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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.

The story begins with significant potential, particularly following the extensive buildup that led me to anticipate a conclusion that would be equally, if not more, impactful.

However, the writing had different ideas.

Issues emerge as the second half unfolds, particularly when the plot opts for a non-linear approach and delves determinedly into flashbacks.

The established rhythm and momentum plummeted dramatically. While there were a few intriguing characters and relationship dynamics to dig into, the script only skimmed the surface, resulting in a futile tale of 'Vengeance' that ultimately delivered no meaningful impact.

Sheep sheep lots of sheep sheep those who are stealers of sheep and those who mutilate sheep for monetary benefit believe it or not and a story of a family who has taken care of sheep for 500 years I guess a movie with good actors playing okay here I am Debbie Downer playing dumb roles dumb characters who basically do dumb things and seem to have no ability to make any good decisions nobody in the whole movie makes really a good decision or they make a half baked one and then go to do what they plan but don't really do what they thought they were going to do sounds like real life but this is not like real life it's just kooky and it ends kooky and the protagonist who isn't a bad feller gets the raw end of the sheep I mean of the stick okay of the sheep it's not really a good movie I endured it but I would not recommend it because it goes round and round and ends up as movies seem to do these days nowhere it's a story that didn't need to be told or made into a movie it's quite dissatisfying and if anyone says it's good or worth watching don't believe it don't believe it baaaaa baaaaaaaa baaaa.

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.

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.