Review: ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ Is One of the Funniest and Deepest Movies of the Year
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in the film THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) is back this year with another Irish tale starring Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin.
It’s 2pm on the island of Inisherin, and just like he did yesterday, and the day before that, and the one before that too, Pádraic (Colin Farrell) goes down the road to the only pub in town where he meets with his friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) for a beer. It’s a daily ritual that he has never questioned, much like breathing. But today, Colm isn’t there. He goes to his home, and he’s just sitting there, smoking. He has no intention of going to the bar, but Pádraic can’t wrap his head around that. Maybe he doesn’t like him no more.
The Banshees of Inisherin starts off with a premise as simple as its leading character, but slowly grows into one of the most fascinating character pieces of the year, with layers upon layers of subtext for those who are looking for that, and some very funny moments for those who are just looking to be entertained. Martin McDonagh’s return to the big screen is definitely one of the funniest movies of the year, though it’s more of a dark comedy than a straight-up sitcom. And things quickly get pretty dark pretty quickly — sick of having to deal with an annoying Pádraic, Colm one day threatens to cut off one of his fingers with a pair of scissors every time he disturbs him.
Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in the film THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN. Photo by Jonathan Hession. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
The movie is full of psychological and philosophical puzzles for the audience. Colm does not hesitate for a second when making his threat, and nobody ever questions his sanity for going to those extremes just because a friend is trying to spend time with him. It is what it is, and now the question is: will he deliver upon his promise? It’s also a bit of a romantic relationship, where one of the two suddenly grows tired of the other one. The spark isn’t there anymore.
And McDonagh, through brilliant writing, goes well beyond that. The Banshees of Inisherin asks the audience what they are looking for in life as a whole. Colm, convinced he’s got 12 years left on this planet, is trying to leave a legacy through his (amateur) music, and has realized that by spending his days in a pub drinking beer, few generations after him will remember his name. After all, everybody knows Mozart, but does anyone know his drinking buddy? Exactly. Meanwhile, Pádraic just wants a simple life taking care of his donkey, living with his sister, and going for a beer with his friend. What is wrong with that?
The Banshees of Inisherin is firing on all cylinders throughout its two hours of runtime. It is funny and extremely quirky, like only Martin McDonagh knows how to do (it’s the most similar movie to In Bruges he’s done in a while). The cinematography by Ben Davis is obviously gorgeous to look at (the Irish landscapes were a huge bonus as well), and the sharp editing by Mikkel E.G. Nielsen makes the movie even more enjoyable. But at the end of the day, there are three people responsible — McDonagh, through his script and direction, and the two lead actors, Colin Farrell, who may have given one of his best performances ever here, and Brendan Gleeson, who walks the fine line between being a jerk and being an empathetic character to the audience.
Kerry Condon in the film THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN. Photo by Jonathan Hession. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon play two supporting characters in the movie, who leave a very strong impression as well. He is the son of the policeman of the village, and as a close friend of Pádraic’s, he is inevitably drawn into the conflict between the two men. Condon plays Farrell’s on-screen sister, who has bigger ambitions than growing old in the same place she’s been living for decades.
Overall, I highly recommend The Banshees of Inisherin, which I think has the potential to be a major Oscar contender this year. The movie had its worldwide premiere at the Venice Film Festival and most recently played at the BFI London Film Festival. It’s releasing in North America and the UK on October 21, and will be expanding to international territories soon.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
