Despite limited fanfare or a huge marketing budget, The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the best movies of the year. Its grounded and relatable story combined with great performances makes for a film that will stay with you for a long time.

Colm and Padraic are two men living on the island of Inisherin, off the coast of Ireland, during the Irish Civil War in the 1920s. They were the best of friends until one day, Colm tells Padraic that he wants to end the friendship so that he can focus on his music and have more meaningful relationships with others. From there, a flabbergasted Padraic goes through a series of emotions and actions -- from attempted reconciliations to getting some form of revenge on his former friend.

What really makes this movie stand out is the brilliant writing and directing of Martin McDonagh, combined with the stellar performances from Colin Farrell as Padraic and Brendan Gleeson as Colm. Padraic goes through his own stages of grief since not only did he lose a friend in Colm, but others on the island have died, making it feel like Padraic’s world is shrinking. This all happens against the backdrop of the civil war.

There’s also a lot of good humor throughout the movie. A lot of the exchanges between Colm and Padraic contain dry wit and dark humor. The supporting cast is also great and helps to flesh out the script and make the film more immersive. Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan’s characters are especially great in this respect.

The reason why The Banshees of Inisherin is likely to stay with you long after the credits roll is because of how relatable the story and characters are. Everyone has had a friendship end in ways they didn’t anticipate, and sometimes relationships with people are warped without any warning. It’s only natural to try and figure out where things went wrong and maybe reconcile, but sometimes people are stubborn and set on doing something that it can’t be helped. The world can’t slow down for us during those moments, so we’re left with little choice in what to do. It’s a process of emotions that this movie captures beautifully and then cranks up the aftermath to an entertaining degree.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a movie that I’ll recommend to people for years to come. The script, direction, and acting are all masterclass level. Screenings can be hard to find, so I suggest that you keep an eye out for a streaming or blu-ray release.

Author Bio:

Ulises Duenas is a senior writer at Highbrow Magazine.

For Highbrow Magazine