Bring Them Down (2024) - Film Review

      Bring Them Down, 2024.

      Written and Directed by Chris Andrews.

      Starring Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Nora-Jane Noone, Paul Ready, Susan Lynch, Conor MacNeill, Youssef Quinn, Aaron Heffernan, Adam Behan, and Diarmuid de Faoite.

      SYNOPSIS:

      An Irish shepherding family is embroiled in multiple conflicts: internal divisions, family tensions, and rivalry with a neighboring farmer. Themes of paternalism, heritage, and generational trauma are explored through the cultural lens of Ireland.

      Chris Andrews' Bring Them Down is a bleak yet exhilarating journey along a tragedy inspired by Rashomon. In other words, it may darken one's spirits.

      Focusing on neighboring shepherding families compelled to share the sole hill, the theft of a few rams ignites lingering personal dramas, in addition to interfering in one another’s businesses. For Michael, portrayed by Christopher Abbott, it's another setback for his already failing farm, particularly as his neighbors—often quarreling married couple Gary (Paul Ready) and Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone), along with their confused young adult son Jack (Barry Keoghan), who struggles with the escalating hostility from his father—have no plans to return the animals. Michael's father, Ray (Colm Meaney), who is severely injured and disabled, spends most of the film seated in a regular chair awaiting medical help, urging his son to take action.

      The situation becomes more complex as Michael previously dated Caroline, until a pivotal act of unintentional violence left his mother dead and created a fear of him. Rather than resorting to a simplistic redemptive arc, Andrews opts not to provoke a tale of forgiveness. Rather, as the rival family continues to disrupt Michael's fragile operation, his violent tendencies threaten to resurface.

      Everyone is grappling with hard times on this island, which has rendered whatever joy Gary and Caroline once shared to a resentful halt. Jack finds himself acting out, attempting to prove his worth to his father and salvage their marriage. On the other side, Michael seems to have nothing left to lose, and his relationship with his father is strained.

      Nick Cooke’s expansive cinematography highlights the island's vastness, animal trails, and hills, alongside the isolation of this existence, while also capturing the raw brutality experienced by both humans and animals (the film features a considerable amount of unflinching animal cruelty meant to serve a narrative purpose, which may be disturbing for some viewers). This film is deeply enriched by its setting and time.

      The characters are driven by desperation, toxic masculinity, and a sense of self-worth. Chris Andrews wisely employs a narrative technique that revisits earlier events from different perspectives, adding depth to their motives and choices. While Bring Them Down is fundamentally a thriller about two conflicted shepherding families at odds, the grim elements enhance the character exploration. The film features noteworthy performances from Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan, each showcasing simmering intensity and emotional vulnerability.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He also serves as the Reviews Editor for Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd.