User Reviews

A brilliant 2022 masterpiece that blends sharp dark comedy with a deeply profound message about life, friendship, and loneliness. The story starts with a simple, jarring premise: a lifelong friend suddenly stops talking to another because he wants to focus on his art and his legacy before he dies. This creates a devastating chain reaction because the other friend has no one else to turn to and simply cannot move on. The movie beautifully tracks this emotional collapse. While it features great supporting characters—like his intelligent sister, his troubled young friend Dominic, and his beloved donkey Jenny—the narrative ends on a devastatingly isolated note where the protagonist is left entirely alone. It is a slow, deeply atmospheric, and emotionally heavy film that manages to be both hilarious and utterly heartbreaking. A true masterpiece.

Depressing, but funny and heartwarming? And how beautiful is Ireland, really? It's just a shame that there are all those creepy old women running around everywhere prophesying deaths.

Banshees of Inisherin is almost Shakespearian in its approach. Every line is delivered with a rhythm that is carried over from actor to actor, and feels melodic. This paired with the drums of gunfire in the background, the cymbals of crashing waves against the shore, makes for a film that sounds as inspiring as it looks. Every beat of comedy is hugged by a melancholy theme, almost tucking the audience in bed only to splash water on our face shortly after. You would think you would be over it, but you just wipe your face and ask for more.

With a story that feels absurd yet undeniably dramatic, and characters who are both obsessively extreme and tinged with bittersweet emotions, The Banshees of Inisherin weaves a thought-provoking fable that lingers between the surreal and the painfully real.

Nice cinematography. As a story, it threatens to become interesting but never does. Extremely underwhelming watch

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Nice film. There’s good acting here. Therefore, its photography is aesthetically enjoyable. It aligns with its script and art direction when delivering thoughtful metaphors to the text. I’ve read a critic that made a connection between the relationship of the characters and a civil war situation in the country. Even if you don’t see it this way, the movie still brings good reflections about time, how we want to be remembered, and if it’s so important that it takes precedence over others.

Meticulously slow. Matchingly boring, dreary and gross. Gosh... today's cinema. It has to be **** painful, doesn't it? It's either pointlessly perverse/perversely pointless or pointlessly painful/painfully pointless with those damn people. No other option. And to think it's all coming from the brilliant "In Bruges" creator. There's just no hope for humanity. And yes, I got your little precious donkey gnostic allegory against God, you ****.

Good performances and cinematography. Nice rugged Irish scenery, but otherwise a rather bizarre and somewhat morbid picture.

Películas que demuestran que el Cine es un Arte tan sublime, como necesario.

I love watching these guys kinda do nothing and talk. That's how you know there was good writing involved, when you don't care if anything even happens Holy god I just rewatched this and realized I was too depressed before to realize how **** depressing this movie is

The Banshees of Inisherin tells the silent fight between the characters who decide to change or have to change on a boring island. In the film, in which no idea is glorified or criticized, the effect of knowledge on people is examined. The movie, in which the centuries-old fight between people who read and people who don't read is reenacted on a small island, shows us that we need to make radical decisions, even if it sometimes upsets some people or frightens us. When Einstein said that people are divided into two, the good and the bad, he didn't say that the good should be boring. The main priority in this life is ourselves, and to make ourselves happy, we should be in places where we will be satisfied and do things that make us happy. While Siobhan sees the benefits of his radical decision, Colm, unfortunately, has to struggle with Padraic's obsessions and manages to reach the happiness he seeks, even if a few fingers are missing.

IN A NUTSHELL: The movie was written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Already, it has been nominated for a Golden Globe and garnered Oscar Buzz. When it premiered at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, it received a 15-minute standing ovation! The story is Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland and follows lifelong friends Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Padraic, aided by his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavors to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Padraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences. THINGS I LIKED: The talented cast is absolutely fantastic and knocks it out of the park. You’ll see great performances by all but especially by Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan. All four of them are actually from Ireland in real life! Director Martin McDonagh really loves pairing Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson together. They all worked together on In Bruges in 2008. We get to travel to a small island off the coast of Ireland and see some beautiful countryside. Those cliffs are gorgeous, but I would never get that close to the edge as several characters do! There is a fascinating blend of humor perfectly balanced with tragedy. A banshee is an anglicized word for “bean si” which is the Irish word for a woman fairy who tells the death of a family member by screaming or wailing. Brendan Gleeson’s character writes a song on the violin and says the title is “The Banshees of Inisherin” but we also see an old woman foretell the death of two characters. Fun fact: An old man hand-knit sweaters for all of the main characters! THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s really hard to understand what everyone says because of the thick accents. This is a movie you’ll want to watch with the captions turned on. Some say that this movie is about the Irish Civil War. Did you catch that? Some viewers will just think the entire film is odd and unrealistic. What do YOU think? TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. We hear lots of Irish profanity, including F-bombs. We hear the word “****” a million times. We see severed, bloodied fingers We see the aftereffect of a man who claims he was beaten up by his father.

