The Banshees of Inisherin is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh focused on friendship and letting go.
Story
Set on a remote island off of the coast of Ireland, it follows two friends, Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson). Colm suddenly ends their friendship, leading Pádraic to try to desperately repair the relationship. With the aid of Pádraic’s sister, Siobhán (Kerry Condon), and outcast Dominic (Barry Keoghan), we see the trio attempt several methods to change Colm’s mind.
Visuals
The film is beautifully shot and looks almost like a painting. It focuses on the beauty and loneliness of the environment. With hues of blue and high contrast that work perfectly with the film’s themes and mood. Also, it features some gore and darkness that comes unexpectedly, making it even more impactful.
Acting
Banshees features a stellar cast that each shine in their roles. Farrell and Gleeson’s characters are very different, and it was both amusing and sad to see their dynamic. Likewise, Condon’s character is quite the opposite of Farrell’s; their relationship as brother and sister felt very real and relatable. Keoghan also portrayed his character perfectly with aloofness and a sense of innocence.
Overall
Although, I noticed I didn’t crack up like the rest of the audience that I was with, the film definitely brought a smile to my face. It was humorous seeing the lengths that each character would go to achieve their goals. This definitely made the sadness of the film even more impactful when you reached that point of the story. I think that Banshees is a beautiful film and shares a story that everyone can relate to.
The Banshees of Inisherin releases October 21, 2022.
