The Stream: Those thick Irish accents are hard to decipher especially without subtitles

The Big Screen: A great ensemble with standout performances from Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon

The Final Bill: A clever, witty and heartbreaking film that shocks and is surprisingly funny

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Martin McDonagh
Writers: Martin McDonagh
Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: R for language throughout, some violent content and brief graphic nudity.
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
Production Companies: Searchlight Pictures, Blueprint Pictures, Film 4, Metropolitan Films International
Platform: In theaters October 21, 2022
Notable Trailers: The Fabelmans 

Top of the morning to ya, Streamers! I gotta good ‘un for ye today! Please excuse my terrible Irish accent. Anyway, I went to see the new film from Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson return to work with Martin McDonagh after doing so in the great little film, In Bruges. They had good chemistry in their previous work with McDonagh, and here’s what I thought on these Banshees.

It’s an interesting title, right? It rolls right off of the tongue. The Banshees of Inisherin takes place on the remote island off the coast of mainland Ireland in the 1920s during the Irish civil war. A local civil war of sorts starts when Colm Doherty (Gleeson) decides that he no longer wants to be friends with Padraic Suilleabhain (Farrell). C olm’s change of heart about his relationship with Padraic comes out of nowhere and throws Padraic and he small village for a loop. As the film unfolds, we learn the reasons for the dissolution of the friendship and the extreme lengths Colm will go to to show that he’s serious. Irish hijinks ensue.

Martin McDonagh has written and directed a thoughtful and clever film. It is billed as a comedy, but it is pretty dark. There are laugh out loud moments, but it is by no means a comedic romp. There’s some poignant tragedy depicted when a friendship ends for seemingly no reason. Even though the circumstances between Colm and Padraic become very extreme, McDonagh is able to ground the story in a painful reality without becoming maudlin or depressing. The cast does a lot of great work bringing these characters to life. Colin Farrell continues his streak of excellent and quirky performances. Farrell has good comedic timing and a face that is pitiable and tortured. He’s an actor that draws the audience in and gets you on his side from the first moment. Kerry Condon plays Padraic’s sister, Siobhan. She has the ability to steal a scene by just walking on screen. She’s fierce and funny. Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan round out the core ensemble, and they both have their own highlights throughout the film.

My only concern with Banshees is that the thick Irish accents are almost impenetrable, especially in the beginning. Farrell is talking and I would get every other word or so. It takes some time to acclimate to the cadence and language, but you’ll get it eventually.

Ultimately, The Banshees of Inisherin is a thoughtful and funny movie. Martin McDonagh has written a clever script that talks about friendship and how hard it is to “move on” when relationships end. The cast is excellent across the board, especially Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon. When this movie opens in a theater near you, grab a big box of popcorn and a friend to see this.