Liam Neeson Teams With an Avenger in This Divisive 55% RT Thriller With a New Streaming Home

In 2017, Liam Neeson admitted to Sky News that retirement from action films might finally be calling his name. “I’m like: ‘Guys, I’m sixty-f—ing-five.’ Audiences are eventually going to go: ‘Come on,’” he joked. That was one year before the release of The Commuter and, nearly 9 years later, Neeson’s comments seem slightly premature. So if you want a look at what Neeson thought might be his final action movie, the good news is that The Commuter is heading to Paramount+ on September 1.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the 2018 thriller marked the duo’s fourth collaboration after Unknown, Non-Stop, and Run All Night. Like those films, The Commuter leans heavily on Neeson’s gruff action star chops but adds a dose of goofy, formulaic fun. Collet-Serra, who cut his teeth on stylish horror projects like House of Wax and Orphan, once again shows his knack for turning B-movie premises into slick, entertaining thrill rides.

The story follows Michael MacCauley (Neeson), a sixty-year-old insurance salesman and ex-cop who’s just been laid off despite years of loyalty. With bills piling up and his son (Dean-Charles Chapman) about to head to college, Michael boards his commuter train home only to meet Joanna (Vera Farmiga), a stranger who offers him $100,000 to identify a passenger carrying something valuable. He dismisses it at first — until he learns she’s deadly serious. If he refuses, not only will his family pay the price, but the lives of everyone on the train hang in the balance.

As always, Collet-Serra surrounds Neeson with a solid supporting cast. Farmiga reunites with the director after Orphan, joined by Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Elizabeth McGovern, and even Sam Neill in a small role. But it’s the presence of a young Florence Pugh — long before her MCU days as Yelena Belova and her upcoming role in Avengers: Doomsday — that makes the film especially intriguing in hindsight.

Was ‘The Commuter’ Any Good?

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Commuter sits at a divisive 55%. Critics were mixed, with some rolling their eyes at its formula and others praising its style and entertainment value. At the box office, it made $119 million worldwide, proving there’s still an appetite for Neeson thrillers even when they’re knowingly ridiculous. Ultimately, The Commuter isn’t high art — but it never tries to be. It’s a goofy, entertaining January thriller elevated by Collet-Serra’s style, Neeson’s gravitas, and the fun of watching an action hero trapped in yet another impossible situation.

The Commuter arrives on Paramount+ on September 1.

The Commuter

Release Date

January 11, 2018

Runtime

104 Minutes

Writers

Philip de Blasi, Byron Willinger, Ryan Engle