Rough, intense, brutal – “Run All Night” is one of the heartiest thrillers in which Liam Neeson has pulled out the gun and eliminated his opponents in the last two decades. Tonight you can see the work on free TV.
With “96 Hours – Taken”, Liam Neeson, who had previously specialized in dramas and historical material, became a tough action hero at an advanced age. The film was a huge hit, which is why the tall Northern Irishman has made many more thrillers in this direction since then, almost creating his own sub-genre with himself as a one-man army. “Run All Night”, which was released in cinemas in 2015, is not only one of the hardest, but also one of the all-round best films from this series. Thanks to the relatively late broadcast date, you can watch the uncut version of the film on TV in the evening.
“Run All Night” airs today, September 29, 2024 at 10 p.m. on RTL Two. There is a repeat that same night at 3:55 a.m. Alternatively, the film is also available on DVD and Blu-ray:
In addition to leading actor Neeson, there are Hollywood veteran Ed Harris (“Apollo 13”), Joel Kinnaman (“The Suicide Squad”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Marvel series star Vincent D’Onofrio (“Daredevil”), Genesis Rodriguez ( “The Umbrella Academy”) and Bruce McGill from “Collateral” in important roles. In the form of a short appearance not mentioned in the credits, “Only 48 Hours” star Nick Nolte also appears as the brother of Neeson’s character.
That’s what “Run All Night” is about
Jimmy Conlon (Neeson) was once New York City’s most feared professional killer. He is now only a shadow of his former self, marked by alcohol and bad decisions. He has not yet been eliminated simply because of his once close friendship with mafia godfather Shawn Maguire (Harris) – although contact between them has long been lost.
A fateful incident brings the two men together again one evening. When Maguire’s offspring Danny (Holbrook) tries to kill Conlon’s son Mike (Kinnaman), Jimmy shoots Danny in self-defense. So he turns his old friend Maguire into a mortal enemy in an instant. The confrontation quickly takes an even bloodier turn and of course does not go unnoticed by the local police – especially not the stubborn Detective Harding (D’Onofrio).
No frills, no compromises
“Run All Night” was Liam Neeson’s third collaboration with Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra, following “Unknown Identity” and “Non-Stop”. “The Commuter” followed three years later. Collet-Serra knows exactly how to portray his star most effectively – not as an unbeatable superman, but as a guy who is human, vulnerable and with weaknesses. It is of course clear that the character played by Neeson still has a lot up his sleeve when things get serious in “Run All Night”. Nevertheless, she still seems authentic.
In the FILMSTARTS review, individual passages from “Run All Night” are even compared to Michael Mann’s “Heat”. Of course, in its entirety, what is offered here does not come close to such a monumental masterpiece. You can always have an entertaining evening in front of the screen with the refreshingly straightforward and uncompromising action thriller. By the way, Common’s part (“John Wick 2”) is a very positive surprise. The Chicago native, who has become world famous as a rapper, almost threatens to steal the show from his opponent Liam Neeson with his brilliant performance as a completely emotionless killer. Almost of course…
Finally, we have an interview for you that our editor-in-chief Christoph Petersen conducted about the theatrical release of “Run All Night” with Liam Neeson, Ed Harris and their director Jaume Collet-Serra. Have fun with it. And with the film too, of course.
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