The Banshees of Inisherin Review: A Feckin’ Good Time
Prior to seeing The Banshees of Inisherin, I hadn’t been familiar with Martin McDonagh’s filmography. In fact, the only other film of his I’d seen was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, so I’m a relative newcomer to his style. However, after seeing The Banshees of Inisherin, I wanted to familiarize myself with his prior films as soon as possible. So, at the risk of spoiling my review, this film is that good.
So, what makes it that good? Well, for starters, the core ensemble of Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon play off each other so brilliantly that the viewer believes their characters of Pádraic (Farrell), Colm (Gleeson), Siobhán (Condon), and Dominic (Keoghan), have been stuck together on Inisherin for all their lives.
On that note, the relationship between Pádraic and Colm is likely the best representation of how we push the people we love the most away. Likewise, I think the banter between Farrell and Gleeson is so wonderful to see onscreen. The two actors have this natural chemistry with one another that feels like a genuine friendship rather than something forced because the two have to be onscreen together. It’s something that no doubt was cultivated on the set of In Bruges, where, I’ll admit, their chemistry was a bit more playful than it is here but close enough for fans of that film to have a great time at the theater.
The final set of actors, Condon and Keoghan, didn’t have enough scenes for me to truly grasp onto what their characters were supposed to be, other than Pádraic’s sister (Condon) and the weird guy you end up walking home from the bar with (Keoghan). Both are great actors, so I’m not sure why McDonagh chooses to give the two limited screen time, other than that this is primarily a film about Pádraic and Colm’s relationship with one another.
My counterpoint would be that Banshees is about much more than the two’s relationship. It also features a brief discussion on the Irish Civil War and its ramifications on Inisherin (the film takes place in 1923, around the end of the Irish Civil War), or lack of one. That said, the impact is none. In almost every scene, cannons and gunfire can be heard in the distance. On top of that, Inisherin has gotten crueler. I won’t go into too many details, but McDonagh includes several storylines of how the Irish Civil War has forced good people to become emotionally distant or cold towards their neighbors, perhaps even worse.
Since I’m already talking about Ireland, I’d like to give a round of applause to McDonagh for his depiction of Irish people. He gets every little detail right - from the frequent trips to bars, quarreling with your friends, the dry humor, cursing like a sailor - he gets it. I know McDonagh is British-Irish, but as someone whose ancestors were Irish, it’s great to see Ireland portrayed in a non-stereotypical way for once. Bonus points for having filmed near the west coast of Ireland, where the fictional island of Inisherin is located in the film.
Not only that, but the cinematographer, Ben Davis, who McDonagh worked with previously on Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Seven Psychopaths. Davis has this way of shooting the Irish countryside that captures its natural beauty in a truly remarkable way. Some of this comes down to Davis’ choice to occupy the entire frame of a shot to showcase how full of life Inisherin is - even when things get ugly.
As for the score by Carter Burwell, it’s nothing to write home about. I’ve enjoyed Burwell’s scores for In Bruges, Where the Wild Things Are, Hail, Caesar!, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and many others, but Burwell isn’t trying to impress audiences here. It’s a much more subtle score, with a mandolin driving many of the melodies and a couple of other instruments like a flute, piano, or xylophone. His score has a sleepy vibe to it that can’t be reasonably described, but it fits well enough into Banshees of Inisherin and is some excellent thinking music for your workday.
Similarly, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, whom you may remember from his work on 2019’s Sound of Metal or my interview after his win at the Oscars, isn’t showy either - but that’s not a bad thing. His editing here is enough to keep viewers interested in the core relationship at the heart of the film - trimming anything that isn’t serving that main story.
So, after almost a month from my screening, I can confidently say that Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin is a must-see, whether you’re familiar with his work or not. It’s got great acting, stunning cinematography, and everything else you could want from an awards hopeful. So go check it out as soon as you can.
★★★★.5/5
The Banshees of Inisherin is now playing in theaters.
Until next time!
Thanks to Thomas Stoneham-Judge from Movies For Reel, Shane Conto, Joseph Davis, David Walters, Ambula Bula, Matthew Simpson, Thom Blackburn, and Libby Stephenson for supporting Austin B Media on Patreon!
