The 11 Best Movies To Watch On St. Patrick's Day

When March 17th rolls around, you better be wearing green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Well, at least if you don't want to get pinched. As the name implies, St. Patrick's Day is a Catholic feast day that honors the life and legacy of Saint Patrick, the fifth century Bishop and patron saint of the Emerald Isle. In the 1,564 years since he died (give or take) his feast day has evolved into a general celebration of Irish heritage. Because as you might have heard, the Irish love to have a good time. For that reason, St. Patrick's Day (St. Paddy's or St. Pat's Day for you informal types) is one of our favorite holidays.

Alas, when it comes to movies, St. Patrick's Day doesn't get the same attention as Christmas, which basically has an entire film genre dedicated to it. It's certainly not as cinematically celebrated as Halloween, which essentially includes every horror movie. Heck, even Thanksgiving is a horror subgenre. That might have something to do with the fact St. Patrick's Day is typically spent throwing back pints, chowing down on corn beef and cabbage, and singing a bar song or two. 

If that's your game plan, maybe watch these films on the 16th or 18th. But if you're a movie buff, this list is for you. We're including films set in Ireland, as well as Irish-American favorites. So slap on some green in front of your big screen for the best movies to watch on St. Patrick's Day!

"The Boondock Saints" is like a religion. Some don't really get the appeal, while its most fervent fans worship the 1999 flick with the faithful adoration of evangelists. You can see this play out in the massive discrepancy between the fans and critics' reviews of the film, with the critics consensus reading: "A juvenile, ugly movie that represents the worst tendencies of directors channeling Tarantino." Ouch. At the same time, its pull-no-punches, take-no-prisoners, shoot-first-and-maybe-ask-questions-later aesthetic is what appeals to its most ardent acolytes. So is it a misunderstood masterpiece, or a "so bad it's good" wannabe crime saga? Maybe it's both? All we know is it belongs on your St. Paddy's Day movie marathon.

Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus play Irish Catholic twin brothers in Boston, Massachusetts who deliver righteous vigilante vengeance against the criminals overrunning the streets of Beantown, becoming folk heroes in the process. But these would-be angels of divine justice meet a formidable foil in an eccentric FBI agent (Willem Dafoe) who has caught the scent of their blood-soaked trail. You'll either love or hate "The Boondock Saints," though we suspect if you're reading this list you already have an opinion. Let's just say we admire a movie that knows exactly what it is, and whose director, Troy Duffy, fully commits to that vision. But it's a must-see mainly because it features Willem Dafoe at his Dafoe-ist, giving a delightfully deranged performance that plays like it was designed to launch a million memes.

A "third place" is a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his 1989 book "The Great Good Place" to describe a social setting that exists outside a person's first two places, home and work. Think of a "third place" as any location where people can gather in community, such as church, a coffee shop, or the bar. Well, what Dr. Oldenburg defined in 1989 the Irish have known about for centuries. They call it, "the pub." While the pub is a popular place to pick up a pint all year long, it is practically a religious ritual to devotedly descend on at least one pub every March 17. Well, whether you stop by the pub or not, you definitely need to check out the documentary about them, appropriately titled: "The Irish Pub."

Released in 2013 by Irish filmmaker Alex Fegan, "The Irish Pub" is exactly what it says; a light and breezy celebration of Ireland's pub culture, practically an institution in the Emerald Isle, made possible by the patrons who visit them and the publicans who run them. Despite covering a massive story of how pubs have influenced Irish culture for centuries, the documentary is short (just 76 minutes and change), so you shouldn't have a problem fitting it in with your busy St. Patrick's Day shenanigans. Most importantly, it will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Irish pubs you're visiting. So we raise a glass and say "sláinte" to this film.

"Dying is easy. Comedy is hard," is a quote oft-attributed to English character actor Edmund Gwenn ... but what about dying and comedy? Well, as any admirer of Irish storytelling knows, those two pair together perfectly. Humorously musing about the absurdities of life and the inevitability of death permeates the culture of Ireland, and the works of Irish storytellers ranging from James Joyce to Samuel Beckett to Oscar Wilde. And it is the subject of writer-director Kirk Jones cult classic comedy, "Waking Ned Devine," or simply "Waking Ned" in its native land. Okay, okay, so Jones was born in Bristol, so he's actually an Englishman, but we won't hold that against him, as his 1998 film displays a deep affection, appreciation, and awareness of Irish culture.

Ian Bannen and David Kelly play Jackie O'Shea and Michael O'Sullivan, two best friends in a small, secluded Irish fishing village who discover that the titular Ned Devine has won the lottery — and that in the irony of ironies, Devine died from the shock of his winnings. With the help of their fellow villagers, O'Shea and O'Sullivan band together to convince the claim inspector that O'Sullivan is really the dead Devine. The touch is light and the laughs are aplenty in this charming and cheerful comedy. Sadly, we don't get many comedies like "Waking Ned Devine," so each one is practically a cause for celebration and worthy of a watch on St. Pat's Day ... or any day.

