by While known primarily for intense, brooding roles in films like 28 Days Later, Batman Begins, and Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy has shown he has comedic chops as well. One of his most purely funny performances comes as the character Chris in the 2016 dark comedy Free Fire. Let’s take a closer look at why Murphy’s portrayal of Chris may be his funniest role to date.
The Plot
Free Fire takes place in 1978 and centers around an arms deal gone wrong between two gangs meeting in an abandoned warehouse. Present are Irishman Chris, South African Justine, and Americans Vernon and Frank, among others. When shots are accidentally fired, an intense firefight erupts between the two sides. Trapped together in the warehouse with dwindling ammunition, the groups resort to increasingly desperate and absurd tactics to survive as the body count rises.
It’s a high-concept premise that lends itself well to black comedy. Director Ben Wheatley keeps the tone light even as the violence escalates. Murphy’s character Chris finds himself in increasingly ridiculous and slapstick situations that play perfectly to the actor’s comedic strengths.
Dry Wit
One of Murphy’s signature acting styles is his intense yet understated delivery. He can convey volumes with just a look or subtle inflection in his voice. This stoicism serves him well in dramatic roles but is used to great comedic effect in Free Fire.
While others scream and panic during the firefight, Chris remains remarkably calm. He responds to the escalating chaos with dry, deadpan one-liners that provide much of the film’s humor. After the initial shots are fired, Chris coolly remarks “Well, this is a balls up, innit?” As the casualties pile up around him, he quips “I think we’ve had an accident here, lads” in a perfectly delivered deadpan.
Murphy imbues even the most absurd situations with realism through Chris’ unwavering dry wit. It creates an absurd juxtaposition that keeps the audience laughing throughout intense scenes. His comedic timing and ability to underplay a line is on full display.
Physical Comedy
Where Murphy’s roles often require intense physicality, Free Fire allows him to embrace more overt physical comedy. Chris finds himself tossed around, punched, kicked, and generally battered as the firefight rages on. And Murphy commits fully to each pratfall and punch with gusto.
In one memorable scene, Chris punches a concrete wall in frustration only to badly injure his hand. The pain and confusion on Murphy’s face as he examines his mangled fingers is hilarious. As he tries to continue reloading with his injured hand, it’s clear Murphy is relishing the opportunity to play the physical comedy straight while still grounded in character.
Later, Chris gets pinned under a table during an explosion and thrashes about desperately trying to get free. Murphy throws his body around frantically in a truly slapstick manner yet still feels fully real in the context of the scene. It’s a side of his talents rarely seen but he commits to every pratfall and blow with perfect comedic timing and physicality.
Irish Brogue
Adding an extra layer of humor, Murphy fully commits to a thick Irish brogue for Chris. It’s a notable change from his usual voice and accent. The brogue immediately makes Chris feel more working class and rough around the edges compared to the other characters.
But Murphy also uses it effectively for comedic effect. There’s an inherent charm and humor in Chris’ phrasing and inflections when speaking in the accent. Even in the most dire moments, Murphy finds ways to mine humor from Chris’ vernacular.
After a particularly nasty blow to the head, Chris says dazedly “I’m not feelin’ too grand, I must say.” The delivery in his thick Irish accent elevates a simple line into comedy gold. It’s a subtle yet effective use of accent that enhances Murphy’s comedic abilities in the role.
Dark Humor
It’s important to note that while Free Fire provides Murphy an opportunity to showcase his comedic talents, the film itself is still a very dark comedy. There is strong language, graphic violence, and morally questionable characters throughout. It won’t appeal to all audiences looking for a lighthearted romp.
The humor arises from absurdly tragic or dangerous situations, rather than straightforward jokes or slapstick. Murphy helps ground the comedy and keeps Chris feeling like a real person even in the most ridiculous scenarios. But it remains a very black, adult comedy throughout.
If purely lighthearted laughs are preferred, Murphy’s filmography may not be the best place to look overall. But for fans wanting to see him flex genuinely funny muscles in a challenging role, Chris in Free Fire delivers in spades.
Alternative Comedies
While Chris stands out as perhaps Murphy’s single funniest role to date, there are a few other performances that show off his underrated comedic talents to a degree:
In Disco Pigs (2001), Murphy plays Kitten, who has a volatile yet codependent relationship with best friend Runt, played by Sinead O’Connor. Their childish banter and dynamic provides some darkly humorous moments throughout the drama.
In The Lobster (2015), Murphy takes on a smaller supporting role but still manages to mine laughs from his deadpan delivery of absurd dialogue in Yorgos Lanthimos’ surreal romantic comedy/drama.
On the television side, Murphy showed a gift for timing and delivery of witty lines as Tommy Shelby in the black comedy crime drama Peaky Blinders. Though a dramatic role, he often steals scenes with his dry sense of humor.
While rarely the lead in outright comedies, these performances demonstrate Murphy has an understated gift for balancing humor with drama. But his fully unleashed comedic abilities are best enjoyed in the unabashedly absurd firefight of Free Fire.
In Conclusion
Cillian Murphy has firmly cemented himself as one of cinema’s most talented dramatic actors with his extensive filmography of intense roles. But Free Fire proved he is also more than capable of shouldering a purely comedic performance with perfect comedic timing, physicality, and willingness to look foolish.
As Chris, Murphy finds humor in even the darkest of situations through his character’s unwavering dry wit and thick Irish brogue. He fully commits to every pratfall and punch with gusto. It remains one of the few times audiences get to see Murphy cut loose and embrace his comedic side on screen.
For fans wanting to witness this side of Murphy’s talents, his portrayal of the beleaguered yet hilarious Chris in the absurdist firefight of Free Fire is undoubtedly one of his funniest performances to date. It highlights an underrated comedic flair that enhances even his most serious of roles.
