The Banshees of Inisherin

A tale about a man who has decided to make a drastic change in his life, entirely inspired by Irish folklore. The more he talks about it, the less he actually pursues it, and his behavior not only makes less and less sense over time, but also begins hurting the people around him. Martin McDonagh usually amuses me with how cleverly he torments his characters and the audience, but this time he crossed the line of likeability towards mere exhibitionism. Despite being one of Colin Farrell's outstanding performances, most of the time it's all just form without any substantial content. The third star is for the heart-wrenching scenery and the rising star of Barry Keoghan, but otherwise it's a surprising disappointment and a creative warning. (2023-03-12)

A perfect portrayal of that strange human behaviour, when a person does something that those around them don't understand, but at that moment it makes perfect sense to them. Martin McDonagh only needed another feature film with a polished script and sensational actors to say something others can't. And while there is no moment as powerful as Sam Rockwell's in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it's a great film to reflect on for a long time afterwards – not because you want to understand it, but because you just want to think about it. (2023-02-13)

Though I expected a more interesting and more powerful ending, The Banshees of Inisherin is still a great study of unconventional characters with an unconventional conflict in an unconventional, heavily atmospheric setting. The film is playfully tragicomic and unpredictable, as action and reaction are determined by two incompatible villagers from the end of the Earth who are passively squandering their lives. The first half is masterfully written and directed. However, the actual question of how their problem will be resolved in the first half is more entertaining than its resolution in the second half. Colin Farrell is again excellent and Carter Burwell (the Coen brothers’ court composer) is great, as is the setting, which is itself an important character in the film. (2023-01-19)

A pleasant, cruel conversational movie about the fact that sometimes you can simply hate your neighbour for no apparent reason. There isn’t anything especially deep about it; it’s just a pleasantly thick stout with white foam in the form of a great central duo and a setting that’s as hearty as its inhabitants. (2023-01-14)

A completely unconventional film about friendship that begins with the fact that the friendship suddenly ends unilaterally. Of playwright Martin McDonagh's films to date, The Banshees of Inisherin is by far the most intimate and reminiscent of a stage play, so don't expect any dynamic action. The alternation of humour (often very black) and depressing themes has always been a strength of this British screenwriter and director, but this is a roller coaster of contradictory emotions that, despite the numerous bursts of laughter at the end, will leave you totally depressed. The performances of all involved are superb, especially Colin Farrell's incredible portrayal of the guileless and headstrong Irish misfit. (2022-10-04)