Rarely would Sam Neill, who died Monday, carry a film alone, but what he did in several of them, modestly and reliably, was equally important. Her nuanced secondary work allowed some of the greatest actresses of their time to achieve their first fireworks. And although he starred in one of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, it takes a certain kind of confidence to share the spotlight with a dinosaur. Here are Neill's highlights, all of which are worth rewatching to better appreciate a sophisticated presence often kept on the sidelines.
'My Brilliant Career' (1979)
Sam Neill and Judy Davis in the movie “My Brilliant Career.”
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Gillian Armstrong's debut feature is a landmark of Australian New Wave and feminist cinema, marking the arrival of the great Judy Davis and containing the most erotically charged (and possibly longest) pillow fight in film history. It works splendidly for countless reasons, not the least of which is Neill's presence as the charming suitor to Davis' headstrong heroine. Set in 1897 in rural Australia, the film follows Davis's Sybylla, who dreams of becoming a writer, an unconventional aspiration given her family's poverty and social norms. Then she meets a rich charmer, played by Neill, and he proposes to her. It should be an easy decision, especially since Sybylla loves him and Neill makes him so irresistible. The fact that Sybylla does, in fact, resist, choosing independence over love and the possibility of eternal pillow fights, makes “My Brilliant Career” so daring and exciting. — Glenn Whipp
'Possession' (1981)
Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill in the movie “Possession.”
(Metrograph images)
It's being remade with Margaret Qualley, and the main reason for the film's notoriety remains Isabelle Adjani's unhinged and charming performance, a collection of madness that still has no comparison. But it can be argued that Adjani couldn't have gotten there without the slightly timid banality of her character's husband, played by Neill as one of the least exciting on-screen spies of the 1980s. (She's already cheating on him when the film begins.) He doesn't seem cut out to be a family man either, but Neill's hard-to-confident cuckolding complaints may be what's driving her to self-harm in the first place. — Joshua Rothkopf
'The Final Conflict' (1981)
More than a decade before his role in “Jurassic Park,” Neill gave a chilling turn as the Antichrist in “The Final Conflict,” better known as the third film in “The Omen” franchise, about a couple who unknowingly adopt Satan's son. In this second sequel, Neill plays an adult Damien Thorn, now the US ambassador to the UK who is determined to stop the second coming of Christ. With sinister smiles and steely gazes, Neill makes Damien his own, waging a murderous campaign against a group of priests, his voice filled with contempt as he vows to kill “the Nazarene” when he is born. — Greg Braxton
'Total Calm' (1989)
Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman on the set of the movie “Dead Calm.”
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
We remember Philip Noyce's claustrophobic cat-and-mouse thriller primarily as Nicole Kidman's breakthrough on the big screen. But, and you may be noticing a theme here, the movie wouldn't work without Neill, who had a gift for playing strong-willed women. Kidman and Neill are a married couple who embark on an ocean adventure to overcome the loss of their son. They encounter a crazy-eyed stranger (Billy Zane) on a sinking schooner, bring him aboard, and things go badly from there. Part Cary Grant, part MacGyver, Neill delivers a strong physical performance, which he parlayed into high-paying action roles in Hollywood for the rest of his career. None came close, however, to his flare gun theatrics here. — Glenn Whipp
'Jurassic Park' (1993)
You choose dinosaurs and there is no reason to be ashamed of it. But you have to give Neill credit for understanding the task and not entirely settling for those wide-eyed looks of Spielbergian wonder. His Alan Grant is distinctive enough to register as fussy and a bit into himself. He absolutely hates children, although the entire plot somewhat obviously takes him in the opposite direction. He's not a Jeff Goldblum-level scoundrel, but he's confident enough to go his own way and make a killing prank on a high-voltage fence. As for acting, Neill has already held his own against several forces of nature (see above). The kidnappers were nothing. — Joshua Rothkopf
'The Piano' (1993)
Sam Neill in the play “The Piano”.
(The collection of criteria)
Many of Neill's most memorable films feature him supporting the singular vision of great directors, as is the case with Jane Campion's landmark 1993 film. Neill plays the bumbling, ignorant Scottish farmer who arranges a mail-order marriage with Holly Hunter's mute pianist and then becomes possessive and desperate with jealousy. We hate it. Which was fine with Neill, as he wrote in his 2023 memoir: “There's honor in second fiddle. Or fourth fiddle. No one pays much attention to you, you don't get nominated for things. But you served. I was there in an important feminist film. It's a work of art. And look, that little figure in the canvas (see below right) is me. It's a film that will always have a place in film history. And I served in that.” — Glenn Whipp
'In the Mouth of Madness' (1994)
Finally a leading role. Admittedly, it's one in which Neill, in a straitjacket, shouts things like “I'm not crazy!” But if you're a fan of his slightly unconvinced brand of heroism, John Carpenter's horror film, about an insurance investigator on the hunt for a missing Stephen King-like author, is an enjoyable watch. Carpenter was never one to explain things too much to his actors (which is why you find so many rich, self-directed performances in his films) and Neill's snoop definitely steps through the looking glass, from cynical disbeliever to true believer. Genre films thrive on their kind of total commitment. — Joshua Rothkopf
