Title: The Banshees of Inisherin
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins

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

What We Think: I’m so happy that these types of films are still being made. The Banshees of Inisherin is a small town story that stumbles into a much more profound tale of relationships, meaning, and self-worth. Through the two incredible lead performances from Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson we get glimpses into past lives, slivers of what lies underneath the film’s simple conflict. It sets these two men into a stirring spiral of events that will leave even the most hesitant of viewers touched.

Major accolades need to come in the way of the cast, as well as the brilliant, subtly chekhovian screenplay by Martin Mcdonagh. The balance between McDonagh’s signature blend of dark comedy and the meandering bleakness of the story is immaculate. These characters have dreams and needs, but it’s not entirely possibly that everyone will find/obtain them. They’re on an island off the coast of Ireland, with a population lower than a hundred – which makes the tensions in those close quarters feel all the more humanly tangible. Characters like Barry Keoghan’s Dominic who wanders aloof through life, or Kerry Condon’s Siobhán who faces the story’s visiting concerns with outbursts of common reasoning make the world of Banshees all the more whole.

The score also contributes deeply to the film’s soul, with many pieces being performed by Gleeson himself on the violin. Another amazing aspect of Banshees is the cinematography – some of the best of 2022, with glorious wide angles of the coasts of Inisherin, setting suns, and goats. It almost seems like the island itself is being focused on as a character at times, another observer to the aging fools who tread its surface. What I loved so much about this film is that the conflict between the two main characters gets more interesting every time you revisit it (and yes, this is one that can be rewatched multiple times and be enjoyed), and you really can fully understand either one’s point of view. It also makes you wonder – who is the real villain? Time, or old age?

What We Think: A+; A career best from Martin Mcdonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin houses a memorable story about the sudden effects one decision can have on people – affecting lives that were probably mundane, yet safer to live in than a world of change.