Good twisted story that have more layers then expected at first

The Banshees of Inisherin This tragicomedy trails two best friends, Pádraic Súilleabháin and Colm Doherty, when Colm decides to abruptly end their friendship because he thinks Pádraic is dull. All attempts by Pádraic (and his sister) to mend their friendship end at an impasse. This flick is brilliantly brought to life by its leads, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson; with Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan also giving exceptional supporting performances, Kerry's being a eureka moment. The script is fresh and simple, and has a steady pacing. The dialogues are keen, employing dark humour, line repetitions and callbacks. Themes of friendship, male loneliness and existentialism are explored. The Banshees of Inisherin is finished off with great cinematography, location and score. 8/10

A beautifully shot comedy/drama with elements of dread and deep sadness from Martin McDonagh. The look of the film and breathtaking shots of the island off the West coast of Ireland are breathtaking. The film is expertly directed and crafted, with great lead performances and exceptional supporting roles for Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. The film feels as though it is an allegory or fable akin to the Irish Civil war at the time with Mrs. McCormick (the old lady in black) serving as it's oracle or ultimate observer of events through time. The tone is difficult to adjust to at times, and the humor is very dark, but that is what you can come to expect from a Martin McDonagh film. Some scenes will leave you in absolute awe, like the one with Dominic and Kerry by the lake, but the movie overall lacks a bit in structure and lasting impact. Setting, Conflict, Character, Dialogue, Theme, Plot, and Climax: A- Runtime: 1:54 Audience Engagement (do you feel runtime): No Top Genres: Comedy, Drama (Fiction) Genre(s) rating Comedy - 8 Drama - 9 Genre Average Score: 8.5 Directing: 10 Cinematography/lighting: 10 Story/Narrative: 8 Structure: 7 Dialogue: 9 Score(music): 10 Editing: 9 Acting: 9 Characterization: 9 Mise en Scène/Visual Design: 10 Visual Effects: 9 Sound Design: 9 Costumes/Makeup: 10 Lasting Impact: 8 Originality: 8 Overall: 8.97

Perhaps Martin McDonagh’s most intimate and mature work, The Banshees of Inisherin works like a fine play. This wonderfully written and acted story is centered around petty grievances, centered on the backdrop of civil war in Ireland, as well as the idea of time slipping away through the monotony of every day life, with people desperate to leave their mark on the world. Sad, funny, poignant, and featuring some at times breathtakingly gorgeous cinematography, this is one of McDonagh's best yet.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

This is easily McDonagh's best film since In Bruges. Two friends, a remote Ireland's island, irish civil war and the story of a depression and a broken friendship. Such simple elements that director's McDonagh manages with a beautiful mis en scene. Great cinematography, great acting, great screenplay = great movie.

I joined metacritic just to write a review of this film. Ok, I'll admit: the acting is nice, the cinematography is nice and the lines are well-composed. The colours are nice, the setting is nice. The concept of the story - the random decision of a man to break off a friendship - I think that this has potential. A study of loneliness in old Ireland seems very relevant to our stupid modern era. All of this has potential. However, when I got to the first finger chopping off scene I just turned it off. Not through squeamishness, but out of black anger over how stupid a plot device that was. I mean, it was STUPID. I couldn't bear the stupidity. A musician chopping off his own finger and then walking down the lane without showing any pain? Have you ever hit your thumb with a hammer? The guy would have been unable to walk or speak. This would have been a truly overwhelming trauma that would have traumatised not just the dude, but the entire village. He would have been writhing, screaming in agony. The casual employ of this hideous self-mutilation without any consideration of reality serves to undermine any interest I have in the remainder of the story. Ok, I get it's supposed to be a fairy tale, but on this occasion I'm just not prepared to run with it. Now we come to really terrible bit. I cannot reconcile myself to the music in this film. It seems completely at odds with the setting and it SIMPLY. DOES. NOT. WORK. I'm agitated by the tone-deafness of the director, and by the general approval this score has received. It's a rubbish score!

I expected a lot more from the writers and director. Plot lacks any kind of high-stakes because it is so unrealistic. Like the idea was to make two guys going to battle for no reason (yes I know as a metaphor for the civil war there) but it seems overly trivial and is never explained. That is lazy writing.

