It’s 1923, and the Irish Civil War is coming to an end, but as that battle on the mainland is starting to wind down, a new battle is brewing on a nearby island. Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) have been lifelong friends, meeting at the pub for a drink together every day at 2pm. But one day, out of the blue, Colm isn’t there when Pádraic comes calling. Pádraic starts to wonder what he did, and if Colm doesn’t like him any more. All the townsfolk also assume that the pair must be rowin’. When Colm finally does arrive, he asks Pádraic not to sit with him, stating that he doesn’t like him anymore, and doesn’t want to waste any more of his life listening to Pádraic’s boring stories. Colm just wants to work on writing his music in peace. He also threatens to chop off his own fingers if Pádraic doesn’t leave him alone. Pádraic is baffled by the situation, and doesn’t understand why his best friend suddenly hates him. But looking at his calendar, he realizes it’s April 1, so he assumes this was all some sort of joke. But Colm was deadly serious, and things quickly start to escalate between the former friends as Pádraic presses the situation.
It’s been about 8 years since Pádraic’s parents died, and he and his sister live together in the family home. Pádraic would be content living on the island for the rest of his life, taking care of his animals, such as his beloved miniature donkey Jenny. However, Siobhán (Kerry Condon), who cooks for and takes care of her brother, would love to leave this place and find a job on the mainland. She doesn’t really care for the odd, nosy folks on the island, especially the witchy Mrs. McCormick (Sheila Flitton), who always has some new creepy premonition. The latest of these is that someone on the island is going to die soon.
Without Colm, Pádraic doesn’t really have any friends, and so he finds himself desperately spending more time with town outcast Dominic (Barry Keoghan), a dimwitted young man who has an unrequited crush on Siobhán. However, this friendship soon puts Pádraic in the crosshairs of police chief Peadar Kearney (Gary Lydon), Dominic’s father, who likes to get drunk and beat his son. Pádraic fears that he may be the dead body in Mrs. McCormick’s premonition, and it could be either Colm or Peadar who could make that happen.
The Banshees of Inisherin comes from writer/director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), who sets up this darkly comedic tale of friendship, sorrow, and destruction. The island is populated with some very quirky and odd characters, most of whom are content to just live out their lives never leaving this isolated little hamlet, no matter how depressing that may be. While they can hear the gunfire and explosions from across the water in the mainland, they aren’t really concerned or care about what’s happening there. They are more interested in the battle that’s brewing in their own little world. They have their routines and stick to them, that is until Colm abruptly changes things up. This throws a bit of excitement into the town, and people start to take sides. They also assume that the premonition that someone is going to die refers to Pádraic. The only glimmer of hope in this world is Siobhán, who seems to be the only person on the island looking for a better, more positive life, but she’s scared to tell her brother as she may be the only friend he has left. She would love for him to also escape this depressing town and join her, but she knows that he would never leave the island and his beloved animals.
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are both fantastic. Both deliver strong dramatic performances, but also perfectly execute the film’s deadpan humor, giving some hilarious one-liners. The memorable and perfectly-cast supporting characters also add a lot of fun and levity to this somewhat dreary little town. This is one place where the film really excels—the dialogue is witty and smart (even when it’s just people saying “feckless” and “feck off” a lot) and the way the jokes are delivered so casually and matter-of-factly really adds to the humor. That said, I wouldn’t really consider this film to be a straight-up comedy. The story takes many surprising and dramatic twists and turns. You may be laughing one moment but suddenly sitting in shock the next…much like finding out your best friend has abruptly decided he no longer likes you.
McDonagh is focused more on exploring this small town, its quirky characters and their relationships, rather than worrying about wrapping everything up with a neat bow. I generally prefer films that do resolve everything by the end, but I still found this movie’s slightly more open ending to still be very satisfying. The Banshees of Inisherin looks and feels a lot like a western, with Pádraic and Colm constantly facing off with one another like two gunmen. This feeling is enhanced by the fact that Colm wears a cowboy hat, and we constantly see Pádraic and Colm crossing paths while walking on a dirt road, like they are approaching one another for a duel.
The physical disc release of the film will be available tomorrow, but I was sent the HD Digital release for review, which I watched on the Apple TV. The Digital release is also available for purchase in 4K, but the HD version looks and sounds quite good, with a clean and detailed picture throughout that showcases the filming location. The island setting of the film is quite breathtaking, with its green grass, cliffs that overlook the blue ocean, and stone buildings with straw roofs. The colors are beautiful, especially as the sun shines down on this small hamlet. The audio track provides clear dialogue and does a nice job of providing a more immersive feeling with the ambiance of the town, animals, ocean, and battle sounds coming from the mainland. The 4K Digital release features Dolby Atmos sound and Dolby Vision, so this should look and sound even better than the HD Digital and Blu-ray releases.
The bonus material, which should be the same as what will be on the physical release, consists of an interesting 18-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and crew, as well as 5 deleted scenes.
What’s Included:
Cover photo is from the Blu-ray release. Specs and bonus material may vary per platform/retailer. We received the HD Digital release for review, which is what is reflected below.
Film: (1:53:54)
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras:
Content may vary by retailer.
- Creating The Banshees of Inisherin (17:49)
The cast and crew discuss the premise of the film, working with the writer/director, reuniting the actors, balancing the comedy and sadness, writing the parts for these specific actors, working with the miniature donkey named Jenny, making a period film, the filming locations, building the pub, the storyboarding process, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/director Martin McDonagh, producer Graham Broadbent, animal handler Megan Hines, location manager Eoin Holohan, costume designer Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, production designer Mark Tildesley, and stars Colm Doherty (“Brendan Gleeson”), Colin Farrell (“Pádraic Súilleabháin”), Kerry Condon (“Siobhán Súilleabháin”), Barry Keoghan (“Dominic Kearney”), Gary Lydon (“Peadar Kearney”) & Sheila Flitton (“Mrs. McCormick”). - Deleted Scenes: (4:53)
Collection of 5 deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:- Chasing Colm (:38)
Pádraic chases after Colm as he walks away and scales the walls. - Colm Can’t Compose (:28)
Colm has trouble coming up with the right tune for his song. - Parents’ Grave and Peadar (1:23)
Pádraic brings flowers to his parents’ grave and sees Peadar in a boat in the distance motioning that he’s going to kill him. - Siobhan Crying Too Loud (1:23)
Pádraic asks Siobhan to cry quieter after she wakes him up. - Stoic Equals Boring (:51)
Peadar tells Dominic about how public executions can be too stoic and boring.
- Chasing Colm (:38)
Final Thoughts:
The Banshees of Inisherin is a darkly comedic and sometimes shocking and gruesome tale of two longtime friends who abruptly have a falling out. The film has an amazing cast, and really transports the viewer back in time to the 1920s to a beautiful island off the coast of Ireland, which is filled with many odd, quirky and messed up inhabitants. The Digital audio/
BANSHEES INISHERIN US/EC/BD
46% Off $25.99 $13.99 (as of November 17, 2024 21:17 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
BANSHEES INISHERIN US/SD
30% Off $19.99 $13.99 (as of November 17, 2024 21:17 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
The Banshees of Inisherin (Plus Bonus Content)
(as of November 17, 2024 21:17 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
