The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Review

RATING: 9.5/10

COLIN Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Martin McDonagh reunite for the first time in over a decade to bring audiences a tragicomedy that will go in history as not only McDonagh's crowning achievement, but the best film of 2022.

Best friends Padaric (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson) find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly wants nothing to do with Padaric, ending their decades-old relationship. Despite assistance from sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and troubled youth Dominic (Barry Keoghan), Padaric is unable to mend this friendship, leading Colm to initiate an unforeseen ultimatum that may result in drastic consequences for both men.

The Banshees of Inisherin epitomises the strength of simplicity; two friends have a falling out and must fix it. But it's the manner of which director/writer Martin McDonagh handles this situation, inserting numerous twists and turns to keep audiences on their toes as this tumultuous relationship escalates before reaching its shocking yet inevitable conclusion. The direction McDonagh takes is nothing short of remarkable, using the gorgeous landscapes of Ireland's west coast as stunning backgrounds for profound conversations to make the experience all the more realistic and make the film feel like an authentic 1920s Irish ordeal.

Having previously worked with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in 2008's In Bruges, McDonagh understands the chemistry these two prolific actors possess with one another and makes full use of them as two friends going through the roughest of patches. While Gleeson is great in his more stoic role, it is Colin Farrell who steals the show, playing the opposite side of Gleeson's somber coin as he desperately attempts to reform an unexpected broken relationship. One scene during the second act of the film where Padaric confronts Colm in the local pub is a standout scene for Farrell and is an easy frontrunner for the Academy Awards this year. Onscreen sister Kerry Condon also stood out as an actress to keep an eye on moving forward as more recent performances such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Banshees proves she is a future award winner, showcasing her talents as Padaric's shoulder to cry on and almost represents his conscious as the movie progressively becomes darker in tone.

As much as I would love to discuss more about McDonagh's latest film, The Banshees of Inisherin is a movie you can't talk about without having seen it. The best parts of Inisherin are its profound characters and the performances which accompany them as every single actor, no matter how small their role, brings it all to this Irish isle. The Banshees of Inisherin is easily my favourite film of 2022, and with time, perhaps one of my favourites in history; please go see it.