It’s been five years since Martin McDonagh has had a new movie, but the Irish director is back with The Banshees of Inisherin, his first movie set in his home country. To top it off, the movie marks a reunion with the stars of In Bruges, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
Add all that together and The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the more intriguing new movies coming out in the fall of 2022 and a potential player in the Oscars race.
Here is everything that we know about The Banshees of Inisherin.
How to watch The Banshees of Inisherin
The Banshees of Inisherin is playing exclusively in movie theaters, but is heading to streaming in the US and UK in December.
Here's what you need to know on how to watch The Banshees of Inisherin.
The Banshees of Inisherin plot
The Banshees of Inisherin is described as a "break-up story" by writer/director Martin McDonagh, but not a romantic one. Instead the central relationship is a friendship between Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson’s characters. Here is the official synopsis from Searchlight Pictures:
"Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them."
The movie is an original idea from McDonagh and is set in Ireland in the 1920s, with the 1923 Irish Civil War as a backdrop.
If you've seen the movie and have some questions, check out our The Banshees of Inisherin ending explained piece.
The Banshees of Inisherin trailer
The trailer for The Banshess of Inisherin is here and it looks fantastically offbeat. Farrell’s Padraic is befuddled but determined to win back his longtime friend Colm (Gleeson), despite his stubborn attitude, threats to cut off his own fingers and comparisons to Mozart. Watch the full trailer right here.
Another trailer for the movie gives us a few more examples of the movie's dark humor while also highlighting a potential standout performance from Kerry Condon. Give it a watch here:
The Banshees of Inisherin reviews — what the critics are saying
The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the best reviewed movies of the year so far. It has been "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, with a current score (as of October 21) of a 99%. The other popular review aggregator site, Metacritic, has The Banshees of Inisherin with a score of 90 and has earned its "Must-see" designation.
We at What to Watch agree, as our The Banshees of Inisherin review gives the movie five stars and calls it one of the best movies of the year.
The Banshees of Inisherin awards and nominations
Here's a rundown of the major awards and nominations that The Banshees of Inisherin has received:
Academy Awards
- Best Picture (nominee)
- Best Director — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Actor — Colin Farrell (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Brendan Gleeson (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Barry Keoghan (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actress — Kerry Condon (nominee)
- Best Original Screenplay — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Editing (nominee)
- Best Score (nominee)
BAFTA Awards
- Best Film (nominee)
- Outstanding British Film of the Year (nominee)
- Best Director — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Actor — Colin Farrell (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Brendan Gleeson (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Barry Keoghan (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actress — Kerry Condon (nominee)
- Best Original Screenplay — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Editing (nominee)
- Best Score (nominee)
Golden Globes
- Best Picture: Comedy/Musical (winner)
- Best Actor: Comedy/Musical — Colin Farrell (winner)
- Best Supporting Actress — Kerry Condon (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Brendan Gleeson (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Barry Keoghan (nominee)
- Best Director — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Screenplay — Martin McDonagh (winner)
- Best Score (nominee)
Critics Choice Awards
- Best Picture (nominee)
- Best Actor — Colin Farrell (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Brendan Gleeson (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Barry Keoghan (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actress — Kerry Condon (nominee)
- Best Acting Ensemble (nominee)
- Best Director — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Original Screenplay — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Best Comedy (nominee)
Director Guilds Association Awards
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Film — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
London Critics Circle Awards
- Film of the Year (nominee)
- British/Irish Film of the Year (nominee)
- Director of the Year — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Screenwriter of the Year — Martin McDonagh (nominee)
- Actor of the Year — Colin Farrell (nominee)
- Supporting Actress of the Year — Kerry Condon (nominee)
- Supporting Actor of the Year — Brendan Gleeson (nominee)
- Supporting Actor of the Year — Barry Keoghan (nominee)
- British/Irish Actor of the Year — Colin Farrell (nominee)
National Board of Review
- Best Actor — Colin Farrell
- Best Supporting Actor — Brendan Gleeson
- Best Original Screenplay — Martin McDonagh
- Top 10 Film
New York Film Critics Circle
- Best Actor — Colin Farrell
- Best Screenplay — Martin McDonagh
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
- Best Screenplay — Martin McDonagh (runner up)
Venice Film Festival
- Best Actor — Colin Farrell (winner)
- Best Film (nominee)
- Best Screenplay — Martin McDonagh (winner)
Gotham Awards
- Best International Feature (nominee)
American Film Institute
- AFI Special Mention
The Banshees of Inisherin cast
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson lead The Banshees of Inisherin as the two friends at odds, 14 years after the two played a pair of hitmen sent to hide out in Belgium in In Bruges. The pair were great together then and early signs point to another strong dynamic between the two here.
2022 is a big year for Farrell, as he has starred in After Yang, The Batman and Thirteen Lives. The Banshees of Inisherin marks his third time working with McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths).
Gleeson has also been busy of late, starring in The Tragedy of Macbeth in 2021, State of the Union earlier in 2022 and now The Banshees of Inisherin. Gleeson hasn’t worked with McDonagh or Farrell since In Bruges, though he has collaborated a few times with John Michael McDonagh, Martin’s brother.
Also starring in The Banshees of Inisherin are Barry Keoghan (Eternals, Dunkirk) as Dominic Kearney and Kerry Condon (Better Call Saul, voice of FRIDAY in Avengers movies) as Siobhan Súilleabháin.
How long is The Banshees of Inisherin?
The Banshees of Inisherin has a runtime of one hour and 49 minutes.
What is The Banshees of Inisherin rated?
The Banshees of Inisherin is rated R in the US and 15 in the UK for "language throughout, some violent content and brief graphic nudity."
Martin McDonagh movies
We’ve covered a bit of writer/director Martin McDonagh’s filmography already, but here is everything that the Oscar-winning filmmaker has done.
- Six Shooter (2004) (his Oscar-winning short film)
- In Bruges (2008)
- Seven Psychopaths (2012)
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
