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69TH CORK FILM FEST - #3 (PREMIERE + Q&A)

A fast-paced revenge film that never has a dull moment that somehow manages to pull of the impossible, in my opinion. The entire cast do a fantastic job, but the standout would have to be Nora-Jane Murphy, Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbot (who's accent is unreal for an American). Both do so much more with their respective roles than anyone else. The themes of abuse, violence and the inability to properly communicate are very welded in here. They are also very current in our world at the moment, so they really spoke to me. I'm very excited to revisit this one on general release.

This movie has a really simple storyline when you look at it overall. But the director's craft and filming style make it much more engaging, and on top of that, it brings a fresh cinematic experience that we don't often see. One of the things I really liked about this film was the music score. They used a sound that resembles a pulsating beat but blended it with a traditional instrumental feel, which added an intense and unique atmosphere to the film. Since the movie is a thriller set in a rural area, the cinematography is stunning. However, there are quite a few handheld camera shots, which make certain scenes feel more immersive. While that works well for some moments, like close up tension-building shots, it does make action sequences like running or car chases harder to follow at times. When it comes to acting, the performances were solid, and Barry's performance stood out as the best in the film. The movie also does a great job of portraying deep emotional struggles-how parental conflicts affect children, the trauma of losing something precious, and how unresolved emotions can push someone into a state of complete mental breakdown. It also highlights the unintended consequences of human ego in a way that feels incredibly raw and real. These are the elements that make this film truly unforgettable.

Christopher Andrews' "Bring Them Down" (2024) unfolds like a storm on the horizon; slow-building, inevitable, and impossible to escape

It's a dark fable about grief, guilt, and generational violence wrapped in the raw sinew of a rural Irish revenge tale. But to call it merely a revenge film is too simple. This is a story of festering wounds, both literal and metaphorical, where the past clings like mud on boots and the future is as uncertain as the mist that blankets the hills.

Set against the desolate beauty of Ireland's sheep-farming countryside, the film follows Michael (Christopher Abbott, in a stunning performance that required him to learn Irish for full authenticity), a man crushed under the weight of an old tragedy - a car crash that took his mother's life, leaving his then-girlfriend, Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone), permanently scarred. Hers is a face marked by past violence, a visible reminder of the destruction left in the wake of unchecked male rage.

Now, Michael exists in a limbo of quiet guilt, tending to his father's flock, his penance written in solitude and labor. But when two of his rams go missing, his search reignites an ancient feud, one that will demand fresh blood to settle old debts.

There's something Biblical about Bring Them Down, and not just in its themes of sacrifice and retribution. The violence, when it comes, is wrathful - sudden, punishing, and without mercy. The camera, once composed and watchful, shifts into a frantic, handheld panic, mirroring the chaos that erupts when civility and restraint finally give way.

It's the kind of horror that doesn't just shock - it lingers, staining the landscape like a permanent bruise.

Abbott delivers a brooding, internal performance, his face a mask of quiet suffering. But it's Nora-Jane Noone's Caroline who haunts the film. Hers is the kind of presence that reminds you this isn't just a movie about men and their burdens - it's about the collateral damage they leave behind.

Her scar, a physical mark of past violence, is a stark contrast to Michael's invisible but equally deep wounds.

Barry Keoghan (Jack) and Paul Ready (Gary) deliver standout performances, each embodying a deceptive innocence rooted in old grudges that refuse to fade. Their characters may live in a world that's changing - where technology advances and the local economy shifts - but some feuds run deeper than progress.

And as Gary sets his sights on modernizing the land with vacation homes-Airbnb, really?-the past proves it won't be so easily buried.

And then there's the land itself - windswept, vast, and unforgiving. Andrews, in his feature debut, frames it as both prison and battleground. The sheep farm, the rolling hills, the looming modern development of Gary's (Paul Ready) vacation homes - all of it speaks to a world moving forward while its inhabitants remain shackled to their histories.

At its core, "Bring Them Down" is about cycles. Cycles of violence. Cycles of guilt. Cycles of men making the same mistakes over and over, too stubborn or broken to step away from the path carved for them.

The question Andrews poses is as old as time itself - can these cycles ever be broken? Or are some sins too deep to be forgiven?

Bleak, gripping, and punctuated by moments of pitch-black humor, "Bring Them Down" isn't just a story about vengeance - it's about the ghosts we inherit, the wounds we pass down, and the weight of a past that refuses to stay buried.

My wife and I watched the Irish film 🇮🇪 Bring Them Down (2024) in theaters this evening. The storyline follows two Irish families struggling to survive for different reasons. Their sheep share the same hill, which causes one family to take advantage of the situation to try and get ahead. Violence ensues to protect their livestock and future.

This film is directed by Christopher Andrews, in his directorial debut, and stars Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), Christopher Abbott (Possessor), Colm Meaney (Layer Cake), and Nora-Jane Noone (The Descent).

This is one of those films that gives you a glimpse into a unique and unpredictable lifestyle of survival. The acting is elite, but the cinematography is even better, with beautiful landscapes and backdrops. The dog-eat-dog world of their circumstances is well depicted and sad. There are some unbelievable twists and turns, and the movie does a great job of telling the story from both families' perspectives. The conclusion is the only way the journey could end.

In conclusion, Bring Them Down is a fascinating and unique circumstantial drama that's worth a watch. I would score this 7.5/10 and recommend watching it once.

Bring Them Down: A savage tale of feuding hill farmers, sheep stoen, sheep mutilated, just their legs cut off to be sold. All tied in with a car crash which took place twenty years before but the consequences of which still impinge on pent day events. This was advertised as being partially a comedy but the few comedic moments are bleak and the laughter will likely choke in yiur throat. Not just animals but humans also suffer terrible deaths and injuries. In the second half of the film some of the events we have already observed are revisited and we achieve a clearer understanding of what is really going on. Non-linear narratives often enhance a film but I don't believe it does so in this instance. Good performances from Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Christopher Abbot, Paul Ready and Nora-Jane Noone even if Keoghan is getting a bit long on the tooth to be playing a teenager. Maybe an Irish Hatfields & McCoys or a Beckettian Bog Western. Written and Directed by Christopher Andrews. 7/10.