Have you ever watched a movie trailer, and have no idea what the movie is about but you’re still intrigued? That was me the first time I saw a trailer for The Banshees of Inisherin.
It looked like it could be a drama. The music played like a horror almost. Yet, some of the dialogue was chuckle worthy. I honestly had no idea what to expect or what the story was going to be. All I knew, was that I liked Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson and the trailer did its job. I was interested.
A Note to the Reader
This is a Spoiler Free review, and therefore we will not be going into details to respect the film-lovers who have not yet seen the movie.
Also, this is my review, and my opinions. As with all things, I recommend watching it yourself and being your own judge in the end, but hope my review may provide you with some initial insight and some fun reading.
Thank you! 
Plot Summary
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) via Searchlight Pictures
What I Loved
Superb Acting
I knew The Banshees of Inisherin was going to be a strong movie just due to the casting of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. But wow! Their acting, along with Kerry Condon, just blew me away. Colin especially. The emotion that is displayed, without words, is incredible. And when words are thrown in the mix…it just takes it to the next level.
All of the side characters in this movie as well, just really nailed their roles. It was a solid, well-rounded, cast of actors.
Setting
This movie takes place in 1923 on a fictional isle of Ireland called Inisherin, and what an isle it is. I loved that 1920’s sea-side village setting. A place where most characters walk from house to pub. All the shots seemed to have that dramatic gray/blue filter. So nothing was super vibrant. But also, this was shot in Ireland, and it is pretty overcast a vast majority of the time.
Also, despite the Irish Civil War going on in the background, the setting though dark, was cozy. And I’m all for cozy villages.
Stock Characters
The Banshees of Inisherin was as close to a Shakespearian play as I’ve seen a movie come to in recent memory.
Not only in the sense of being a Dramatic Tragedy, but also in its array of stock characters.
We have the snoopy shopkeep, the cryptic hag, a village idiot, and the arrogant peace officer. The barkeep and the regular also make a fun appearance.
The movie had these stock characters, and used them as great tools to support our main two protagonists. Love to see it!
What I Didn’t Love
Shallow Motives
Now, I put these as a negative, but in reality it lives in a gray area for me. This movie, is a story. And not all stories need to have some great and wondrous moral to them. Now, I think it is present in The Banshees of Inisherin but you have to want to see it.
I won’t reveal the motive for Colm wanting to abandon his friendship with Padraic. However, I will say it reminded me of an episode of The Golden Girls, of which I’m a slightly obsessed fan. It reminded me specifically of Dorothy’s New Friend (Season 3, episode 15) and if you go and look that up, that’s on you. And though it doesn’t mirror Colm’s motive exactly, that’s the definite vibe I got while watching the movie. So, if you know, you know.
Logistics
I’m going to take a moment here to say, this is a mild spoiler…mild, but still spoiler adjacent. So you’ve been warned. Mild. Very mild. But also, could be a trigger warning for some, so I don’t feel too awful about mentioning it – in very mild – terms.
There is some self-mutilation. And my gripe comes with the logistics of severing certain things on ones body.
In the movie, I just found myself being taken out of the moment at how the situation was handled. It made for really grimy and gritty scenes though. Which I’m sure was the goal so, mission accomplished.
In Conclusion
The Banshees of Inisherin was described as a Drama and Comedy, but I personally would categorize it as a dramatic tragedy with some humorous bits peppered throughout. I never teared up, but overall it left me feeling sad. Some people grow apart, and sometimes that is a very dark path that doesn’t end well for any involved parties.
Though a sad movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I thought it took on an almost classical approach to telling a visual story. In doing so it hit a lot of points I, as a story lover, often get to read but not as often see.
If you’re up for a dark comedic tragedy, I would definitely give The Banshees of Inisherin a try. It’s currently streaming on HBO Max, and on Hulu & Amazon Prime with premium subscriptions.
I gave The Banshees of Inisherin
Until Next Time,
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