“The Banshees of Inisherin” Review (2022)
Written by Victor DeBonis
Relationships can be hard to understand in several cases.
There are those that last for ages and are genuinely meaningful and show just how far both people look out for one another and care about each other. And, some, as a great friend of mine once stated, only last a certain number of chapters. This serves true for both friendships and romantic relationships. In today’s society and digital age, the urge to encourage others to be connected with as many people as possible only continues to be enforced. I am very fortunate and blessed to have the incredible support system and friends and family that I have in my life, especially for someone as introverted and quiet as I am, and even I, as an introvert, will acknowledge that it can be overwhelming to see reminders everywhere about how important maintaining connections is.
The best connections that we have, the best friends that we have in our lives, help many of us stay afloat so to speak and teach us the power of friendship and love and why we need it as much as we do in this complicated world. And, so, when a strong connection with someone who we truly cared about or trusted falls apart, it is often devastating, confusing, and frustrating in every sense of the word. It happens to people that one wouldn’t expect to lose connections as well.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is probably one of the most important films that I’ve seen in this year partly because it echoes the truth about the harshness of a longtime friendship ending, but it also speaks about so many other truths in ways that one wouldn’t automatically expect. Writer-director Martin McDonagh is a filmmaker who I would easily trust with diving into this material. “In Bruges” was a snarky, absurd blast, and, to this day, I still absolutely love his previous work from 2017, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” “Three Billboards” is a superb example of a dark comedy that is unabashedly aggressive in its themes and humor but not lacking in the humor and essential humanity that several entries in this genre sadly lack.
“Banshees” continues McDonagh’s streak of motivating me to have an immense respect for him as a writer and filmmaker. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play former best friends who increasingly become at odds with each other when the latter, out of the clear blue, tells the former that he doesn’t want them to be friends or even communicate with each other from this point forward. I’m happy to report that, in spite of an apparent scenario that drives both of these characters apart, Farrell and Gleeson share the same incredible chemistry that they had during “In Bruges.” They’re in an uncomfortable situation, but their vicious comebacks and wistful glances within each other’s company, even if brief, echo the hints of a bond that was once strong.
I don’t necessarily agree with how Gleeson does what he does throughout the movie, but this actor is terrific at playing a grumpy artist who clings to his isolation and, through his sad situation of choosing to be alone, save for his musical performances, he finds peace. Part of me feels bad for him, another part of me feels angry at him for being selfish about his choice, and another part of me notices that, whether Gleeson’s character is aware of it or not, he’s putting himself in an increasingly unfortunate state with choosing to cut off those who would probably be beneficial to him with their presence in his life.
Farrell is also excellent, and his frowns and blank, disbelieving gazes are only a few examples of the sheer expressiveness that reminds me why I’m always happy to see him in a movie. This actor has powerful moments in which he doesn’t even say a word, and everything that’s going on with this man’s conflict and how exasperated he is by it all is evident. He can believably switch from being calm to frustrated in a minute, and his honest, quiet exchanges with those around him suggest the relatable scenario of a decent person desperately trying to figure out where a relationship went wrong and what the best path ahead is.
I should take a moment and express that, at the time of this review being published, I have been in the process of coping from the aftermath of the unexpected ending of a relationship between me and someone who, at one point in time, I considered to be one of my best friends as this person considered me to be one of her best friends. I don’t care to share the details of what went on, but, needless to say, the emotions haven’t always been easy to figure out.
This experience from this relationship ending taught me among other things that, whenever a friendship ends, someone is always hurting on both sides, and there are countless complicated emotions that can make the recovery and the grief arduous. It’s hard to not think about the friendship from how it was before, and I’ve dealt with sadness, confusion, and even a bit of frustration, since then. I’d be lying if I said that the positive moments didn’t still make me smile. We were there for each other in happier times, and we were there for each other during times that we needed the other to be there.
All of this makes the grief from trying to recover a little more difficult. When it comes to experiencing grief from the end of a relationship, it is sometimes harder because, from what I’ve observed, there are not many informational articles or stories about recovering from the grief of the loss of a platonic friendship. I’ve definitely healed since then partly by focusing on other tasks that are meaningful to me and doing my best through them. Writing has definitely played a big part in coping as well. I’m currently working on a few stories not for publishing, necessarily, but as coping for myself, and one of the stories that I’m working on concerns two former best friends looking back at their previous relationship and trying to decide the best ways to move onward. Think of it as therapeutic art.
I bring all of this up because, through a process of grieving the end of a friendship, I found this movie to be somewhat helpful through this time. The frustration from the aftermath of the abrupt end of the bond feels believable, and Farrell’s frustration with not knowing how the once meaningful bond could turn sour feels genuine and will resonate with anyone who has lost a friend or romantic partner or relationship in some way. It’s also interesting to see the ways in which an ended connection can be discussed throughout a specific community and the effects of what it can do to both people in the most unexpected ways. I hope to see more stories that reflect on the grief of a friendship’s end in the future because, in times through which mental health is still a huge concern and people seem more upset and offended by what people do or say, relationships (both platonic and romantic) seem to fall apart more often, and we need more stories that focus on the aftermath of a once powerful connection fading away, especially those centering around a friendship ending and not a romantic break-up as one sees very often.
