How To Watch Liam Neeson's Marlowe At Home

Liam Neeson has now starred in 100 films, only a quarter of which are "Taken" sequels. I kid, I kid! Even 15 years into his surprising late-career run as an action star (going back to the original "Taken" in 2008), the Irish thespian retains an eclectic body of work under his belt. Since he started acting in the late 1970s, Neeson's starred in high-art dramas, auteur-driven period pieces, raunchy burlesques, pulpy blockbusters, classic literary adaptations, cheeky animated films, and, yes, more action movies about deadly old-timers than you can shake a stick at. Also, he played Jesus once. Twice, if Aslan from "Chronicles of Narnia" counts.

"Marlowe," which officially gives Neeson 100 movies to his name, casts the actor as Raymond Chandler's famous hard-boiled private eye Philip Marlowe in a story based on John Banville's 2014 novel, "The Black-Eyed Blonde." The movie also reunites Neeson with director Neil Jordan for their latest go-round after the fantasy comedy "High Spirits," the dramedy "Breakfast on Pluto," and one of Neeson's self-admitted personal favorites, the biographical drama "Michael Collins." They're already planning to re-team again on a prison break thriller entitled "The Riker's Ghost," so clearly all's well behind the scenes with the longtime collaborators.

Despite reputable source material, a proven lead actor/director duo, and a stacked ensemble (one that includes Jessica Lange, Diane Kruger, Alan Cumming, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Danny Huston), "Marlowe" didn't exactly wow critics and made little more than a tiny blip at the box office. That being said, if a slow-burn noir mystery set in a visually-striking, "Blade Runner"-inspired vision of 1930s California — one that lets Neeson take a break from playing grizzled bruisers  — sounds like it's right up your alley, you might watch to give "Marlowe" a look on the home market.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that "Marlowe" is now available to purchase or rent on Premium Video On Demand (PVOD) through online retailers like Vudu at the standard pricing rate for most studio films ($19.99 to rent and $24.99 to buy). The movie will also hit Blu-ray and DVD on April 18, 2023, but will remain available to buy in both high definition and standard definition from digital retailers thereafter.

As for streaming? "Marlowe" was distributed theatrically by Open Road Films, which has also released such Liam Neeson action vehicles as "Honest Thief," "The Marksman," and "Memory" in recent years. Because Open Road Films+ isn't a thing (... yet), it's a little tricky to say when Neil Jordan's noir flick will make its way onto a regular streamer with any real certainty. Of course, if you're willing to wait until the film hits Blu-ray in April, the price of a digital rental or purchase will have dropped significantly by then.

The official "Marlowe" synopsis reads as follows:

Set in late 1930s Bay City, "Marlowe" centers around a street-wise, down on his luck detective; Philip Marlowe (Liam Neeson), who is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger), daughter of a well-known movie star (Jessica Lange). The disappearance unearths a web of lies, and soon Marlowe is involved in a dangerous, deadly investigation where everyone involved has something to hide.