Film

The Commuter

Name: The Commuter
Genre: Action, Thriller, Mystery
Released: 2018
Cast: Liam Neeson, Patrick Wilson, Sam Neill, Jonathan Banks, Vera Farmiga

A businessman's routine commute becomes a nightmare when he's roped into a criminal plot with escalating stakes. It's a contained thriller that trades character depth for pure momentum—think Liam Neeson against the clock on a train, solving a puzzle while ordinary people become leverage. Perfect if you want propulsive entertainment without overthinking.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like tight, high-concept thrillers where an ordinary man is pulled into a puzzle on a moving train and has to think his way out, and you enjoy a lean hook more than a sprawling mythology.

Skip it if you want psychological depth or sharp characterisation, since the people around the hero are mostly functional and the plot's logic asks you to accept a fair amount of convenient coincidence.

What it asks of you: It runs a brisk hundred minutes and keeps moving, so you will need to go along with its tidy, escalating set-pieces and let the mystery unfold without stopping to interrogate every detail.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Taken2008

Liam Neeson's signature role: a man with a particular set of skills racing against time to save his daughter. It established the template for 'ordinary person forced into extraordinary action' that The Commuter follows faithfully.

But The action is blunt and repetitive, with thin character work and a streak of uncomfortable geopolitical politics that hasn't aged well.

Non-Stop2014

Neeson trapped on an airplane solving a mystery in real time. Same director, same actor, same DNA as The Commuter—confined space, constant pressure, a ticking clock, and a conspiracy that keeps peeling back layers.

But It's frankly a bit ridiculous, and the final twist deflates much of what came before. If you need plausibility, this isn't it.

The Fugitive1993

A wrongly accused man hunted across America, with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones locked in cat-and-mouse brilliance. Taut, intelligent, and genuinely gripping—this is how you do high-stakes chase cinema.

But It's longer and slower than The Commuter, asking you to care about character rather than just survive the momentum. That's a strength, but it's different.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Commuter

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Strangers on a Train1951

Both trap ordinary men in scenarios they can't escape, forced to reckon with strangers and impossible choices, all on or because of trains.

Hitchcock's masterpiece about two strangers who meet on a train and agree to murder each other's nemeses. It's the ancestor of every 'ordinary person drawn into a dark bargain' thriller—the DNA runs directly to The Commuter.

But It's in black and white, from 1951, and moves at a different pace entirely. The emotional stakes matter more than the action.

Cellular2004

A stranger calls a random man on his cell phone, claiming she's being held captive. What follows is a real-time thriller across Los Angeles. It's silly and entertaining in exactly the way The Commuter is.

But The premise is absurd and the logic doesn't hold up. It's fun junk food, not a film that rewards close watching.

The 15:17 to Paris2018

Another train thriller (released the same year), this one about American soldiers stopping a terrorist attack. Clint Eastwood directs with his usual economy and tension.

But It casts the actual heroes in the lead roles, and they're not actors—the dialogue and character scenes are wooden as a result. The action, when it comes, is brief.

Collateral2004

Tom Cruise as a hitman, Jamie Foxx as a taxi driver, one night in Los Angeles spiralling into danger. Michael Mann's direction is meticulous; the cat-and-mouse is smart and tense.

But It's a slow burn for the first hour and the digital cinematography looks dated now. Some patience required.

The Grey2011

Liam Neeson stranded after a plane crash, leading oil workers against an alpha wolf pack. It's survival horror with genuine brutality and philosophical weight beneath the action.

But It takes itself very seriously and the pacing is deliberate. Expect death, cold, and existential dread more than adrenaline.

Unhinged2020

Russell Crowe as a man who snaps and pursues a woman after a road-rage incident. It's efficiently made, tense, and doesn't overstay its welcome. Pure cause-and-effect thriller.

But It's nasty in a way that doesn't lead anywhere meaningful, and the protagonist's motivelessness can feel pointless rather than frightening.

The Next Three Days2010

Russell Crowe plans an escape for his wrongly imprisoned wife. It's methodical, intelligent, and builds real stakes through careful planning rather than superpowers.

But It's long, cerebral, and front-loaded with exposition. The second half doesn't quite justify the setup.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 32009

Both are real-time thrillers on public transport where the protagonist must solve a problem while ordinary civilians become pawns and leverage in a larger game.

A subway train is hijacked by mercenaries; Denzel Washington as a dispatcher must negotiate the crisis in real time. It's a masterclass in confined-space tension and verbal sparring—no big action set pieces, just intelligence and pressure.

But It's dialogue-heavy and the climax divides into plot mechanics rather than catharsis. The tank-like pacing can feel stalled.

Breakdown1997

An ordinary man systematically drawn deeper into a criminal conspiracy while everyone around him becomes expendable; both films are about losing control and how far desperation will push you.

Kurt Russell's wife vanishes in the Nevada desert; he becomes convinced a trucking company is involved and pursues them across the wasteland. It's relentlessly tense, directed by Jonathan Mostow with zero sentimentality. A guilty pleasure that actually earns it.

But It's mean-spirited in a way that some find exploitative. The resolution is brutal and offers no comfort.