Actor whose full name is Sir Nigel John Dermot “Sam” Neill is an established Hollywood actor, director and writer. His career in the film world began in 1971.
In that year, the man from New Zealand made a movie called The city of No. A year later, a short film titled The Water Cycle was released.
Considering Sam Neill’s achievements in the film world, it seems like it wouldn’t be possible to say it all in one article. Because he has a career and a lot of achievements, be it as an actor, or as a director and writer.
During his acting career, Sam Neil appeared in many high-grossing films. 10 of them are as follows.
Jurassic World: Dominion
- Release year: 2022
- Genre: Drama, Action, Science Fiction
- Production: Amblin Entertainment, Perfect World Pictures
- Directed by: Colin Trevorrow
- Actors: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill
The film is set four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar. Now, dinosaurs co-exist with humans. They even hunt in the same habitat.
Some worry about it, but Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and his girlfriend, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas) don’t feel the same way. They really live in the jungle with the dinosaurs.
Claire and Owen try to protect Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) and the pursuit of scientists led by Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott) is trying to get dinosaur DNA. These scientists want to master raw materials for human food using DNA.
In the middle of the test, Dr. Dodgson made the mistake of destroying humanity. The only way to save the people is to use Maisie Lockwood’s DNA. That’s why the boy was hunted by scientists.
Amidst the chaos, two paleontologists, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) are trapped in Biosyn’s headquarters. This area has now turned into a dinosaur battle arena.
The Piano
- Release year: 1993
- Genre: Drama
- Produce: Jan Chapman Production
- Directed by: Jane Campion
- Starring: Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Bei Kkm Anna Paquin, Kerry Walker Genevieve Lemon
Set in the past, this film tells the story of Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a mute woman who is in a relationship with her harsh and cold neighbor, Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill). Ada was sold by her father to Alisdair, who is now Ada’s husband. Little did he know that marriage was a trade-off for him on the grand piano.
Sam Neil in this movie is outstanding. He can play evil. He captivated the audience with his sleek appearance in the role of Ada’s mysterious husband. In addition, two players Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin were both awarded in prestigious cinema events.
Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg decided to cast the character Dr. Alan Grant for Sam Neill was the right decision. It’s obvious in this movie. This character is one of the keys to the success of the movie with this dinosaur logo. This movie has proven to be one of the best franchises in history.
The story in this movie depicts the atmosphere of a dinosaur amusement park turning into a horrifying ride that terrifies visitors. The terrible terror took the form of a giant dinosaur creature. They break out of the cage and hunt whoever is in front of them.
Thor: Ragnarok
Sam Neill is not the main character in this movie. He was cast in one of the cameos named Odin. However, his appearance in this film brings a different and powerful touch to the storyline.
Meanwhile, the plot revolves around Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the crown prince of the kingdom of Asgard. In addition, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is also the main character in this movie, the arch enemy of Thor. These two are fighting for the power of Asgard and the world at large.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
- Release year: 2016
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
- Producer: Defender Film, Piki Film
- Directed by: Taiki Waititi
- Actors: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata
Hunt for the Wilderpeople marks Sam Neil’s return to his acting roots. The role of Uncle Hector Faulkner or commonly known as Uncle Hec is arguably Sam Neill’s best performance of his entire acting career.
The story largely follows the search for a rebellious child missing in a bush in New Zealand. The boy, Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), lives alone. Despite his young age, Ricky broke various acts, such as theft, littering, and other rules.
Ricky lives with his aunt and uncle, Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hector (Sam Neill), although he doesn’t like them. One day, Uncle Hec is accused of kidnapping Ricky. In fact, the case of Ricky’s disappearance was not a kidnapping but just a coincidence.
The Hunt for Red October
- Release year: 1990
- Genre: Action, Horror
- Producer: Mace Seufeld Production, Nina Saxon Film Design
- Directed by: John McTiernan
- Actors: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin
The Hunt For Red October is a hit movie by Sam Neill. This film is a continuation of the film about the Soviet submarine carrying nuclear material that escaped in November 1984. The ship was headed to the United States. The captain’s motive for escaping the ship is the mystery of this movie, whether he wants to escape his country’s regime or wants to start a war.
Sam Neil here plays Captain Borodin, a confidant of Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery). Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) tries to stop the ship, but it’s difficult. Until the end conflict between the countries broke out because of this submarine.
Event Horizon
- Release year: 1997
- Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
- Produce: Paramount Pictures
- Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
- Actors: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson
After Sam Neill’s success in the films Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October, he later took on an unusual role in this film.
Sam Neill wants to break the old image that has stuck with him. Here, he plays Dr. William Weir, the main antagonist in Event Horizon. This movie became a hit for Neill as he managed to make a brilliant career as an actor.
Well, the story itself is about a spaceship rescue team investigating a missing plane that was sucked in by a black hole. The plane disappeared for a while then reappeared with a mysterious newcomer on board.
The French Revolution
- Release year: 1989
- Genre: Drama, History, Horror
- Producer: Les Films Ariane, Films A2, Laura Film
- Directed by: Robert Enrico, Richard T. Heffron
- Actors: Klaus Maria Brandauer, Andrzej Seweryn, Jean-François Balmer, Jane Seymour
The film French Revolution was the first film produced by a gang of Italy, France, Germany, Canada and England. This film was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The story in this film depicts the entire history of some of these European countries.
Sam Neill landed the role of Lafayette. He collided with Jane Seymour, who played Queen Marie-Antoinette. In addition, there is Charles Henri Sanson playing the role of Christopher Lee. The film was praised not only for the excellent performance of the actors, but also for the historical accuracy that is the main story of the film.
Possession
- Release year: 1981
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Drama
- Produce: Gaumont
- Directed by: Andrzej Zulawski
- Actors: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill
Possession has been a controversial film since its release. The story follows Anna (Isabelle Adjani), who leaves behind her spy husband and young child.
Woman suffering from severe paranoia. This happened after she filed for divorce from her husband. For some reason, Anna became out of control and behaved strangely.
Although Possession has become a controversial film, over time, the popularity of this one-of-a-kind film has grown. Many people think that this movie has the best psychological horror genre.
The visual elements, such as the atmosphere and tone of this film are called the best. In addition, the appearance of the two main characters, Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani, shows good chemistry.
The Dish
- Release year: 2000
- Genre: History, Comedy
- Production: Summit Entertainment, Dish Film Production
- Directed by: Rob Stich
- Actors: Sam Neill, Kevin Harrington, Tom Long, Patrick Warburton
The Dish is a historical story about Australia. Here, Sam Neill plays Cliff Buxton, the head of a team of eccentric scientists at the Australian Observatory. The story follows the scientists who played a role in the first moon landing in Australian history.
The film received positive reviews from critics. They praised Sam Neill’s excellent script and performance. Since its release, the film has been an Australian box office success that year. The Dish is a film that depicts fictional stories in a unique way and feels like the real thing.
It’s only 10. There are still a lot of Sam Neill titles as good as the 10 movies above. Every character he plays is memorable even as a supporting role. One of them is the character Odin in Thor: Ragnarok.
As mentioned above, in addition to being an actor, Sam Neill is also very good at acting from the director’s chair. He shows himself to be a great actor and a quality filmmaker.