I don't hate dark comedy but I hate it when there's too much emphais on it. I really like how better call saul writers did it, people found the jokes funny because they weren't trying to be elaborately funny or edgy. The characters felt hollow I didn't feel any sort of connection towards them. Remember in tree of life? characters didn't even convey their thoughts properly but you could really feel their emotional state really well, sorry but this film has failed to develop a single proper character. Anyhow, the cinematography was excellent and probably the onlything I enjoyed.

As an episode of a very successful comedy series, this is perfect: anyway this is perfect. If we have seen three billboards, maybe we can consider cutting off a finger as a cliché, in any case, it was done correctly. Colin Ferrell gives his role 100% development through acting technique, otherwise his chemistry is not compatible with the role. (We see in this film how the technique covers the fit of an actor with the role, which only works in some cases) and one point that we must add that the film intentionally or unintentionally does not take into account: Person A: I don't care what you say Person B: I don't care what you are Person A: Then why are you talking to me? Person B: Because my heart is burning to you Because I pity you, it is not taken into account or its role is diminished. In any case, because it is performed correctly, I consider it a perfect movie. And one of the most interesting things about this film is that an Irish filmmaker with typical democratic ideas in his film (perhaps more than usual) about how a few people are fighting each other and does it in a way that For example and for example, if I, who live in a communist society, see it, I can look at it as an outcome current.(and in an indirect way, the second best film against music).5/5

This movie was just what I needed when I had nearly all but given up on the cinema. It is hilarious and relaxing. Colin Farell and Brendan Gleeson are both hysterical and play their roles to perfection. This kicked **** year for films, along with “The Menu” and “Triangle of Sadness.” Highest recommendations.

The Banshees of Insherin aspires to mean something, which in fact, it does, but it does a poor job of making me care. The two main characters suffer from dullness for 90% of the Film, which is no fault of the actor's Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson. And though the dullness may have been intended, it makes for dull viewing. The Film seems to be so proud of its symbolic elements that it's perfectly content not to work out the actual story in a meaningful way. Highlights acting wise goes to Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, who add some much-needed life to this tale. There are things to enjoy, such as beautiful cinematography and soaring landscapes, enough to make one wish to head to Ireland immediately! There are moments of humour and seriousness that make you think that the story may lead somewhere and move forward in a way you won't expect, but it somehow ends up being repetitive and not very satisfying. For film buffs and lovers of slow burn, there are metaphors and gems to uncover, but for casual viewing, this is frustrating and overly long at best and seems to lack an extra kick or spice to make it feel worth my time. With heightened expectations and promise of mastery, I found the Film lacking and found the comparison to Shakespeare laughable and saw nothing but a plastic shell of what the movie could have been. 4.4 out of 10

The Banshees of Inisherin é um excelente filme, quase chorei em determinado momento.

Why, oh why, do movie critics have such a fetish for ridiculous, emotionally manipulative films? Is it Artistic? I guess. If the definition of art includes a requirement for shocking plot twists and/or an achingly sad script. “Oooooo…I didn’t see THAT coming” the smug movie critic mutters to the stranger sitting next to him. “So dark! So fancy! Definitely 5 stars!” And, yes, I get the symbolism, the civil war, the foreshadowing bc I remember it from high school English class, in which, by the way, a 15 year old student would get an “A” but with the comment, “you clearly poured your heart into this short story. You’re on your way to becoming a great writer. Realize, however, that you don’t have to include every literary device in each story. Pace yourself.”

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

THE GOOD: Flawless on mainly every single aspect. I really enjoyed the main trio of protagonists. I love the premise and the characters so much. THE BAD: It is a simple as it gets, which ain't necessarily a bad thing, but maybe left me wanting something else.

i totally agree with your girlfriend. I am 71 and it is the worst movie i have ever seen. i am telling everyone i know not to see it. Why is so so awful?............I saw one reviewer who said his wife became physically ill and I could easily see that. What stood out for me was that every sentence that came out of someones mouth was a Klesha. What is a kleshas ? Mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome action. (ie anger, fear, jealousy etc) Every word was dark, depressing, unkind, **** movie just kept going downhill darker and darker.........I expected it would balance....that there would be some sparks of kindness but none.........Cutting off his fingers because the depressed guy spoke to him when his love in life was playing music is supposed to be art??? In whose world........plus made the Irish look stupid and mean. My ancestors are from the Irish Islands and this movie was really an insult to them............

