The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) - Movie Review
- Red
- Mar 17, 2023
- 4 min read
Directed by Martin McDonagh
The Banshees of Inisherin, directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Missouri) is a tragic dramedy that deeply explores themes of legacy, loneliness and friendship.
The Oscar-nominated movie is set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, where we come across long-time friends Padraic & Colm. Musician Colm suddenly decides he no longer wants to be friends with simplistic man Padriac. Padraic refuses to accept this, which results in devastating consequences for them both.
Mild spoilers follow...
Similar to other Oscar nominated movies this year, The Banshees of Inisherin features amazing performances. Kerry Condon was great as Padraic's sister, Siobhan, and Brendan Gleeson gave an interesting yet subtle performance as Colm. However, the standouts for me were Colin Farrell as Padraic and Barry Keoghan as Dominic. Farrell perfectly conveys Padraic's frustration and want for things to be back to normal. This slowly transforms into bitterness and a need for revenge after a death on the island, and Farrell easily allows the audience to empathise with his character despite Padraic going a step too far. Keoghan's Dominic is a simple-minded but good-hearted young man who faces trouble at home at the hands of his father. Keoghan fits the role perfectly and acts as a good friend to Padraic - sharing heart-warming moments and adding humour to the film.
Writer/director Martin McDonagh's story is rooted in human emotion and themes that affect us all, therefore giving the audience an opportunity to relate to and empathise with the characters. The script is witty, thought-provoking and genuinely funny, and full of Irish dialect. I laughed way more than I expected watching this film; kudos to McDonagh for balancing the serious tones with the humour so brilliantly. The way this is done is reminiscent of auteur Wes Anderson's style of writing. The direction is subtle, not taking any focus away from the performances, just elevating them.
Inisherin (shot on 2 islands off the west coast of Ireland) is very visually pleasing. McDonagh and cinematographer Ben Davis, known for his work on Marvel movies, use lightning and framing in both interior and exterior shots effectively in order to keep the scenes engaging and show the isolation of the characters on the island. Throughout the film, we're reminded of the Irish civil war that's taking place just a few miles away which reinforces the characters' feelings of being shut off from the rest of Ireland, and also acts as a metaphor for Colm & Padraic's relationship; they went from lifelong pals to enemies.
The conflict between the two leads is engaging, and although McDonagh made the bold choice of not showing the audience any scenes of Padraic & Colm's friendship before the feud, the superb performances, great chemistry and sublime script make the audience believe that these two have a rich history.
Banshees explores complex themes, but the most interesting one for me was life/legacy. Padraic is a simple man who accepts that life on Inisherin is isolated and quiet. On the other hand, Colm yearns for more. As he's aged, he's begun to think about the legacy he'll leave behind and his purpose in life. That's why he ends his friendship with Padraic - to focus on his music instead of wasting time talking about nothing. The film intelligently approaches this, and makes the audience question their own life and purpose, therefore giving meaning and purpose to the movie itself.
Ironically, each time Padraic attempts to make up with Colm, Colm cuts off one of his own fingers (without any resulting infection). Colm loves to play the fiddle, but by losing his fingers, he's unable to fulfil his purpose in life. The question is raised - why does the artist destroy the thing that allows him to create art? There are plenty of analyses trying to find deeper meaning in the film, and McDonagh leaves many aspects of the story to be interpreted by the viewer. For example, the old lady, Mrs McCormick (who may be a Banshee of sorts?) predicts that there will be two deaths on the island. By the end of the movie, one human and one animal bite the dust, and in the final scene, McCormick watches over Padraic & Colm's final conversation. Does this imply that one of them will pass away, or does the animal count as one of the two deaths? Or does McCormick symbolise something else? It's up for the viewer alone to decipher, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The stakes are upped when the pair begin causing even more harm to each other and their belongings. This enhances the conflict by making it more engaging through allowing the audience to see the feud in a more visual way.
The film's ending is a satisfying one, even if it's sombre. It rounds off the story very well and leaves plenty to think about, whilst also leaving the story feeling complete. The pair's final conversation is an interesting one, bringing the movie to a satisfactory close.
The Banshees of Inisherin is certainly one of my favourite films of 2022 and won't be one I forget anytime soon. It's rewatchable, clever and engaging, and also features some of the best performances of the year. I highly recommend it!
Watch The Banshees of Inisherin on Disney Plus
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