Farrell and Gleason share chemistry and Irish pints for new film

Fourteen years ago, writer/director Martin McDonagh and actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson made In Bruges, which is easily one of the best dark comedies of the century so far and still feels criminally underseen. Now comes their much-anticipated follow-up, The Banshees of Inisherin, due out this month.

In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, the two Irishmen sat down to discuss not just The Banshees of Inisherin, but their friendship and chemistry, which Farrell described as “deeply organic and familiar.”

The Banshees of Inisherin partly explores the strains that can come in male friendship, so it was expected it would come up in the interview. Indeed, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson do show genuine support for one another. On the topic of Oscar nominations, Farrell said, “Between the two of us, I would choose him, and he would choose me. That’s the gospel truth. If I got a nod and he didn’t, I would be crushed.”

The camaraderie between Farrell and Gleeson is apparent–so much so that writer/director Martin McDonagh said, “If they’d said no [to the movie], I don’t know if I’d even have done it.” Which, of course, would have robbed viewers of what is one of the best-reviewed movies of the year, with a current 99% on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 100 reviews. Our own Chris Bumbray gave it a “perfecto-mundo” 10/10.

The duo also praised McDonagh’s writing. “You think you’re watching something that’s irreverent and macabre with this gallows humor, but at its core, there’s a tenderness and a longing and a deep inquisition into what it is to be a human being.” McDonagh has been nominated for two Best Original Screenplay Oscars for In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He could very well be on his way to his third nod with The Banshees of Inisherin.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where Colin Farrell and Martin McDonagh took home the Best Actor and Best Screenplay prizes, respectively.

The Banshees of Inisherin’s official plot: “Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.”

The Banshees of Inisherin arrives on October 21st.