The film is hard to categorize, upon first glance it’s a drama, but it’s so incredibly funny and equally sad 

at the same time it delivers that rare experience of a true tragedy without resorting to contrived 

situations or fireworks. It’s simple, yet complex and layered. It really is a fantastic movie. 

Granted, all the performances in this film are mesmerizing, but Colin Farrell gives the performance of a 

lifetime which should bring him great accolades for years to come. As well, Barry Keoghan delivers the 

hardest punch in a subtle yet heartbreaking scene that will haunt you long after viewing. He delivers a 

line that will be repeated by people in reference. 

 

The story is rather simple, it takes place on a desolate island in 1920s Ireland where two lifelong friends 

have suddenly found a rift between them. Or rather, Colm played by Brendan Gleeson, decides that he 

no longer wants to spend any time with Padraic, played by Colin Farrell stating that he’s “too dull”. Colm 

is a creative soul who yearns for solitude and Padraic is a simple easy going guy who loves animals and 

considers himself “nice”. He shares a house with his sister Siobhan who acts as a conduit between the 

two friends. 

Padraic cannot figure out why Colm has decided he no longer wants to be friends, not accepting that 

Colm wants to have more time to write music, and this sends Padraic into a tailspin of confusion, anger 

and at times despair to learn the reasoning why his friend has forsaken him. Colm just continues on his 

straight faced, emotionless reasoning which drives Padraic to investigate further into his motivations 

believing his friend is going through a phase of depression. 

The fact these two live in such a tiny community, makes it even more perplexing as they pass each other 

on the country roads, see each other at the local pub and Padraic can’t accept living life like this while 

Colm seems to be content with causing such distress for personal gain. 

As time goes on, Colm resorts to more extreme methods to scare away Padraic until a rift spreads to 

more people within the community and other characters are forced to confront their own personal 

problems. It creates this cascade effect and Padraic slowly descends into a world weary man who’s lost 

his “niceness”. Each character changes who they are and for the exception of Siobhan, they don’t 

change for the better. That’s where the tragedy element plays a part. It’s truly sad to see Padraic lose 

that “spark” that makes him a happy man, and two friends become strangers only a few doors apart. 

The backdrop to all this is the real events of the Irish civil war, which hovers over the heads of the 

characters but due to their distance, doesn’t affect them too severely. You only hear cannons in the 

distant from the mainland, or occasionally someone would leave the island to do some work related to 

the struggle. At one point a character mentions “Wasn’t it simpler when we fought the British and not 

each other?” 

The point of the story, could be discussed by film school or playwright students for decades to come. On 

the surface it’s a simple story about friends who’ve grown apart. Or perhaps deep down it’s a metaphor 

for the various conflicts and struggles of the people of Ireland. Two neighbours, lifelong friends suddenly 

find themselves at odds with each other, and there’s no fixing it or putting it back together. They just 

agree to exist besides each other, but that could change at the drop of a hat. 

The acting, the screenplay, the direction are top level artistry but the cinematography by Ben Davis is 

breathtaking. It’s probably hard to make Ireland look bad but you cannot help but want to visit this place 

when you see the rolling grassy hills and distant peaks while the dark ocean rages beside this quaint 

village. Davis has previously worked on some huge projects like Guardians of the Galaxy and the 

Matthew Vaughn films, but this is classic cinematography that sticks to the old school principles of not 

distracting away from the actors. It lets them shine.  

McDonagh’s screenplay is a masterclass in subtext and allegory. The entire movie is literally just a series 

of conversations all around this small setting. It’s where you can see McDonagh’s background in theatre 

really shine through, yet it’s incredibly cinematic and his direction is pure perfection. This is a guy at the 

top of his game without going over the top with any histrionics or melodramatic gimmicks. 

In this current cinematic landscape where the bigger the movie the more credible it is, this is a breath of 

fresh air because it’s an old fashioned well told story directed perfectly, with actors who seemed to 

relish in the script. The irony is this was released under Fox’s Searchlight imprint, which is all owned by 

Disney now. The biggest modern culprit of blockbuster dominance. One could only hope they keep 

giving movies like this a chance in the future. 

As for the ending and the meaning of it all, Padraic states he will never let go of how his friend has 

treated him. What seems like a friendship ending turns into a war between two men. Perhaps that’s the 

point of it all and the oldest story of mankind itself. It’s my pick for best movie of 2022, and should be a 

shoe in for best screenplay and best actor for Colin Farrell. The Banshees of Inisherin is already a classic 

movie in my mind. 

Thanks for watching. Leave a comment below your thoughts on the movie or your pick for best picture. 

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