The Marksman starring Liam Neeson has just become the number one title on Netflix following a divisive theatrical run in 2021. Directed by Robert Lorenz, the film didn’t fare well with critics, but audiences were generally far more receptive.
Now, four years later, The Marksman is once again connecting with viewers, as it ranks as the most popular title on Netflix in the U.S., as of writing. The film beats new titles like Frankenstein (2025), In Your Dreams (2025), A Merry Little Ex-Mas (2025), and Being Eddie (2025).
Starring Neeson as a rancher on the Arizona border who must defend a Mexican boy from a ruthless cartel, the film was widely criticized by critics for its formulaic and predictable genre elements. This sentiment translated into a lackluster 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, a decidedly “rotten” score.
The audience-driven Popcornmeter score, however, is much higher at 83%, indicating general viewers weren’t put off by the movie’s familiar action thriller beats. This positive reception didn’t translate into major box office success, as The Marksman grossed $23 million on an estimated budget of the same amount.
The Neeson action thriller, which also stars Jacob Perez, Harry Maldonado, Teresa Ruiz, and Juan Pablo Raba, marks the latest in a long line of action thrillers that came to dominate his career following the smash success of Taken in 2008. The 2021 movie followed films like Cold Pursuit (2019) and Honest Thief (2020), but came before others like The Ice Road (2021), Blacklight (2022), and Memory (2022).
Neeson may have recently confirmed that his action hero days are more or less at an end, but the last two years have seen the release of several more action thrillers like Absolution (2024) and this year’s Ice Road: Vengeance. He also made a splash in the comedy genre recently with the well-received reboot of The Naked Gun (2025).
As for what’s next, it does look like Neeson has some movies coming up that may be similar toThe Marksman in terms of genre. He’s set to star in Hotel Tehran and The Mongoose, both of which are described as action thrillers. He’s also returning to comedy, though, as he will next appear in 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, a comedic mystery.
Though Neeson isn’t totally done with action thrillers just yet, it’s clear that there may not be as many in the pipeline as there were a few years ago. The Marksman may not be the best entry in the genre for the legendary star, but it speaks to Neeson’s enduring appeal as an action hero.
- Release Date
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January 15, 2021
- Runtime
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108 minutes
- Director
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Robert Lorenz
- Writers
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Robert Lorenz, Danny Kravitz, Chris Charles
- Producers
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Tai Duncan, Warren T. Goz, Mark Williams, Eric Gold, Robert Lorenz
