Rating: 3 Stars (Out of Four)

Liam Neeson is certainly a talented actor but you wouldn’t know that if you are only familiar with his less than impressive recent body of work. It ranges anywhere from generic (“Non-Stop”) to completely idiotic (“Battleship”) and makes people wonder what happened to the guy who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in “Schindler’s List.”

He has become a prominent figure in Hollywood action movies but there has hardly been any trace of the artistry that fueled some of his most notable early films. That is, until “A Walk Among the Tombstones” came along.

Directed by Scott Frank from Lawrence Block’s best-selling novel, the story focuses on private investigator Matthew Scudder (Liam Neeson), a former cop and alcoholic.

He is hired by drug dealer Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens) to find two serial killers who kidnapped and murdered his wife, even though he paid the ransom. During his investigation, he befriends a young boy named TJ (Brian Bradley) and gradually uncovers the mystery surrounding their past crimes. The situation becomes further complicated when they kidnap a young girl and Scudder must prevent her from meeting the same fate.

We tend to get a lot of dark and gritty thrillers this time of year when the skies turn white, the temperature begins to drop and the days are slowly getting shorter.

It reflects a creeping darkness upon the land that can affect us in many ways because we know it approaches but can’t escape it.

That is the atmosphere this film conveys.

Like something of a cross between old-fashioned noir and modern horror, it is a chilling experience to watch as the suspense unfolds.

Frank constructs a competent thriller filled with dramatic depth and strong production values that despite some formulaic plot elements manage to provide substantial entertainment for its limited audience.

The craftsmanship conveys a distinct sense of familiarity but with a fresh and slick style of execution.

However, Neeson is the real driving force here that makes the whole ordeal as compelling as it is. His performance is surprisingly emotional and restrained and he steals nearly every scene where he converses with other characters and demonstrates his superior abilities during the most intense confrontations.

Only Stevens and Bradley seem capable of holding their own against him during their interactions.

The rest of the supporting cast has their moments as well. Boyd Holbrook does a good job playing Kenny’s drug-addicted brother Peter.

David Harbour is suitably scary as one of the mysterious villains. His blood-curdling voice and mostly unseen face make him reminiscent of the monster in the closet that terrified you as a child.

Films like this are proof that actors like Neeson don’t have to settle for the dumb stuff and deserve better opportunities.

I’ve often thought that many older but more talented actors today, like John Goodman, are underappreciated these days and unfairly written off as has-beens.

And in modern Hollywood, which primarily values younger actors, they just don’t get many chances to prove they’ve still got it.

Neeson is one such actor who got lucky with “Tombstones,” and will hopefully get the chance to revitalize his career to better reflect his seemingly forgotten talents.