Spoilers ahead...
A Bizarre and Unique Dark Comedy about Friendship
Set in
the early 1920s with the backdrop of the Civil War on an isolated Irish island,
The Banshees of Inisherin follows Padraic Suilleabhain (Colin Farrell),
who learns that his closest friend, Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson), no longer
wants to talk to him. Colm wishes to spend the remaining years of his life
creating music that will be remembered forever and feels Padraic is too dull to
be friends with.
It’s a
super interesting premise—just imagine you’ve been best friends with someone
for years, and suddenly, they tell you that you’re dull and not an interesting
person to hang out with. Just hearing that would tear you apart, especially
after being so emotionally invested in this person.
The first
half of the movie explores this thought with dark comedy, accompanied by a
lovely, folkish score. Padraic is taken aback by Colm’s sudden decision, and
he’s not someone who would accept it easily. We see Padraic trying all his ways
to revive the friendship, including a funny scene where he checks the calendar
to see if it’s April 1st, hoping Colm is playing a prank. Of course, to his
disappointment, Colm is serious.
Shift in The Banshees of Inisherin’s Narrative
The
sudden change in tone is where the film loses its mark for me and totally goes
downhill. Colm actually chopping off his fingers to prove to Padraic how
serious he is about ending their friendship was absurd and made no sense to me.
The absurdity only increases as he chops all his fingers off. For someone who
wants to be remembered as a musician, why would he do that and make it
difficult to manage playing music on his own?
Had the
movie continued with the tussle between Padraic trying to get Colm to talk and
Colm pushing him away, it would have worked—even if it became a bit repetitive.
But the route they took completely took my interest away.
I
understand that the main theme is loneliness during wartime, using war as a
metaphor for the escalating conflict between Padraic and Colm. The film
portrays how war affects everyone and brings nothing good, even those not
directly involved, like Dominic Kearney (an excellent Barry Keoghan), the son
of an abusive policeman, who used to like the ‘nice’ Padraic but can’t stand
the new ‘bitter’ Padraic. The same goes for Padraic’s sister, Siobhan
Suilleabhain (Kerry Condon), who feels trapped in the war between Padraic and
Colm, leading her to leave and take up a job offer, possibly never returning.
The Gore Horror Route of the Second Half
The gory
horror route the second half takes may work for others, but I just couldn’t
stand it. I’m okay with the ending, though—it’s understandable that the war
ends with nothing resolved, with both characters just destroying each other for
no good reason. I didn’t mind that we are never told the reasons behind Colm’s
behavior, though there are hints of depression whenever he speaks to the
priest.
Besides Barry Keoghan, Colin Farrell’s performance was the standout for me,
with Kerry Condon also delivering a strong supporting act.
Verdict on The Banshees of Inisherin
Overall, The
Banshees of Inisherin is one of those films I thought I would love midway
through, with many hilarious moments, but after that, there was just nothing to
like due to the way the story is told.
