‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ Is ‘More Intimate’ and Violent Than ‘In Bruges’ Despite Both Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are a match made in heaven, and their chemistry in movies is Hollywood gold. Despite their 2008 black comedy film In Bruges not making a splash at the box office, the pair reunited for The Banshees of Inisherin.

This time the movie is more intimate and violent than their 2008 effort despite starring the actors and having the same director.

‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ is about a breakup but not the kind you’d expect

Pádraic Sūilleabháin lives a quiet life with his sister Siobhan on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland. The two tend their livestock, and Pádraic spends much of his time with his lifelong friend, Colm Doherty.

The friends find themselves at an impasse when Colm one day ends their friendship. Stunned, a kind Pádraic seeks the help of his sister and an islander named Dominic to repair the broken friendship at any cost, refusing to take no for an answer.

However, Pádraic’s relentlessness to mend the friendship only strengthens Colm’s resolve as he puts his foot down about the seriousness of his decision. Colm gives his former friend a desperate ultimatum that results in brutal life-altering consequences.

The Banshees of Inisherin is set in 1923, near the end of the Irish Civil War. As the outside world continues to fight, Colm and his former friend unleash a psychological civil war in their community as most of their fellow residents become actively or passively involved in the increasing tension.

The film is the brainchild of writer and director Martin McDonagh, and it stars Gleeson as Colm and Farrell as Pádraic. Kerry Condon takes on the role of Pádraic’s sister Siobhan while Barry Keoghan plays Dominic. Pat Shortt and John Kenny play Jonjo Devine and Gerry, while Gary Lydon and Sheila Flitton play Paedar Kearney and Mrs. McCormick, respectively.

‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ is more violent than ‘In Bruges’

In Bruges follows Farrell and Gleeson’s characters, Ray and Ken, as they hide out in Bruges after a difficult job. Ray hates the city, but Ken finds it peaceful and enchanting. The movie takes audiences on a wild rollercoaster involving extreme violence, guts being spilled, and guns being fired.

However, director McDonagh who is behind both in Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin chooses to see things differently. Speaking to The Guardian, McDonagh felt The Banshees of Inisherin is more violent than In Bruges.

According to the director, the 2022 movie is “very funny, plus grotesque, violent, tender, surprising, a bit spooky and visually stunning.” While many of these elements rarely miss in McDonagh’s creations, he takes a different approach with The Banshees of Inisherin, giving it a less speedy mood to emphasize the pain and loneliness Pádraic feels after losing a friend.

Martin McDonagh’s ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ faced significant backlash

When Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, had its festival premiere, there was a consensus between critics and audiences that the movie would sweep at the Oscars. However, the narrative shifted when it left the festival circuit, and the backlash became too significant to ignore.

The controversy over the movie was due to its forceful redemption arc for an idiotic, racist cop who the film tries to force down audiences’ throats. The Guardian wrote, “The movie appears obtuse on race and blackness by making it a subsidiary function of the white characters’ moral journey.”

Despite its criticism, Three Billboards did exceptionally well, earning $160.2 million at the box office against a $15 million budget. McDonagh and the movie won Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards, while Sam Rockwell and Frances McDormand each won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a SAG Award, and a Critics Choice Award for their performances. The film currently holds a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.