Some modern artists only need their names said aloud, and heads turn to attention. A successful playwright even before he broke into the world of cinema with consistent critical acclaim, Martin McDonagh is that type of head-turning talent. The Academy Award-winning writer and director, somehow, has not released a film since “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” his 2017 critical and commercial darling. Five years onward, and for those that have been missing the British-Irish writer’s snark and wit, a new work for the silver screen is just past the horizon. Ahead of its September 4th premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the first trailer for “The Banshees of Inisherin” is now online to offer our first substantial look at the long-awaited new film from this acclaimed filmmaker.
McDonagh returning to the realm of movies in any capacity is exciting enough on its own. However, “The Banshees of Inisherin” has additional excitement going for it as a reunion of sorts for the filmmaker. The two leads of the forthcoming film are Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who previously shined as the starring duo for McDonagh’s “In Bruges” from 2008. Once again, Farrell and Gleeson play friends in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” though the crux of the film’s drama will focus on the fracture of that friendship. If McDonagh’s past filmography is anything to base expectations on, this break-up drama will be filled with pitch-black comedy but with compelling character, tensions to tie the whole piece together. Will there be another chance for Oscar glory at the end of this journey for McDonagh and the film’s crew? Only time will tell.
Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, and starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin” releases in theaters on October 21st. Watch the new trailer below.
