The Banshees of Inisherin review: Friendship and despair

As the sun sets, one bird hops in the direction of another, which edges away. Although Pádraic is like a jilted lover who won’t quit, it’s Colm who threatens self-harm, saying he'll cut his own fingers off if he isn't left alone. No one’s right in the head here, from the relentless Pádraic and the clearly depressed Colm to young Dominic, whose rantings usually have a kernel of uncomfortable truth. As Pádraic is led away, drunk, Colm mutters, “That’s the most interesting he’s ever been.” Somehow, this has become a cycle from which neither man can extricate himself. The tenderness of Farrell’s performance is contrasted with the gruff existential honesty of Gleeson’s Colm—it’s difficult not to feel for Pádraic even when his overtures could cause physical harm.