Fans of Liam Neeson’s critically acclaimed Taken won’t want to miss Russell Crowe’s take on a similar theme, The Next Three Days, which was released just two years later. Directed by Million Dollar Baby‘s Paul Haggis, this action thriller is a remake of a French film from 2008, Pour Elle. Despite being largely overlooked, Crowe’s approach to the Taken concept offers an incredibly thrilling journey with a truly memorable ending for The Next Three Days. With Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks in the lead roles, The Next Three Days is driven by its intriguing premise and pivotal twists and turns.
Throughout his decades-long career, Crowe has portrayed numerous characters, some of whom have become among the most iconic and recognizable in cinematic history. His Academy Award-winning portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Ridley Scott’s original Gladiator is the most prominent example. That being said, for every iconic role in Crowe’s career, there’s an equally underappreciated performance, and The Next Three Days perfectly fits that description. The feature performed adequately at the box office, but it has since been overshadowed by other roles. While perhaps not a career-defining role for Russell Crowe, The Next Three Days remains a must-see for any movie enthusiast.
Russell Crowe’s The Next Three Days Is A Gripping Action Thriller Taken Fans Will Love
The Next Three Days Is Superb At Building Suspense
The Next Three Days centers around John and Lara Brennan (Crowe and Banks) whose world is upended when Lara is accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The film follows the perspective of John, and his desperate attempts to free Lara from incarceration for the sake of their son, and to prove her innocence. John creates an elaborate scheme to free Lara from prison, which is risky and often places him in dangerous situations. However, lingering doubts about her innocence persist as more evidence comes to light and plans unfold. As The Next Three Days progresses, it becomes a truly gripping film.
If you’re a fan of Liam Neeson’s Taken series, The Next Three Days is certainly a film to seek out. At their core, both are intensely suspenseful action thrillers where the stakes are incredibly high. Much of Taken‘s story revolves around a time-sensitive mission to find Bryan’s daughter, and The Next Three Days follows a very similar sequence that sees John with a very limited time window to break his wife out of prison. Driven by love, both characters are willing to disregard the repercussions and do whatever is necessary. Like Taken, the intrigue of The Next Three Days heightens with each new development.
Russell Crowe Demonstrates His Impressive Range In Darker Roles
Crowe Thrives In Dark & Gritty Settings
The Next Three Days is proof of Crowe’s exceptional talent in darker roles. The quality of Crowe’s acting stems from his ability to give his characters considerable depth and impact, and John Brennan is the embodiment of this. By delving into the psychological and physical presence of The Next Three Days‘ complex, often morally ambiguous, main character, Crowe delivers what many consider one of his most overlooked performances. John is multidimensional, often revealing his vulnerabilities and internal conflicts that drive his darker actions — meaning the audience can sympathize with him and his predicament, even when he makes questionable choices.
Naturally, Crowe has tackled many dark characters throughout his career. His first feature role in Romper Stomper was perhaps Crowe’s most villainous role, where he portrays a horrifying neo-Nazi who aims to “clean up” his neighborhood by instilling violence and fear. More recently, Crowe saw immense success in the critically panned Unhinged, although reviews often highlighted Crowe’s chilling performance as the strongest element of the film. Russell Crowe consistently excels in such roles. While his character in The Next Three Days isn’t as morally compromised as some of his other portrayals, it’s great to see him deliver such a nuanced and equally superb performance.
