The Banshees of Inisherin 

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan

Released in theaters (US) Oct. 21, 2022

Available from several streaming services, including Amazon Prime

BJ, one of my golfing pals, recommended The Banshees of Inisherin in a recent group email. AS, another golfing pal, said it was “dark and disturbing.” JM said he thought it was good in many ways, but confessed that he found it complicated and confusing. “Honestly, I have no idea what it meant.”

I thought: “Sounds interesting. I’m going to love this or hate it.” Last night, I watched it.

The Banshees of Inisherin is, indeed, a complicated movie. It begins as a pastoral period piece, slips into a doleful but warmhearted narrative, and then takes a sharp turn towards a macabre black comedy before resolving itself as an existential tragedy.

What I Liked About It 

* The photography by Ben Davis: beautiful, soft, and sad.

* The music by Carter Burwell: beautiful, soft, and sad.

* The dialog: country Irish. There’s nothing like it.

* The acting by three of the principals: Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan.

* The mood: Excellent. GSD (grim, stark, and depressing).

What I Didn’t Like (So Much) 

* Colin Farrell’s acting: He was hamstrung by his supremely intelligent good looks. His role was that of a simpleton. He couldn’t pull it off.

* The main plot point: I just couldn’t believe the premise. That after years of friendship, one friend would turn so suddenly and completely away from the other.

* The denouement: The story lacked any sort of satisfying resolution.

* The themes: Several were suggested by the plot and some of the dialog. But the movie lacked one overarching theme that could bring the whole thing together.

My Recommendation 

See it. Definitely, see it. Even with its several considerable flaws, it’s still better than 98 percent of the movies being made today.

You can watch the trailer here.