The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) — Riley Cross Reviews

The Night In Pick

I have spent six years behind the counter at Blockbuster, handing over plastic cases and telling customers exactly how to rewind a VHS tape so it doesn't eat the tape. I’ve seen everything, from the knee-shaking intensity of a first date watching *Titanic* to the sheer exhaustion of a group of guys trying to figure out who owes five dollars for a pizza. I know what a true "Night In" looks like. It shouldn't involve you getting in a fight with your partner about whose turn it is to walk the dog or driving five miles to find an open ATM. You want to stay home. You want to be home. And you need a movie that hits you like a punch to the gut but brings you a cozy feeling of watched perfection.

That is *The Banshees of Inisherin*. Martin McDonagh, the guy who gave us *In Bruges*, went back to the stage but brought the screen with him. It’s set on this tiny, desolate island off the coast of Ireland where the ocean is red and the clouds look heavy enough to drop on your head at any moment. It follows the fallout when Colm decides to abruptly end a lifelong friendship just because Padraic is annoying him. I’m not kidding. Colm actually cuts off two of his own fingers to prove a point. You see the sparks flying every time they are in a scene together; it is terrifying and hilarious at the same time.

This is not a movie to stream with your phone on your lap while scrolling Instagram. This is a film you commit to. Turn off the lights, maybe dim the backlighting on your TV until it looks like a cathode ray tube, and settle in. It is that kind of atmospheric drama where the silence is just as loud as the shouting. It is messy, coarse, and genuinely tragic, but you won’t be able to look away.

Bottom line: A brutal, beautifully acted dark comedy that is the ultimate anti-drama movie night experience.