redemption and the strained bond between a father and son. While audiences may have expected Taken-style fireworks, what they got was something far more layered. 10 years later, the film deserves a reappraisal, not as a box office has-been, but as a compelling, noir-soaked drama wrapped in a pulse-pounding action package.

‘Run All Night’ Is a Gritty, Character-Driven Departure From the ‘Taken’ Formula

Warner Bros. 

Liam Neeson may have reinvented himself as an action hero in Taken, but Run All Night is proof that he was not content to coast on that image. Instead of the cool, calculated, and nearly superhuman Bryan Mills, Neeson’s Jimmy Conlon is deeply flawed. He is a washed-up hitman haunted by ghosts, addicted to alcohol, and estranged from his only son. He is not unstoppable. Instead, he is damaged and desperate, and that is what makes his character interesting. Critics who looked closer were able to spot the difference. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com called the film “arguably the best work of his action career,” highlighting Neeson’s ability to portray a man whose skills are fraying and whose guilt is overwhelming. According to Tallerico:
“And the actor rises above the potential cliché of the criminal redemption arc in the way he doesn’t allow the potential melodrama to sink into his portrayal. His take on Jimmy is a man doing what needs to be done, not necessarily to right the wrongs of the past but because there’s nothing else he can do at this point.”

Unlike many titles in the genre, Run All Night does not rely on sheer spectacle. Although the action is undoubtedly solid, it is built on a foundation of character. The emotional arc between Jimmy and his son, Mike, is not just a subplot. Instead, it is the heart of the film. Run All Night is a story of redemption, wrapped in a gritty thriller, and is both a slow-burn character study and an adrenaline-fueled ride. If Taken turned Liam Neeson into an action icon, Run All Night quietly reminded viewers that he could still excellently depict a broken man. The film is less about what Neeson does with his fists and more about everything that is breaking inside of him.
‘Run All Night’ Has a Stellar Supporting Cast

Warner Bros.

One of the strongest reasons Run All Night deserves a second look is its ensemble cast. Each actor brings weight and texture to the story, turning what could have been a generic action plot into something far more compelling. Ed Harris delivers a standout performance as Shawn Maguire, a mob boss caught in a moral crossfire. Unlike many cartoonish villains of the genre, Maguire is a complex character. His decades-long friendship with Jimmy Conlon is not mere history, but a ticking time bomb of betrayal, loyalty, and rage, giving the duo a tense, tragic, and believable dynamic.

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Joel Kinnaman, on the other hand, playing Jimmy’s estranged son Mike, injects the film with both emotional depth and a sharp moral contrast to Neeson’s weary antihero. Mike’s disdain for his father becomes a mirror that reflects Jimmy’s failures, and their forced alliance becomes the emotional core of Run All Night, making every chase, shootout, and close call meaningful. These performances, which effortlessly contribute to elevating Liam Neeson’s role in the film, make Run All Night feel less like a by-the-numbers thriller and more like a fully-realized crime drama. The supporting cast does more than support the protagonist. They challenge him, and in doing so, elevate the film’s overall narrative.
‘Run All Night’ Has Excellent Direction and Flair

Warner Bros. 

The direction and mood of Run All Night give the film a unique identity, setting it apart from countless other thrillers. Jaume Collet-Serra, no stranger to the genre, approaches the film with a noir sensibility that is equal parts sleek and grimy. The story unfolds almost entirely over one long, tension-soaked night, and the visual style reflects that urgency. The cinematography paints New York City not as the typical glittering metropolis, but as a bleak, rain-soaked labyrinth of danger and desperation. From shadowy alleyways to dimly lit train yards, the setting becomes a character in its own right. The claustrophobic atmosphere keeps the viewer on edge, while stylized transitions and fluid camera work give the action a propulsive feel.

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The film’s sharp action perfectly supports the setting of Run All Night. Car chases, shootouts, and brutally intense combat scenes are all executed with precision. Each action sequence in the film feels purposeful, veering away from feeling as if they are mere filler scenes for the sake of action. Additionally, the choreography remains tight with relentless pacing, keeping viewers in a constant state of suspense. The dark, moody aesthetic of the film’s visuals only works to heighten Run All Night’s cinematic edge, making it a thriller that knows when to explode and when to simmer. 10 years on, Run All Night holds up better than many of its contemporaries. It may not have dominated the box office or won over every critic, but the film has aged into something that feels more substantial than an average action flick. While the film is rough around the edges, this roughness becomes a part of Run All Night’s appeal. If you passed on it when it was released, now may be the time to reconsider, because there is a chance that we may have been wrong about this 10-year-old film. Run All Night is streaming for free on Tubi.