“Liam Neeson’s Latest Film Draws Mixed Reactions from Critics”

A new Netflix movie starring Liam Neeson — which has been dubbed ‘Irish Avengers’ — has received a mixed response from critics and fans after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners, which follows Neeson as disillusioned hitman Finbar Murphy hiding in a sleepy Irish village, premiered out of competition at the prestigious event on Wednesday.

It also stars Oscar nominees Ciaran Hinds and Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson, Tony and Olivier nominee Sarah Greene, Conor MacNeill, and Seamus O’Hara.

In the first wave of reviews from the festival, critics lambasted the film as a dressed-up version of Ballymena-born Neeson’s usual action fare, but did praise aspects of the drama, including its performances.

The Hollywood Reporter unfavourably compared the film to the Jamie Dornan-led Wild Mountain Thyme, which was savaged by reviewers for its cast’s Irish accents – including Co Down native Dornan’s.

“Overwritten, overripe and likely destined to be streaming fodder,” continues the review, which also revealed that Kerry Condon — who starred in last year’s Oscar nominated Irish melodrama The Banshees of Inisherin — plays an “IRA spitfire with a fondness for the C-word”.

Liam Neeson and Ciaran Hinds in Netflix drama In the Land of Saints and Sinners

Condon’s character Doireann sets the stage in the opening action sequence where she leads an operation to plant a car bomb in Belfast.

“While the film is set in 1974 when The Troubles were still raging, that bitter political conflict is merely background wallpaper for a formulaic faux-Western,” critic David Rooney adds.

“Neeson does his best to bring integrity to the role, exuding a weary nobility while Condon scowls and snarls and probably spends a lot of time thinking wistfully about Martin McDonagh’s dialogue.

“But the script is awash in clichés and the movie lacking in excitement despite plenty of guns and knives and bombs. The best that can be said about In the Land of Saints and Sinners is that it’s at least cast with Irish actors, so the accents are authentic, if the same can’t be said for much else.”

Loud and Clear Reviews calls the drama a “handsome but inauthentic movie” and criticised the Irish-stacked cast for failing to bring some “grounded authentic grit” to the performances.

“Neeson brings a bit of old charm to the role of Finbar, and anchors the action admirably. Condon gets plenty of ripe dialogue to chew on, but Hinds and the rest of the cast are left peddling clichés,” writes Philip Bagnall in his review.

He also compares the film to Dornan’s Thyme but also to sentimental romance PS I Love You due to its on-the-nose Irish-esque accents. “By the time an explosive denouement comes around, most audience members will struggle to go along with what they’re seeing.”

Directed by famed Clint Eastwood producer Robert Lorenz, In the Land marks his second collaboration with Neeson after 2021’s The Marksman, which was not received well by critics.

It’s also written by Terry Loane and Mark Michael McNally, with Loane best known as the scribe behind Belfast fairytale Mickeybo and Me.

​In the Lands of Saints and Sinners will premiere on Netflix, with a release date yet to be announced.