Review of The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) by Mystichydra — 02 Feb 2023

'Quirkiness' is not an attribute I usually appreciate. The track record is not great - from Benny and Joon to Napoleon Dynamite, movies that rely on charm and warmth instead of plot and impactful dialogue is an approach I simply dislike. Banshees has no such warmth, as it's much closer to a lamentation on stoicism. Like In Bruges and Three Billboards, there's an air of hard cynicism permeating throughout the film. It's much less fleshed out than those films, and the dialogue is rather minimalist. It's not about that though, as it really is more a philosophical exploration on an array of oft uncomfortable subjects people tend to avoid. Isolation, friendship, death, time, interpersonal illusions, facile gossip, abuse, stoicism - it really goes on... Which is remarkable given how seemingly little there is on the surface, at times.

Which can make the film a little slow. But the performances are all great (honestly, Colin Farrell has turned from kind of a joke to a legitimately decent actor), it's compelling, and the cinematography is also really good. Lastly, this film has an underspoken and underappreciated quality - the linger effect. Chances are you'll think about this film long after it's over. It's unique and thought provoking, and in this saturated and compromised artistic time we live in, it's refreshing.