The Banshees of Inisherin

 I could have, would have and should have seen The Banshees of Inisherin during its theatrical run a few months ago. But it never arrived locally. So, it's off to HBOMax to see what others have seen. What have I seen indeed?

On the Irish Isle of Inisherin, during their Civil War, Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrel) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) were good buddies. But Colm decides he wants to end their friendship. Why? Because he finds Pádraic boring. He finds his music a better use of his time than listening to idle chatter. He's so serious that he threatens to cut off his own fingers if Pádraic keeps bugging him. He's not kidding. Pádraic tries to mend their friendship but it only frustrates him, his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon) and Colm. It only goes further downhill from there.

That's the gist of Martin McDonagh's fourth feature. Everyone initially treats Colm and Pádraic's split with absurd casualness. Colm's finger threat leaves us gob smacked with nervous laughter. So, we're actually hyperventilating when he follows through with it. Are these men supposed to be likable or not? You'll ask yourself that as the film follows them both. 

How are both men unlikable or not? Well, Pádraic's quest to save that friendship is a reasonable goal. But he's an immature man whose only eventual friend is his donkey, Jenny. Meanwhile, Colm is quite sympathetic as we realize he's suffering from depression. So, his wanting to be left alone is also reasonable. But the depths he goes for that goal are ludicrous. Still, both Farrell and Gleeson play them as compelling people.

Now for the supporting cast. Condon as Siobhán is good as the only sane woman on Inisherin. We empathize with her as she tries to mediate between the two men. It's only natural that she pursues life outside of the isle. Barry Keoghan is Dominic, a mutual friend of both men, and another likable character. Gary Lydon is Dominic's father, Officer Kearney, who is unambiguously detestable. A few other good supporting players are Sheila Flitton as the mysterious Mrs. McCormick and David Pearse as the Priest. These are all highlights of a memorable ensemble of quirky characters.

Now for the technical highlights. Ben Davis's cinematography of the Irish countryside is superb. The opening shots of the Inisherin plains are stunning and Mrs. McCormick's scenes are perfectly eerie. Mikkel E.G. Nielsen's editing helps build up the absurdity of the central conflict. Carter Burwell's score feels perfectly Irish despite him saying he toned down its Irishness. The Irish town visualized by production designer Mark Tildesley looks and feels authentic. Quite a few of these names would be welcome additions on the Oscar nominations next month.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a weird dark comedy. You'll laugh at the absurdity of its main conflict until the fingers come off. Afterwards, you might find it absurd to laugh at all. Things don't work out for its main characters, but the last words suggest some hope. It should make for an oft-kilter home matinee, that's for sure. It might still be playing in a theater somewhere. It might be worth it to see the Irish countryside on the big screen. It's an unforgettable film either way you choose to see it.