Dublin, Ireland suffering a recession in the mid-1980s may sound like a strange setting for a feel-good, coming-of-age, music-driven movie, until you consider the Irish have always been experts at singing through the sadness. The 2016 "Sing Street" from director John Carney (who has another movie on this list) brings this truism to life with delightful results. Irish actor and musician Ferdia Walsh-Peelo stars as Conor, a teen whose relatively posh life at an exclusive and expensive private school comes to a close when his dad's (Aiden Gillen) architecture firm hits the skids, forcing Conor's father to send him to a tough inner-city school instead.

Conor finds himself a fish out of water, but fate intervenes when a throwdown with the school bully leads to Conor meeting Darren (Ben Carolan), a would-be music entrepreneur who agrees to manage Conor's budding band. While its plot isn't exactly the most original, a lesser film than "Sing Street" would suffer from saccharine schmaltz. "Sing Street" aims higher, converting even the most cynical and surly viewer with its undeniable heart and uplifting optimism. Plus, the tunes are super hummable, especially the signature song "Drive It Like You Stole It," which sadly was denied an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. But hey, it may not have won an award, but it certainly earns its place on our list.

If you're a millennial who wants to take a trip down memory lane, a parent hoping to plop your totes in front of the TV, or maybe a little of both, "The Luck of the Irish" belongs on your St. Patrick's Day must-watch list. The 2001 Disney Channel original TV movie holds a special place in many younger millennials' hearts, as well as those who were probably too old to be watching it, where it joins the hallowed ranks of "Halloweentown," "Cadet Kelly," "Johnny Tsunami," as well as the best Disney Channel TV shows of the 2000s.

"The Luck of the Irish" tells the tale of talented teenager Kyle Johnson (Ryan Merriman), the best basketball player on his high school team thanks to his discovery of a lucky gold coin. Wanting to learn more about his family's heritage, Johnson finds his parents (Paul Kiernan and Marita Geraghty) are surprisingly coy. When Kyle starts inexplicably shrinking, he discovers that he's actually descended from Irish leprechauns, which isn't ideal for his budding basketball career. Kyle's predicament goes from bad to worse when he has to battle an evil leprechaun named Seamus (Timothy Omundson) to save his family. 

Okay, so it ain't exactly James Joyce's "Ulysses" when it comes to Irish-themed fare, or even the best Disney movies either. But if you're searching for a fun family flick you can watch with your little leprechauns, "The Luck of the Irish" will have you kicking up your heels.

While Martin Scorsese made his name and cemented his legend by making movies about the Italian-American mafia, he finally won his Academy Award for his film about the Irish-American mob, "The Departed," one of his best films. The 2005 crime epic adapts the 2002, Hong Kong-set "Infernal Affairs." Though there were three "Infernal Affairs" movies, we sadly suspect sequels to "The Departed" will never be made for a reason that will be clear once the credits roll.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a cop who infiltrates a gang run by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Meanwhile, Matt Damon plays Collin Sullivan, Costello's mole in the police department run by Captain Ellerby (Alec Baldwin). In order to prevent being caught and potentially killed, both Billy and Collin have to uncover the other's identities. 

Some cineastes may sneer that this unapologetically commercial movie won Scorsese his sole Oscar (so far) and not "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," or "Goodfellas." Still, there's no denying that "The Departed" is a blast, managing to keep you at the edge of your seat its entire two-and-a-half-hour runtime. We fear for Leo, can't help but root for Matt, grin ear-to-ear at Jack's unabashedly wacky wickedness, and applaud as Mark Wahlberg manages to steal every scene. Naturally, the maestro Marty holds it all together, convincing us he actually grew up watching the Boston Irish mob, not the New York Italian mafia. While many may still be debating the film's bloody ending, there's no denying you should watch "The Departed" on St. Patrick's Day.

Singing is essential to Irish culture, but sadly, there's a strikingly stark shortage of musicals set in or centered on the Emerald Isle. So when you're not gathering around the piano on St. Patrick's Day for a sing-a-long session of "Danny Boy," "There"s Whiskey In The Jar," "Molly Malone," and "The Belle of Belfast," be sure to sneak in a viewing of "Once." If you won't take our word for it, the little-known indie filmmaker named Steven Spielberg loves "Once," and even once (pun intended) told USA Today, "A little movie called 'Once' gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year." Okay, that may not count for much, given his next movie after 2006's "Once" was 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," but don't hold that against this captivating musical.

Glen Hansard plays an Irish man with no name who makes a living repairing vacuums but moonlights as a street musician in Dublin. He meets an unnamed Czech immigrant (Markéta Irglová) who pays the bills selling flowers but aspires to be a singer-songwriter. This match made in heaven (Ireland, actually) becomes a musical collaboration, as the charming couple compose tunes that reflect their budding romance. Even the most hardened cynic (which is all-too-common among the Irish) can't help but smile at this simple tale of busker-meets-girl. Sure, we have seen a million-and-one scenarios just like this, but "Once" makes it feel as enchanting as love at first sight.

