The Banshees of Inisherin

Writer/director Martin McDonagh reunites with his In Bruges stars, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, for this excellent black comedy about squabbling Irish farmers. In 1923, on the fictional island of Inisherin, Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson) are firm friends, until Colm suddenly turns to his pal and says, "I just don't like you no more." With the guileless Pádraic not getting the message, Colm ups the ante and the story twists effortlessly from provincial farce to something far bleaker. The cast has fun with McDonagh's virtuoso (and typically foul-mouthed) dialogue, but as with his Oscar-winning Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, there is great pathos behind the grandstanding. This tricky balance is nailed by the two leads: Gleeson is a commanding presence, while Farrell is exceptional as a simple man beset by profound confusion and hurt. With fine support from Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, this is a highly satisfying, macabre drama - and perhaps McDonagh's most mature film.