What factor makes a friendship of years end for no logical reason? The presumed calm with which the plot unfolds explains everything without complications or intricacies, supported by a quite interesting cast and set design. One of the best proposals of the year.

Un film che rappresenta la metafora di un qualsiasi conflitto umano (in questo caso la guerra civile del 1923 in Irlanda) visto però da due **** che "fisicamente" sono ben lontani dalla guerra ma mentalmente ne restano coinvolti.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Decent acting. More of a dark comedy, to me, but without the laughs. Simply a dark, and very stupid movie. I was expecting a revelation regarding how mad-eye moody was mentally handicapped. Didn’t come, despite my opinions about the character.

Well-made film with excellent cinematography! But empty! The best are the animals. Without the animals there is no movie!

I don't know what the hype was about. It was a boring movie... The acting was good but the plot, nah. They don't have a solid foundation for the movie let alone the motive.

'Quirkiness' is not an attribute I usually appreciate. The track record is not great - from Benny and Joon to Napoleon Dynamite, movies that rely on charm and warmth instead of plot and impactful dialogue is an approach I simply dislike. Banshees has no such warmth, as it's much closer to a lamentation on stoicism. Like In Bruges and Three Billboards, there's an air of hard cynicism permeating throughout the film. It's much less fleshed out than those films, and the dialogue is rather minimalist. It's not about that though, as it really is more a philosophical exploration on an array of oft uncomfortable subjects people tend to avoid. Isolation, friendship, death, time, interpersonal illusions, facile gossip, abuse, stoicism - it really goes on... Which is remarkable given how seemingly little there is on the surface, at times. Which can make the film a little slow. But the performances are all great (honestly, Colin Farrell has turned from kind of a joke to a legitimately decent actor), it's compelling, and the cinematography is also really good. Lastly, this film has an underspoken and underappreciated quality - the linger effect. Chances are you'll think about this film long after it's over. It's unique and thought provoking, and in this saturated and compromised artistic time we live in, it's refreshing.

Martin McDonagh's latest movie, The Banshees of Inisherin, is an excellent exploration of friendship, anger, depression, rage, and sadness, all while maintaining a dark sense of humour. Featuring two remarkable performances by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, the film follows a one-time best friends, Colm (Gleeson) and Pádraic (Farrell), as Colm's dislike for his friend leads them both down a dark path. Set against the backdrop of 1920s Ireland during the civil war, the rural island of Inisherin provides a stunning visual for the narrative. Along with the powerful performances, McDonagh's script and Kerry Condon's portrayal of Pádraic's sister, Siobhan, create a moving and poignant story of alienation and mortality. With strong performances, high emotion, and stunning visuals, The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the best films of the year. __________________ La última película de Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin, es una excelente exploración de la amistad, la ira, la depresión, la ira y la tristeza, todo ello manteniendo un oscuro sentido del humor. Con dos actuaciones notables de Colin Farrell y Brendan Gleeson, la película sigue a Colm (Gleeson) y Pádraic (Farrell), los mejores amigos de una vez, mientras la aversión de Colm por su amigo los lleva a ambos por un camino oscuro. Situada en el contexto de la década de 1920 en Irlanda durante la guerra civil, la isla rural de Inisherin proporciona una imagen impresionante para la narrativa. Junto con las poderosas actuaciones, el guión de McDonagh y la interpretación de Kerry Condon de la hermana de Pádraic, Siobhan, crean una conmovedora y conmovedora historia de alienación y mortalidad. Con actuaciones sólidas, mucha emoción y efectos visuales deslumbrantes, The Banshees of Inisherin es una de las mejores películas del año.

