18 Years Ago, Cillian Murphy Starred in One of the Most Brilliant Sci-Fi Dystopia Ever
This time around, Murphy was saving the world from a dying Sun. And it is just as entertaining as it sounds.
Every time I find an actor who I highly admire, I make it my duty to watch every single project in their filmography. Cillian Murphy has long been at the top of my favorite performers with his uncanny ability to disappear into any character he portrays.
That's why when I came around this sci-fi gem, I was surprised I hadn't seen it earlier.
The fact that I missed it was double embarrassing because it combines two of my favorite genres: sci-fi and horror. But I think I'm not the only one who's been sleeping on the movie as it is considered highly overlooked. As Redditor Bandeh-Ali wrote:
“[In my opinion] not just one of the most underrated films, but one of the best sci-fi films ever made.”
Sunshine (2007): A Race Against Time to Save Our Sun
Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland who brought us 28 Days Later ( 2002), Sunshine takes us on a mission to save humanity from a dying Sun. The film follows the crew of a spacecraft carrying a massive bomb with one mission: to reignite our Sun.
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Murphy plays Robert Capa, a physicist responsible for the nuclear device that could either save or doom humanity. The cast also includes Chris Evans, Rose Byrne and Michelle Yeoh, each doing the impossible and bringing true team spirit to the screen.
The Cast Had a Serious Preparation Before Shooting Sunshine
In a GQ segment where actors break down their iconic roles, Chris Evans talked about his experience preparing for the role. He said:
"The approach was very rehearsal based. In my short career at that point I certainly had never had a film that had that much prep time. The whole cast got out there a couple weeks before. Danny had us all live together in these little apartments for a couple of weeks. Experience loss of space."
But that's not even half of what the cast had to go through prior to filming the movie. And I honestly believe that's why it turned out to be so great. Evans also added:
"We did scuba lessons to experience weightlessness. He would rent out theaters to watch Das Boot (1981). All the right stuff. Just all these movies to put us in the right mindset."
And in order to prepare for filming, Cillian Murphy spent some time with scientific advisor Dr Brian Cox (who looks kind of similar to Murphy). In an interview to Ian Winterton, Murphy reminisced:
“He’s not your quintessential physicist by any stretch of the imagination. But he’s so bright and so approachable. I hung out with him for some time and pestered him with idiotic questions about life, the Universe and everything.”
Where to Watch Sunshine
Sunshine has the most impressive things I appreciate about the sci-fi genre. And that is a blend of real people's emotions with impressive scientific elements. Additionally, the visual effects, despite being almost two decades old now, hold up surprisingly well and are very immersive.
If you're like me and somehow missed this gem when it first came out, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. You can catch Sunshine on Fandango at Home, Amazon Video or Apple TV+.
