The Banshees of Inisherin: Irish drama by Martin McDonagh starring Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, whose friendship falls apart out of the blue.
Plot and background
The friendship between Colm (Brendan Gleeson) and Pádraic (Colin Farrell) has already lasted a lifetime. The seasoned men live on the small Irish island of Inisheer, which stretches west off the island of Ireland. When Colm ends their friendship out of the blue, however, it has alarming consequences for both of them. While Pádraic seeks support from his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon), who is herself in relationship trouble with Dominic (Barry Keoghan), the Irishman wants to use all means to straighten out his friendship with Colm. However, an ultimatum makes Colm’s intentions clear that could change the small island community forever.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – background, cast, theatrical release
With films like “See Bruges… and Die?”, “7 Psychos” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, director and screenwriter Martin McDonagh impressed the trade press and the audience alike. His latest film “The Banshees of Inisherin” is based on an idea for a play from 1994. In that year he wrote down seven plays, but the one for “The Banshees of Inisherin” failed in its own critical view and never made it to the stage.
To the west of the Irish island stretch the three Aran Islands, Inishmore (the largest), Inishmaan and Inisheer. While the other two plays, “The Cripple of Inishmaan” and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” have already made it to stages around the world, “The Banshees of Inisherin” now awaits us in cinemas. The stories are loosely connected and all set in rural Ireland. The director spent parts of his childhood on the islands, but was disturbed by the isolation, the unforgiving sea and the weather.
McDonagh has already worked with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (both “See Bruges… and Die?”) more frequently, and filming took place in autumn 2021 on Inishmore Island and Achill Island a little further north. The other cast members include Barry Keoghan (“The Killing of a Sacred Deer”) and Kerry Condon (“Better Call Saul”).
The world premiere of “The Banshees of Inisherin” will take place at the Venice Film Festival 2022, where it will be shown in competition. The German theatrical release of the black-humoured drama “The Banshees of Inisherin” is on 05 January 2023.
