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Bring Them Down, a phenomenal new Irish thriller starring the Oscar-nominated Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) and Christopher Abbott (Wolf Man, Poor Things), is in cinemas now.
The grippingly tense debut from writer-director Christopher Andrews centers around two families as they become engulfed in an increasingly dangerous feud against the harsh landscape of rural Ireland. When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael (Abbott) and Jack (Keoghan) escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent turns, leaving both families permanently altered.
Keoghan is on top form, as the reckless, menacing young farmer Jack intent on taking misplaced revenge on neighbouring farmer Michael, an isolated man haunted and deeply scarred by his troubled past. Abbott gives a career-best performance – nailing his Irish accent and switching with ease between speaking English and Irish.
Indeed, a large part of the film is in the Irish language.
Bring Them Down is a mean-and-lean thriller, full of muscular cat-and-mouse action set-pieces and shocking twists. Rage, and frustration simmer under the surface, as the film evolves with every surprising narrative reveal into a deeply human depiction of long-standing grudges, repressed trauma, and masculinity – all of which play out against the ruggedly beautiful rural Irish landscape.
Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott in Bring Them Down
As such, it’s no surprise that Bring Them Down has garnered some rave critical acclaim. Next Best Picture commented that “beneath a chilling revenge thriller is a crackling family drama that feeds on the violent perils of pent-up emotions.”
Variety also described the movie as “a brutally violent directorial debut” that “veers between pitch-black humour and pervading melancholy.”
Furthermore, the thriller has racked up numerous award wins, including the British Independent Film Award for Best Debut Director and the Best Picture prize at major US movie festival Fantastic Fest.
Indeed, Bring Them Down’s setting, its central feud plot and its smattering of dark humour all recall The Banshees of Inisherin, the movie for which Keoghan earned an Oscar nomination.
So, if you love Irish film, thrillers, or crime dramas, be sure to seek out Bring Them Down – one of the best Irish movies of recent years.
Bring Them Down is in cinemas nationwide now.
Find showtimes and book tickets at mubi.com/bringthemdown
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