The Banshees of Inisherin is a long overdue reunion for one of my favourite films.
Martin McDonagh became well-known worldwide a few years ago with the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which was a big player at the Oscars in 2018. A few years before that though, he made his first film, titled In Bruges which starred Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell.
In Bruges is an all-time great film for me. Gleeson is one of the best actors working today and Farrell is often written off as a pretty boy or party boy but has some serious acting chops.
Now, in 2022 the trio of McDonagh, Gleeson and Farrell have reteamed for The Banshees of Inisherin. The plot is remarkably simple – two lifelong friends have a wedge thrown between them when one abruptly ends the relationship.
Gleeson's Colm fancies himself an intellectual, destined to write one of the great pieces of Irish music and has convinced himself that Farrell's Pádraic is the only thing stopping him.
The situation escalates as the simple and kind Pádraic refuses to accept Colm's termination of the friendship.
Set on a remote island during the Irish Civil War, it's a film about male loneliness. Colm refuses to accept his own shortcomings and so he pushes away the one person who loves him more than anyone.
I was worried The Banshees of Inisherin wouldn't be able to sustain such a simple premise for its entire runtime but the razor-sharp dialogue, written by McDonagh, absolutely sings in the native Irish accents of Gleeson and Farrell. The film is so well paced you barely notice the runtime, even if it does feel like there are very few actual plot beats.
The supporting cast is excellent too. Kerry Condon as Pádraic's sister Siobhán and Barry Keoghan as Dominic, one of the only men on Inisherin more simple-minded than Pádraic, are two performances worthy of a Best Supporting Performance Oscar next year.
Speaking of Oscars, I expect this to garner at least a few nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It's easily in my top few films of the year (along with another Boxing Day release, watch this space).
It's playing in select advance screenings currently, but will receive a wide release on December 26. It's one to see with friends and debate the subtext afterwards. Or debate it with me on Twitter.
SHARE ME