The Banshees of Inisheren

On a remote Irish island - with the Irish Civil War looming on the mainland across the strait - Colm, a curmudgeonly fiddler, tells Padraic, a jovial farmer, that he doesn’t want to be his friend anymore because he finds him “feckin’ dull.” This serves as the inciting incident for an inexplicable feud with often shocking consequences (I could count them on one hand). Colin Farrell is a revelation as Padraic, a simple man who believes himself to be the nicest man on the island; he would be my front-runner for the Best Actor Oscar. In fact, the entire core acting ensemble is fantastic and Oscar nominated: Brendan Gleeson as the resolute - and perhaps mental - Colm; Barry Keoghan as Dominic, the abused son of the local constable; and Kerry Condon - funny, ferocious, and tender as Padraic’s sister, Siobhan, who longs for a life away from the isolation of Inisherin. The cinematography lingers on the idyllic Irish landscapes, but look closely and you’ll notice the black-shrouded outline of an old lady “ghoul,” portending death - like a banshee. Ultimately, the story is one of unrequited love - Padraic can’t comprehend the end of his relationship with Colm, a man he’s shared a pint with at the pub every afternoon at 2pm for years and years. The work of writer-director Martin McDonagh often veers from comedy to tragedy in a split second and Banshees is no exception: you will laugh until you gasp.