The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, making it the most Oscar-nominated Irish film ever.
Our TV movie pick for tonight (Saturday, 22 February) is The Banshees of Inisherin, one of the best movies of the decade and one of the best Irish movies ever.
The film is set in 1923, near the end of the Irish Civil War, on a small island off the coast of Ireland.
It follows Pádraic (Colin Farrell), a middle-aged man who is left devastated when his best friend and local musician Colm (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly says that he does not want to see him anymore and that he’d rather spend his time composing music.
“A stunned Pádraic, aided by his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer,” the plot synopsis reads.
“But Pádraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.”
Written and directed by the acclaimed Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards), The Banshees of Inisherin’s portrait of a fallout between long-time friends is hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.
We’d argue though that the brilliance of McDonagh’s screenplay is how this central story becomes a metaphor for several different topics – isolation, mental health, the difficulties of rural life, war and the sacrifices people make to follow their passions.
The performances across the board are also flawless and the movie looks stunningly beautiful.
As such, it’s no surprise that The Banshees of Inisherin holds a near-perfect 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and was nominated for nine Academy Awards – making it the most Oscar-nominated Irish film of all time.
The movie is airing on TV tonight on Channel 4 at 9.15pm. It will also be available to stream on Channel 4’s website after it airs.
Here are the other movies on TV tonight:
The Godfather Part II – Film4 – 9pm
Probably the best sequel ever made.
This is the End – Comedy Central – 9pm
In this hilarious comedy horror, the apocalypse kicks off while a bunch of celebrities (all playing themselves) are at a gaff party in LA.
Welcome to the Punch – Legend – 9pm
James McAvoy is a troubled cop on the hunt for an elusive thief (Mark Strong) in this solid British crime thriller.
Fast & Furious 5 – Sky Showcase – 9.30pm
Without question, this is the best entry in the long-running Fast & Furious franchise.
The Blues Brothers – ITV4 – 10.30pm
This cult musical action-comedy centres on a man just released from prison (John Belushi) who puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and his brother (Dan Aykroyd) were raised.
Godland – BBC Four – 10.40pm
The acclaimed 2022 drama is set in the late 19th century and follows a young Danish priest who travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people.
But the deeper he goes into the unforgiving landscape, the more he strays from his purpose, the mission and morality.
Boiling Point – Legend Xtra – 11pm
Not the excellent Stephen Graham chef movie but the ’90s action flick with Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper.
The Revenant – Channel 4 – 11.35pm
The Western that finally earned Leo DiCaprio his Oscar.
Read more:
- Ralph Fiennes explains why Cillian Murphy would be a ‘fantastic’ Voldemort
- One of the best Irish movies of the decade is airing on TV tonight
- One of the best sci-fi movies of recent years is airing on TV tonight
