The Banshees Of Inisherin

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on February 16, 2023.

(M) ★★★★★

Director: Martin McDonagh.

Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Gary Lydon, Pat Shortt, Sheila Flitton.

"What? Can't a man take his fecking donkey for a walk?"

Martin McDonagh is yet to make a bad film. His debut In Bruges is iconic, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was the best film of 2018, and even his weakest film Seven Psychopaths is wildly entertaining.

The Banshees Of Inisherin doesn't buck the trend of McDonagh quality - in fact, it's on par with In Bruges and Three Billboards. It's certainly his funniest film since In Bruges and yet also his darkest to date. But perhaps the most amazing thing about it is the fact it explores such huge ideas as the meaning of life, while simultaneously looking at the micro-aggressions of two stupid men with no capacity to deal with their own emotions.

The story is the tale of Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson), who live on the fictitious Irish island of Inisherin. After being long-time friends, Colm suddenly decides he has outgrown Pádraic, sparking an uncomfortable war between the men, with horrific consequences.

McDonagh's screenplay is stunningly and surprisingly hilarious. Even as it descends into bleaker and bleaker terrain, it maintains its cracking laugh rate, which often comes from the deadpan delivery of its perfectly timed dialogue. Undeniably dark in places, its fascinating how funny the film is, especially when considering it's tackling themes of loneliness, legacy, isolation, mental illness, social niceties and boredom. 

The golden script is magical in the hands of Farrell in particular. He makes Pádraic's mood swings believable, while also selling him as the nice-yet-dull person everyone thinks he is. He's somehow charming yet forgettable, bland yet emotional. It's a wonderfully complex character, delivered with gentle humour and pitch-perfect humanity. 

Not to be outdone is Gleeson's Colm. He's a more enigmatic character, with hints of a sad past, who also swings between extremes. But Gleeson always personifies him with a level of believability. Both male leads are strange, yet real-seeming, and equally intriguing, with credit going to Farrell and Gleeson for making them so.

Perhaps the flashiest of the main roles in Condon's Siobhán, being the only character seemingly able to effectively express what's on her mind. She provides a fascinating juxtaposition to the two emotionally stunted men at loggerheads in her orbit, and in Condon's hands she is far more than just a side character.

Shot on some of Ireland's beautiful west coast islands, the film is as pleasing to look at as it is oddly dark. It only goes to serve the film's dichotomies all the more.

The Banshees Of Inisherin is not a film you'll forget in a hurry, but if you like your humour dark and stormy, this is the perfect tonic for you.