Movies - TV
Martin McDonagh Sees The Banshees Of Inisherin As An In Bruges Sequel Gone Wrong
By DEVIN MEENAN
Director Martin McDonagh returned to Ireland, his homeland, for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and once again cast Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, the stars of his film "In Bruges." During an appearance on "Late Night With Seth Meyers," McDonagh said his goal was to recapture the magic of the trio's first film while still doing something new.
Meyers told McDonagh that he considers “In Bruges” a platonic love story, and noted in turn that, "[Banshees] is sort of the perfect reverse, which is this breakup story between two male friends." McDonagh agreed with Meyers, "It's literally almost like a sequel that goes wrong from the very first five minutes."
Most compellingly, Farrell and Gleeson essentially swap roles from one film to the next, and while their characters face similar struggles, they often come from a different place. Both films end in uncertainty, though "In Bruges" is the more optimistic, as "The Banshees of Inisherin," lacks any resolution at all.
McDonagh acknowledged the comparative darkness of "The Banshees of Inisherin" on "Late Night With Seth Meyers." "We also wanted to do something that was different, that wouldn't displease an 'In Bruges' fan, to have the humor and all of that stuff,” he said, “but to go to a slightly stranger and maybe sadder place.”