Film Review: THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (2022): Martin McDonagh’s Film is a Beautifully Crafted Gem With Amazing Performances Throughout

The Banshees of Inisherin Review

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Martin McDonagh and starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Gary Lydon, Pat Shortt, Sheila Flitton, Aaron Monaghan and David Pearse.

Two longtime friends named Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) soon find their bond officially broken when Colm decides to move on with his life in Martin McDonagh’s terrific new disturbing, yet at times darkly comedic, drama, The Banshees of Inisherin. Farrell and Gleeson teamed up with McDonagh for In Bruges in 2008 which was a good film but nothing will be able to prepare viewers for the whopping impact that the new picture makes on its audience.

Carter Burwell (also an alumni of In Bruges)’s score for the new film is Oscar-nomination worthy as it helps the movie’s themes and emotions come into full view which in turn leaves audiences to draw their own conclusions as to what is fair and just in the very delicate situations which the movie presents.

Set on an Irish island known as Inisherin in 1923 during a Civil War, the movie takes a simple basic premise and runs away with it. There’s no turning back once this movie gets started. Pádraic, a farmer, shows up looking to hang out with his good friend, Colm. Though Colm is much older, he has been a loyal drinking companion over time. Things are about to change. Gleeson’s Colm has come to find his old pal “dull” thus Colm would rather focus on more ambitious artistic endeavors than sit around shooting the breeze with Pádraic for another mundane day. This response by Colm leads Pádraic to wonder what happened to cause this rather drastic change of heart. The answers make for one of the most thought-provoking plots of the year at the movies.

Colm has stopped needing the company of Pádraic and has found himself yearning to move forward with the rest of his life. That progression includes playing the fiddle and finding some sort of peace and tranquility in his life. But, when Pádraic doesn’t simply walk away, Colm threatens to cut his fingers off which proves Colm is walking on the edge of sanity in his life. Especially when Colm actually goes through with what he says he will do.

Kerry Condon plays Pádraic’s melancholy but book smart sister, Siobhan, who plans on trying to accomplish more in her life than simply staying put on the island she finds herself residing on. The two siblings are the proud owners of a small donkey who manages to brighten up the screen whenever it appears on screen. There are insightful assertions made by Siobhan in regards to what she thinks about her brother’s complicated situation and the scenes with Condon are like a well-oiled machine leaving the audience to ponder the characters’ situation. It takes a lot of thought on the part of the viewer to fully grasp the situations the characters are immersed in.

Gary Lydon serves as a villain in the picture named Peadar, a cop with a mean streak who has a son named Dominic (a terrific Barry Keoghan). Dominic is a fascinating character within the film as he seems simple on the surface yet has a complexity about him which makes him easy to understand. Especially considering some of the abuses he faces throughout the picture. Keoghan has found a role that will surely make him a true star. Lydon’s work is the perfect embodiment of cruelty and his role is well-written and complements the story’s intelligent themes superbly.

Colin Farrell has never been better and is a sure-fire candidate for Best Actor at next year’s Oscars. This new movie highlights his basic humanity but doesn’t make him very typical in any way. Pádraic is a well-written character with a lot of depth even though his initial needs may seem simple and ordinary. Farrell’s facial expressions are, in a word, priceless. It is a remarkable characterization by one of our most underappreciated actors.

Gleeson is a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination as a man who has arguably changed considerably over time and finds himself at a crossroads in his life at which he doesn’t seem to need Pádraic anymore. Both central characters are definitely challenged by the turn of events that occur in the movie and the way these men handle the challenges thrown at them makes for one of the most intriguing and powerful films I’ve seen this year. Don’t count out Keoghan and Condon for Best Supporting Oscar nominations either as both performers add nuances to their surprising character developments that are unpredictable in nature.

The Banshees of Inisherin simply refuses to play it safe in any way, shape or form and is a stronger film as a result. McDonagh is one of the bravest directors working today and he brings fierce, raw intensity to the movie in every frame. Audiences will search their souls to understand these characters and may find themselves drawn to all the central characters of the movie in one way or another. That’s the magic of McDonagh’s direction which is certainly Academy Award worthy. McDonagh could just walk away with the Oscar for this one. The Banshees of Inisherin is, quite simply, a deep, profound film which the viewer won’t soon forget.

Rating: 10/10

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