The Banshees of Inisherin explores the sudden and unexpected fallout of a friendship through the lens of black comedy.
Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon delivered fantastic performances – great character development. Colin Farrell (Padraic) delivers one of the best performances of his career, with his naivety slowly transforming into a roaring rage. Brendan Gleeson (Colm) is fantastic with his consistently tranquil nature and ability to humanize his character despite his seemingly harsh decisions. Barry Keoghan portrays his character’s innocence with so much honesty – I really enjoyed him in this role. Kerry Condon’s performance was full of warmth and she had an endearing sibling dynamic with Colin Farrell.
The film is a metaphor for the war itself and it parallels Colm and Padraic’s conflicts. The war and their conflict were both futile and resulted in suffering for everyone involved.
The cinematography is stunning – the visual landscapes in Ireland and the color tone is balanced and beautifully shot.
Director, Martin McDonagh, did a wonderful job with this movie, and does trigger a deep reflection on themes about conflict, isolation, self-destruction, and life in general.
There is also historical context that should be examined with regard to Irish people leaving Ireland due to the Catholic and Protestant war + fighting for freedom from England.
I highly recommend this film!
