The Banshees of Inisherin is a brilliant look into a falling-out between two best friends.
Overall Score: 10/10
Image: Searchlight Pictures
"I just don't like ya no more.” If your best friend were to come up to you one day and say this, how would you respond? Would you respect said friend’s wishes and choose to terminate a possibly life-long relationship? Or would you try to figure out the reason behind this sudden change and attempt to fix things?
This is essentially what The Banshees of Inisherin is about. Colin Farrell plays a man whose best buddy (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly stops wanting to be friends with him. Farrell’s character, of course, tries to mend their friendship, but in doing so, he sets off a chain of terrible subsequent events and consequences.
This film is… Well, it’s hard to review. Let’s just say that it isn’t going to be for everyone. By this, I mean that it’s weird and twisted, but it’s also extremely entertaining and amazing in terms of just being a movie. The dialogue is very well-written, the cinematography is outstanding, and the score is brilliant and memorable. And although I won’t delve into any specific details, I’ll say that The Banshees of Inisherin features one of the best uses of dramatic irony in recent memory. It’s truly ingenious (even if it is inherently quite simple), and writer-director Martin McDonagh deserves all of the praise he’s been getting for his work.
Another great thing about this movie is how its acting is superb all around. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson deliver top-notch, nuanced performances, perfectly selling their characters, their relationship, and their subsequent falling-out. Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, the pair’s co-stars, are also very good and both have multiple standout moments throughout the film.
At this point, The Banshees of Inisherin is an undeniable top-tier awards contender — a status which is evidenced by how it’s been racking up multiple nominations and wins this season. And although, if given the opportunity, I probably wouldn’t vote for it myself, I can certainly see why many others would. Like I said before, this is just a really well-made film and it more than deserves to be at the forefront of the awards conversation. Now, would I recommend checking it out? That depends. If you enjoy dark comedies and are okay with stories that are both slow-paced and bleak, rest assured that you’ll probably like this movie. If not, then you always have the option of skipping it.
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