Fans of Liam Neeson’s critically acclaimedTakenwon’t want to miss Russell Crowe’s take on a similar theme,The Next Three Days, which was released just two years later. Directed byMillion 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 theTakenconcept offers an incredibly thrilling journey with a trulymemorable ending forThe Next Three Days. With Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks in the lead roles,The Next Three Daysis 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 ofMaximus Decimus Meridiusin Ridley Scott’s originalGladiatoris the most prominent example. That being said,for every iconic role in Crowe’s career, there’s an equally underappreciated performance, andThe Next Three Daysperfectly fits that description.The feature performed adequately at the box office, but it has since been overshadowed by other roles. While perhaps not acareer-defining role for Russell Crowe,The Next Three Daysremains 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 Dayscenters 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 Larafrom 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. AsThe Next Three Daysprogresses, it becomes a truly gripping film.
If you’re a fan ofLiam Neeson’sTakenseries,The Next Three Daysis certainly a film to seek out. At their core, both are intensely suspenseful action thrillers where the stakes are incredibly high. Much ofTaken’s story revolves around a time-sensitive mission to find Bryan’s daughter, andThe Next Three Daysfollows a very similar sequencethat 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. LikeTaken, the intrigue ofThe Next Three Daysheightens with each new development.
Russell Crowe Demonstrates His Impressive Range In Darker Roles
Crowe Thrives In Dark & Gritty Settings
The Next Three Daysis proof of Crowe’s exceptional talent in darker roles. The quality ofCrowe’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 ofThe 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 inRomper Stomperwas perhapsCrowe’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 pannedUnhinged, 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 inThe Next Three Daysisn’t as morally compromised as some of his other portrayals, it’s great to see him deliver such a nuanced and equally superb performance.
The Next Three Days
Cast
The Next Three Days is a thriller directed by Paul Haggis, starring Russell Crowe as John Brennan, whose wife is wrongfully imprisoned. Determined to free her, John embarks on a perilous plan to break her out of jail. The movie explores themes of justice and desperation as it follows John’s meticulous and risky efforts to reunite his family amidst overwhelming odds.
Taken
Taken stars Liam Neeson as ex-Green Beret and ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills, who retired from his life of fighting in order to be there for his family. When his teenage daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) travels to Paris and is kidnapped by human traffickers, Mills launches into action, mounting a one-man rescue mission that sees him tear through gangs of European criminals with extreme prejudice in hopes of finding and rescuing Kim before it’s too late.
