A Streaming Guide to Watching Martin McDonagh’s <i>The Banshees of Inisherin</i>

January 12, 2023 ndowd

I’m not sure what, precisely, I expected when walking into my screening of The Banshees of Inisherin, but it wasn’t…well, The Banshees of Inisherin. The new film from director Martin McDonagh manages to be both hilarious and heart-wrenching in one breath, thanks in no small part to career-high performances from a cast including Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon. Despite its absurdist plot points—the story’s about a man willing to cut off his own fingers to avoid an old buddy—Banshees remains laser-focused, its sharpness as essential as its sincerity. Never has a friendship between two aging men felt so bizarre, or so terrifyingly real.

Former pals Pádraic and Colm might not be the most approachable folks in western Ireland, but thankfully it’s easy enough to watch their antics if you’ve got the right streaming service. Just be forewarned: Don’t get between Pádraic and his donkey.

There are several options for watching The Banshees of Inisherin online. They include:

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Already a top contender for the Best Picture Academy Award (and possibly Best Actor, too, for Farrell and his expressive eyebrows), Banshees is a glorious mess of contradictions, sweet and funny and the perfect watch for a weekend movie binge ahead of this year’s Oscars.