The Banshees of Inisherin Review

10/10

There are some films where less than ten minutes in, you immediately have an instinctual feeling that you’re going to love it. I’ve been a fan of writer/director Martin McDonagh since stumbling across In Bruges at a small cinema in Los Angeles when it came out. I was familiar with Colin Farrell before that, but I had only seen his Hollywood work. I never disliked him, but prior to Bruges I couldn’t get a sense of his scope as an actor and what made him stand out. Those perceptions were eviscerated by that film. He was tremendous in the film, as was the perpetually fantastic Brendan Gleeson. It has since become one of my favorites.

            After that, I delved into McDonagh’s plays. The Beauty Queen of Leeane and Lieutenant of Inishmore were particularly brilliant, but it was The Pillowman that really solidified him as one of my favorites. He has a remarkable ability to balance horrendous darkness with transcendent humanity. Even his most brutal work never loses sight of the characters and their inner lives. With all that in mind, you can see why I was so excited to see Inisherin. I had seen the trailer a while back, but I had not read much about the film beforehand. I did not know what to expect beyond the broad strokes I was aware of.

            I don’t give out 10’s like free candy. A film must resonate with me in a profound way to get that label, be it drama, comedy, or anything else. There is usually one film per year that soars to those heights. Maybe two if it’s a particularly great year. Annette was the last film that I had a strong enough attachment to warrant a 10. As 2022 approached December I started thinking what was the film that would click with me in a way the others didn’t? As it turns out, Banshees was the one. I had high hopes for it and they were met in every possible way.

            I love when a film sets up a seemingly simple story on the surface and then spends the running time exploring the characters and their psychology. In Bruges did that, as well. Banshees takes place on the island of Inisherin, off the coast of Ireland during the Irish Civil War of the 1920s. Colm (Brendan Gleeson) tells his old friend Pádraic (Colin Farrell) not to speak to him anymore. This comes as quite a shock to Pádraic who has done nothing wrong. Why on earth would his best friend decide to cut ties after so many years? The answer forms the foundations of the story. I can imagine someone making a version of this story that leans more into the farcical elements. There are certainly dark comedy moments in this film, but with emphasis on the dark.

            Part of what makes Banshees so wonderful is its commitment to the tragedy. Friends fall out all the time: there are people I have known for years whom I don’t talk to anymore. It’s a natural part of life. The reason behind Colm not wanting to be friends with Pádraic anymore is what grounds the film in emotion. Colm is a fiddle player who feels he doesn’t have enough time left in his life to spend it chatting about nothing. He wants to create something that stands the test of time. He wants to be remembered for more than just being a nice guy. There are hints that he may be deeply depressed. His actions later in the story are definitely not those of a sound mind.

            Pádraic refuses to let his friend go, so he does whatever he can to convince Colm to talk to him. Colin Farrell is absolutely magnificent here. It’s easily one of my favorite performances of the year. He has the demeanor and looks of a kicked puppy. I really felt his anguish and hurt when his friend abandons him. When Colm pushes him away, Pádraic starts to realize how small his bubble is. He lives with his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and takes care of his animals. His donkey is one of the highlights of the film. Pádraic’s loneliness starts to take him over as Colm gets further and further away.

            At its heart, Banshees is a breakup story. Pádraic is a nice guy who doesn’t want to hurt anybody. That is where he is most at fault according to Colm. He is too nice and dull. When Colm won’t speak to him, Pádraic befriends a local boy, Dominic (Barry Keoghan.) I have been intrigued by this actor since seeing him in The Killing of a Sacred Deer. He has an unpredictable energy that reminds me of a young, less manic Nicolas Cage. There are plenty of good actors around, but he brings a spark to his roles that is different from most others. Dominic is not the brightest bulb of the bunch, but he is a kind and wounded soul, mistreated by his father yet always searching for the good in others.

            All the performances are wonderful across the board. Kerry Condon as Pádraic’s sister brings layers of empathy to her role. It’s evident how much she cares about her brother and knows how lonely he is without Colm. Their bond is vital to showing Pádraic’s gradual descent away from being a nice guy. Some of the decisions he makes later in the film are immoral, but they are totally in line with someone who feels hurt and betrayed. We don’t get a chance to see him and Colm before this breakup. That was a smart choice of McDonagh’s. There is no build-up to their falling out. We are told upfront what is going on. Despite Colm’s yearning to be away from his friend, there are moments of camaraderie between them that show what their dynamic used to be like.

            I can’t imagine anyone other than Brendan Gleeson as Colm. He has been perpetually marvelous for decades. Anytime I see him in a film, I am instantly more interested in watching. He brings a sublime melancholy to his role here that doesn’t beat you over the head with sadness. He doesn’t reveal much about his inner thoughts. We can tell he feels regret for wasting his life when he could have been accomplishing something bigger than himself. He is not a bad person, but a life spent in limbo has made him jaded about the world. He no longer cares about just spending time with good people and being a caring person.

            I also want to mention the stunning idyllic surroundings. The locations in the film made me want to pause the film and soak them all in for a while. Carter Burwell’s lovely score is the perfect accompaniment to the gorgeous surroundings and melancholy story. This is exactly the kind of film I adore. One that delves into the soul of these characters and presents a dark yet human story of struggle and loss. It’s hard to imagine anything else this year engrossing me as much as this one did.