(Mauro Lanari) I take this opportunity to explain the matter (perhaps) once and for all. Nietzsche's anthropology is dualistic by contrasting the active nihilists to the passive ones: while the former accept the status quo for "amor fati", the latter fail to adapt to it as they do not possess a disposition that allows them to accept survivalism with its degenerative process until the extinction. Alternative dichotomies such as floats vs. drowned, integrated vs. apocalyptics, settled vs. marginalized, conformists vs. eccentrics are more imprecise. So far, humanity has shown that it falls within such a binary category, idem the entire planetary culture. Twentieth-century existentialism was a mass phenomenon that disappeared in the second half of the period. Earlier we find the Greek epic poems from Homer to Hesiod, the pre-Socratic philosophy, the Athenian tragedy that reached the point of no return with Sophocles' "Oedipus at Colonus" in 401. In the Jewish sphere, the further root of Western thought, we find the defeatism of Qohèlet. The problem lies in the fact that they have only ever known how to complain or protest, never suggesting anything constructive. The active nihilists are instead Epicureans, Horatians, Juvenalesques, cantors of the "carpe diem". Even art and therefore cinema can be traced back to the two Nietzschean typologies, and individual authors or single works can even oscillate unsteadily between one pole and another. "Tertium datur"? In effect, yes. In 524, the year before he was killed, Boethius exposes in the "De consolatione philosophiae" a dilemma that will find a more rigorous formula with Leibniz in the "Essais de Théodicée", written in 1705 and published in 1710: "Si Deus est, unde malum? Si non est, unde bonum?". For atheists, materialists and immanentists the opportunity opened up to analyze the second horn of the dilemma. How many took advantage of it? How many finally began to provide a proposal? To my knowledge, only one thinker: Ernst Bloch, starting with his main book released in '59. That is, our debut attempt beyond active and passive nihilisms dates back to only a few decades ago. Shocking and devastating. With this, even McDonagh cannot but refer to the "despair of Kierkegaard" (Federico Pontiggia), to the "funereal twilight of Beckett" (Enrico Azzano), "not for nothing Samuel Beckett is Dubliner and certainly one of the strongest referents, [...] very skilled weaver of plots and dialogues mixed in the absurd" (Emanuela Martini), "it looks like a comedy of the absurd in costume written by Beckett" (Carlo Valeri). And why not even 1938 Sartre's "La Nausée"? Stop with this rearguard, after decades and millennia I demand from culture something that at least [re]starts from Bloch.

'The Banshees of Inisherin' is tragicomedy at its finest. Martin McDonagh is back with an intimate yet powerful tale about friendship, solitude and the irrationality that led to a civil war and a conflict still felt today. As a metaphor for the long Irish conflict, the film manages to show the absurdity of both sides. Pádraic and Colm represent the arbitrariness that led to it and the violent results. This is a Martin McDonagh film, so expect characters presented with a darkly comedic touch that makes them as funny as bleak. The star of the show, of course, is Colin Farrell. Just look at the man's eyebrows; they show you his mood and emotions every damn time. This very well could be his best performance yet. But that's not it, because Barry Keoghan, Kerry Condon, and Brendan Gleeson are astounding in their roles, and even the smaller ones are great, giving you laughs, somber moments, and great lines equally. 'Banshees...' is funny and sad; McDonagh's brilliant screenplay gives insight into the sentiment of a nation struggling and how that affected its society. I hope this wins at least one or two Oscars next month.

I’ve thought of this movie often in the weeks since viewing it. There’s a powerful lesson in the story, backed up by good acting—serious and funny. A bit slow at the start, but lovely once the narrative gets humming.

First off, the landscape shots and the actors are absolutely awesome. Also the dialogues are pretty good with dark irish humour. So why only 7 points? The story was not believable for me. I understood that the older friend was going through some kind of "end life crisis". But therefore ending a long lasting friendship and cutting off fingers? No **** just feels constructed and not realistic at all. However, the weak story is somewhat compensated by the irish atmosphere on a small island which is conveyed very well. Also, the actors are really good and the landscape is beautiful. And yes, dialogues are sometimes really funny.

I found The Banshees Of Inisherin quite silly at the first 45 minutes because of you know, reason of the main story, but it's not bad at all, and i ended up found that The Banshees Of Inisherin as a really great dark comedy film with incredible performances by all the cast and the sillyness of the story ended up to be a really really great fascinating amazing story, i was really investedly growing to the story throughout the time, while not emotionally in the characters i still found it great, it is entertaining, engaging, partially funny and mostly depressing, The Banshees Of Inisherin was surely something special, it's nothing i've ever seen and it's incredible!

A movie about ... nothing? Was this a Greek play that I had to study in high school? In the words of Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing.

I don't know what the hype was about. It was a boring movie. The acting was good but the plot, nah. They don't have a solid foundation for the movie let alone the motive.

It's probably a good movie for Irish people, as they can relate to the characters and the way they express/speak, as well as their attitudes and general way of behaving. Unfortunately, from the point of view of an average Brazilian, it's downright boring.

Another BIZARRE movie. It is getting to be a pandemic. It seems as if the best way to get critics to love your film is to do something bizarre or nonsensical. This movie was both. The acting wasn't even as good as people claim. I miss the good old days of movies that told great (and believable) stories.

Una buena historia, con un excelente guion, los personajes están bien desarrollados y se complementan con una dirección de arte maravillosa.

An outstanding picture! Beautiful shots, amazing locations. Highest level of acting. Inspiring and thought provoking film. Watch it!