Returning to the subject of the performances, the other actors do terrific work as well. Barry Keoghan perfectly plays a romance-obsessed fool who isn’t too bright but never in a way that feels insulting. He stumbles around and isn’t the best at making his true intentions subtle. However, he has a manner of quietly speaking to Farrell and others that expresses how he is invested to what’s going on around him. Similar to other characters in the movie, he simply isn’t certain what to make of when he finds himself in a situation and environment that doesn’t provide much in terms of kindness or opportunities.
As great as Farrell and Gleeson are in their aforementioned roles, Kerry Condon deserves kudos as well because she is wonderful as Farrell’s sister. She’s not afraid to point out when her brother is acting dumb, and she proves herself just as fast and sharp with her insults as Farrell, if not, more so. Beneath this roughened exterior, Condon sincerely holds concern about her brother’s well-being and helps him just as he does about her. Seeing her try to pry answers out of Gleeson about what on Earth happened and give her brother advice about attempting to move this bizarre scenario is moving. Much like another movie from this year that I loved from start to finish known as “The Black Phone” I found myself experiencing much joy from how much the brother and sister of this story looked out for each other and cared about each other. Farrell is genuinely considerate as recognized by the rest of the island, but the person who comes the closest to being the complete heart of the movie is Condon.
Venturing beyond the theme of friendship, “Banshees” also explores ideas regarding loneliness and the question about what one should do with the remainder about the uncertain future ahead. Staying by one’s self for all time has always been a taboo idea, so it’s increasingly fascinating when, once in a while, there are always those people that we know who want few to no friends and connections in their lives. The reason isn’t always that these people hate humanity or any reason of that sort. Some people simply find it harder to connect with others. Whether the reason comes from acting differently or being around too many people that are too judgmental or concerned about themselves or another reason, there are people who crave keeping to themselves, and they find a true peace from it.
This story is an intriguing case in that it shows how isolation can bring a few (particularly, Gleeson) a tiny bit of peace, yet it brings others deep pain. There are a few moments in which Condon reacts to moments regarding loneliness, and her emotional expressions in these scenes, while brief, have still stayed with my memory even after hours of watching this film.
The theme of isolation comes even further into mind when the main characters are reflecting upon what to do with their time left alive. Farrell and Condon look at their lives inside their tiny home on the island, and, while they feel that they are doing what is best for their deceased family and the well-being of the animals from their place, there is no escaping the fact that they’re seeking something else. Specific interests, such as music, are presented as the best ways for one to share one’s legacy and use one’s time, but, as powerful as this art (and any art) is, there’s only so much time that one can spend with it.
The question of what to do with one’s limited time is never an easy one with an exact answer, but the movie never treats it as though it is. Part of why I love this story and “Three Billboards” is that they’re both movies who are brave and smart enough to show characters who make decisions that we don’t always necessarily agree with, but they’re real humans who will occasionally do good or great deeds and take time to reflect about what to do following something harsh. Whether it’s Frances McDormand trying to determine what the best actions are following the horrible loss of her child in “Billboards” or Farrell trying to see what he should do following the abrupt end of his friendship in this film or Condon contemplating what to do with her own hurtful isolation, these storylines stay with me because of how I and probably others can connect to hard situations in which we want to find greater answers but don’t quite succeed or, at least, not the way that we expect. The story itself takes place on an island that looks incredible and holds a mysterious atmosphere, but the sense of how cut-off the environment feels from everything else is still apparent and only adds to the sense of loneliness of what the characters are going through.
One other element that I should point out in regards to the screenplay is just how funny it is. Despite my theater not being a full house on opening weekend in this town, there were many laughs from the audience, and I was having a great time laughing along with them. As a dark comedy, “Banshees” doesn’t shy away from its bleaker moments, and it also provides plenty of hilarious reactions and fierce comebacks from a community that appears peaceful to a casual tourist to conceal some of the more argumentative souls from within.
In fact, the community also helps the film, too. All of the character actors playing island inhabitants, such as a priest, a couple of pub owners, and others, superbly work with their humorous exchanges, silent reactions, and well-intended yet ill-fated advice. The island practically feels like a character in itself, and, as a result, the absurdity and shifting jolts in the mood never feel out of place. I loved listening to the moments of violin music and gazing with awe at the incredible, green hills and shimmering lakes captured to perfection by Ben Davis’ amazing cinematography. Seriously, the cinematography practically yanks the audience into the scenery with the splitting, rocky roads and the cool, misty, gray clouds that blanket this isolated home, due to the immense size, and the movie feels more alive in this sense. Ireland looks amazing, and films, such as this, encourage my interest to, one day, visit a country like it.
“Banshees of Inisherin” provides so much of what I want to see in a movie. It has incredible performances from talented actors who know how to bring life and a humanity to complicated, intriguing characters. The story thoughtfully explores themes in a relatable way while never losing sight of its humor and fascinating environment. Not every audience member will find much to chuckle about from the admittedly bleak moments and dark humor. The way in which the screenplay allowed a solid balance of bold comedy and emotional sincerity for me, however, was wonderfully done for my taste.
I can’t wait to see what other stories Martin McDonagh wishes to tell in the future.
Only a select number of storytellers balance the heaviness, the heart, and the humor as fantastically as he does.
In my eyes, this is one of the best movies of 2022.
A+