The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

 

 

Streaming Service: HBO Max

Movie Name/Year:  The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Length: 1h 54min

Rating: R

Production/Distribution: Blueprint Pictures, Film 4, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Metropolitan Films International, TSG Entertainment, Searchlight Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Disney+, HBO Max

Director: Martin McDonagh

Writers: Martin McDonagh

Actors: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon, Sheila Flitton, David Pearse, Jon Kenny, Bríd Ní Neachtain

 

IMDb Blurb: Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I was really excited to watch The Banshees of Inisherin from the moment I watched the first trailer. The film had so much going for it, I figured it was guaranteed to become a new favorite. 

Writer and director Martin McDonagh (Six Shooter, Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), whom was also responsible for the exciting and hilarious In Bruges (2008) was bringing Brendan Gleeson (Paddington 2, Mr. Mercedes, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure) and Colin Farrell (Dumbo, Voyagers, The Batman) back together again for another darkly comedic love-hate relationship. This powerhouse acting duo caught lightning in a bottle on screen together in the past, and I imagined it would be much the same this time around. They’d even be in their native Ireland! 

 

I wasn’t entirely wrong - but The Banshees of Inisherin was nothing like I expected, either. 

For a movie set in Ireland, I was missing the traditional Irish music in the production’s soundtrack. While music is part of the plot, it just didn’t quite satisfy my craving to pair the haunting melodies with the gorgeous Irish vistas on screen. This was apparently a specific choice made by McDonagh. I get it, though. It would be hard to sell a tale about the erosion of joy with snappy jigs playing in the background. 

 

That’s the thing, though – The Banshees of Inisherin was a rather bleak gut-punch of a story rather than the dark comedy romp that I’d been hoping for. At one point about halfway through, I found myself in tears. I related to Farrell’s character on a level that was profoundly uncomfortable. Losing a friend is never easy - especially when you don’t understand why. It’s easier to move on when there’s logic in the situation such as you just grew apart or long-distance communication was difficult. When it seems like an arbitrary decision was made, however, it’s that much harder to let go. I had that happen to me once. I’m still not sure the true reason why I lost a dear friend almost 20 years ago, and sometimes it just haunts me. There will likely always be questions on my end and little closure. Generally, I try not to think about it but this movie just brought it all roaring back. 

 

On the whole, The Banshees of Inisherin was a solid and well-executed production. All of the cast were wonderful in their roles and the cinematography capturing the gorgeous Irish landscapes was on point. There were a few chuckles here and there, though this film leaned more toward drama. 

While my own emotional reaction to this story will likely prevent me from watching The Banshees of Inisherin again, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 96%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 75%

Metascore – 87%

Metacritic User Score – 7.3 /10

IMDB Score – 7.7/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

 

Movie Trailer: