The Banshees of Inisherin is a 2022 black tragicomedy film directed, written, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh.[6][7][8] Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, the film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them; Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan also star. It reunites Farrell and Gleeson, who previously worked together on McDonagh's directorial debut, In Bruges (2008).[9][10][11]
The film had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2022, where Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay.[12] It was theatrically released in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States on 21 October 2022 by Searchlight Pictures. The film received critical acclaim, with particular praise towards McDonagh's direction and screenplay, the performances of the main cast, and Carter Burwell's score. It has grossed $33.7 million worldwide against an estimated $20 million budget.[3]
The Banshees of Inisherin received nine nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Farrell), Best Supporting Actor (Gleeson and Keoghan), Best Supporting Actress (Condon) and Best Original Screenplay.[13] At the 80th Golden Globe Awards, it achieved three wins from eight nominations: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor – Musical or Comedy (Farrell), and Best Screenplay.[14] Additionally, at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards, the film received five nominations, alongside Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), tying the record for the most nominations previously set by Shakespeare in Love (1998), Chicago (2002), and Doubt (2008).[15] It was also named one of the Top Ten Films of 2022 by the National Board of Review.[16]
Plot
At the tail end of the Irish Civil War in 1923, on the fictional Irish isle of Inisherin, folk musician Colm Doherty abruptly begins ignoring his lifelong friend and drinking buddy Pádraic Súilleabháin. Pádraic, though nice and well liked by the islanders, is too "dull" for Colm, who wishes to spend the remainder of his life composing music and doing things for which he will be remembered. Pádraic's life is destabilised by the loss of one of his few friends; as Pádraic grows increasingly distressed at the rejection, Colm becomes more resistant to his old friend's attempts to speak to him. Colm eventually gives Pádraic an ultimatum: every time Pádraic bothers him or tries to talk with him, Colm will cut off one of his own left fingers with a pair of sheep shears.
The local Garda, Peadar, beats his troubled son Dominic severely, and Pádraic and his sister Siobhán take Dominic in for a short time. Later in the pub, Peadar insults Pádraic, who retaliates by making public the fact that he beats his son and sexually abuses him as well.
After Pádraic delivers milk to the market, Peadar accosts him and strikes him twice, knocking him to the ground nearly unconscious. Colm witnesses this. Wordlessly he lifts Pádraic back into his wagon and drives it back toward their homes. On the way, Pádraic breaks down sobbing. Colm pulls the wagon to a stop at a fork in the road, and gets out to walk down the right path toward his house, leaving Pádraic to guide his wagon along the left path to his own.
Though Siobhán and Dominic attempt to defuse the pair's escalating battle, their efforts prove fruitless. Pádraic, drunk, confronts Colm in the pub. Colm remarks that this is the most interesting Pádraic has been, and to himself mutters, "I think I like him again now." Dominic tells Pádraic about what Pádraic said and Colm's reply, and Pádraic goes to Colm's house to apologise. Colm rejects him, and later cuts off one of his fingers and throws it at Pádraic's door.
After Pádraic sees Colm meeting with a fiddler from the mainland, Pádraic tricks the fiddler into returning home by lying about his father being hit by a bread van. As the tensions worsen, local elder Mrs. McCormick warns Pádraic that death will come to the island soon. Meanwhile, Siobhán gently rejects Dominic's romantic advances.
Pádraic tells Dominic about what he did to the fiddler, and Dominic says that Pádraic is no longer nice. Pádraic becomes convinced that this will make him interesting enough for Colm, and he visits Colm to reprimand him for behaving so badly. They converse awkwardly, and Colm reveals that he has finished composing his song, which he calls "The Banshees of Inisherin." Pádraic suggests that he should go ahead to the pub and order them a couple of pints. Colm says that would be fine. Pádraic tells Colm about lying to the fiddler to run him off the island, and that perhaps all three of them could have drinks. Pádraic waits in vain at the pub, drinking many pints. Colm cuts off his remaining left fingers with the shears and throws them at the door of Padraic's cottage.
Sick of life on the island, Siobhán moves to the mainland for a job in a library. Pádraic comes home to find his pet donkey Jenny has choked on one of the fingers and died. A heartbroken Pádraic blames Colm for the donkey's death. He confronts Colm and tells him he will burn his house down the next day at 2:00 p.m., and that he doesn't care if Colm is in the house at the time or not, but that he hopes Colm will ensure that his dog is outside, as the dog has done nothing to Pádraic. The next day at 2:00 p.m. as promised, Pádraic sets fire to Colm's house. The dog is sitting outside the door, and Pádraic puts it in his wagon to take home. Only after setting the house on fire, Pádraic looks in a window and sees Colm calmly sitting inside the burning building. Peadar goes to Pádraic's house, presumably to arrest him or beat him. He is diverted away by Mrs. McCormick, who wordlessly leads him to Dominic's corpse floating in the nearby lake.
The next morning, Pádraic, with the dog, finds Colm standing on the beach beside his burnt-out house. Colm apologises for the donkey's death and suggests destroying the house has ended their feud, but Pádraic informs him that it only would have ended if he had stayed inside the house. When Colm wonders if the Civil War has ended, Pádraic states he believes it may be a good thing that there are some things that cannot be moved on from. As Pádraic turns to leave, Colm thanks him for looking after his dog; "Any time", Pádraic replies. Unbeknownst to them, Mrs. McCormick is watching them from a distance by Colm's burned cottage.
Cast
- Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin
- Brendan Gleeson as Colm Doherty
- Kerry Condon as Siobhán Súilleabháin
- Barry Keoghan as Dominic Kearney
- Gary Lydon as Garda Peadar Kearney
- Pat Shortt as publican Jonjo Devine
- Sheila Flitton as Mrs. McCormick
- Bríd Ní Neachtain as postmistress Mrs. O'Riordan
- Jon Kenny as Gerry
- Aaron Monaghan as Declan
- David Pearse as priest
- Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola as female singer
- John Carty as older musician 1
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