One day, Pádraic (Colin Farrell) goes to his friend Colm’s (Brendan Gleeson) house and is promptly ignored. Colm just no longer wants to be friends with him and Pádraic is understandably confused, unable to understand why Colm doesn’t want to be friends with him. Pádraic becomes a little paranoid that everyone dislikes him and is sure that Colm will change his mind but Colm tries everything to get Padraic to go away, something that’s near impossible on the small island of Inisherin. Colm even goes so far as to threaten to chop off his own fingers if Pádraic continues talking to him. The situation worsens, leading to massive changes in both Pádraic and Colm’s lives.
This is one of those films that sticks with you. I have no idea what the film’s overall thesis was, and by the end, I didn’t care if there was a point to the whole thing. Usually, that would bother the hell out of me. I didn’t know how the film would conclude. I didn’t know if they’d become friends again or if one would murder the other.
This hits differently if a friend has ever ghosted you. I felt for Pádraic because while it’s probably not you, it feels like it is. That’s one of the things that stuck with me after watching the film. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen something portraying the situation that happens.
The side characters in the film were also interesting. My favourite character was Siobhan (Kerry Condon), Pádraic’s long-suffering sister who wants to escape the remote island for a better life. As always, Barry Keoghan plays a good creep, and his role as Dominic is no exception. I was genuinely uncomfortable sometimes when he was on screen, so he was perfect as the town weirdo. His interactions with Siobhan were reminiscent of some awkward situations I’ve endured.
Much to my embarrassment, as I watched Farrell and Gleeson interact, I had a strange feeling of déjà vu. I thought that they had great chemistry and were enjoyable to watch together. I didn’t remember until the end that it felt familiar because they were both in In Bruges, also written and directed by Martin McDonagh.
This is one of the best films I’ve seen this year. I liked that the ending was ambiguous, and the parallel between the Irish Civil War and the conflict between Pádraic and Colm was excellent. McDonagh’s writing and directing were superb and I loved the abundant shots of the beautiful island. I recommend this film to people who want something different from the bog-standard offerings currently being released in theatres.
8.2
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I’m a Data Analyst, from the land of Matthew McConaughey. I’m an avid movie-goer and love seeing films in theaters. My most recent favorite films are Good Time, Only Lovers Left Alive, TENET, and England is Mine. When I’m not at the movies, I’m either reading or watching obscene amount of true crime and historical documentaries.