In another timeline, Leonardo DiCaprio played Anakin Skywalker in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, not Hayden Christensen. Thankfully, we live in this timeline, where DiCaprio decided to pursue his craft over commercial pursuits (granted, starring in "Titanic" padded his bank account just a bit), highlighted by his multi-year collaboration with master filmmaker Martin Scorsese. We have almost lost count of the number of movies DiCaprio has made with Scorsese, but it started with his choice to star in "Gangs of New York."

"Gangs of New York" was one of several Martin Scorsese passion projects he'd dreamed of making for decades. DiCaprio plays Amsterdam Vallon, an Irish immigrant seeking vengeance against the anti-immigrant gang leader William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), who murdered his father (Liam Neeson) years before. Behind this simple revenge story is a massive, though at times messy, morality play about the plight of Irish people in 1860's New York. 

DiCaprio delivers a strong leading man performance, though he would do stronger work later, but "Gangs of New York" belongs to Day-Lewis, who dances darn close to hamminess while managing to steal every single frame he is in as the vile cutthroat Cutting. Admittedly, you can practically see Scorsese begging for an Oscar with this movie (which went to "Chicago" that year). While hardly his best movie, "Gangs of New York" is historic for launching one of cinema's greatest actor-director collaborations.

It's estimated that six million-plus Irish people have immigrated to America since the 1820s, resulting in more than 30 million Americans — or one in five people — claiming Irish ancestry. The lovely and lush romantic period drama "Brooklyn" tells the tale of one such Irish immigrant, Eilis Lace (Saorise Ronan). Lace is lured by America's promise to depart the warm embrace of her mother's home in the Emerald Isle to seek a better life in the land of opportunity, by way of Brooklyn, New York. Set in 2015, the film takes place in the 1950s, when anti-Irish sentiment was sadly still very much in vogue in New York. 

Despite this, Lace manages to create a life for herself, getting a job at a department store, taking bookkeeping classes at Brooklyn College in pursuit of an accounting career, and even beginning a budding romance with an Italian-American plumber named (no, not Mario) Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen). Alas, Lace is pulled away from her American life after a tragedy in her family, and she finds herself torn between her new home and her true homeland.

The beauty of "Brooklyn" is it manages to magnificently mirror the immigrant experience of loving but leaving one's homeland, all while adoring America and all of its abundance. Plus, it's a must if you're a sucker for a good romance. Ronan reminds us why she's one of the best actresses of her generation, while director John Crowley and screenwriter Nick Hornby masterfully adapt Colm Tóibín's 2009 novel, making even native-born Americans see their country anew through immigrant's eyes.

Hey, we never said this list was made up of Oscar-worthy entries, though fans of horror-comedy hybrids find 1993's "Leprechaun" worth its weight in a pot of gold. Warwick Davis of Ewok and "Willow" fame is caked in makeup to play the eponymous leprechaun, whose 100 gold coins are stolen by Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin). The thief also traps the titular troll for ten years, until O'Grady's property is rented for the summer by a man (John Sanderford) and his daughter (Jennifer Aniston in one of her first roles). Shenanigans ensue when the newly released leprechaun goes on murderous rampage to reclaim his robbed gold. Sorry, but given the circumstances, we kinda side with the leprechaun on this one.

"Citizen Kane" this ain't, though it did launch an eight-film franchise that shows no signs of slowing down, with a reboot in the works. The original concept for "Leprechaun" was apparently much more horrific, which would have been a mistake, as a killer leprechaun is far too silly to take seriously. But that's part of the fun. Despite lacking even a scintilla of genuine scares, "Leprechaun" strikes it rich with its ridiculous, ribald, and over-the-top gore and mayhem that more than makes up for its lack of true terror. Basically, it's goofy, yet golden garbage from the early 90s straight-to-video era that's sure to delight despite lacking any frights. Plus, it's a must for fans of Jennifer Aniston, whose casting came with the condition that she not change her hair.

John Martin Feeney was one of the most celebrated film directors ever, though you'll be forgiven if you only recognize his professional name: John Ford. A veritable master of the western genre, Ford made some of the best movies set in Arizona and in Oklahoma, but in 1952 told a spellbindingly beautiful story set in the Feeney's ancestral homeland of Ireland with "The Quiet Man."

"The Quiet Man" stars another Irish-American, a frequent Ford collaborator who starred in 14 of his films, who was born Marion Robert Morrison, but you probably know better as John Wayne. Wayne plays Sean Thornton, an Irish-born boxer who leaves America for his native land after accidentally killing an opponent in the ring. Thornton desires nothing more than to live a quiet life in the green hills of Ireland, but runs afoul of Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen) after buying family land Danaher has long coveted, and for falling in love with his sister, Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara). A delightful donnybrook ensues when Danaher declines to deliver his sister's dowry, while Mary Kate refuses to consummate her marriage to Sean until he recovers the cash. 

Amazingly, Ford and Wayne show themselves as adept at romantic comedy as they were at westerns, though "The Quiet Man" belongs to the fiery female lead, the Dublin-born O'Hara. As one of many masterpieces made by one of the greatest filmmakers ever, "The Quiet Man" is absolutely one of the best movies to watch on St. Patrick's Day.