Content Warning: This article contains references suicide and sexual abuse.

Warning: Spoilers for The Banshees of Inisherin.Martin McDonagh's latest dark comedy, The Banshees of Inisherin, breaks one of the acclaimed director's biggest death trends. Although his filmography is relatively small, Martin McDonagh's movies have all received widespread praise. McDonagh's movies are a welcome change from modern blockbusters, as they typically focus on smaller stories and go deeply into relatable themes, including friendship, grief, and human complexity. The Banshees of Inisherin is no different, as the seemingly absurd premise of Colm (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly refusing to talk to Pádraic (Colin Farrell) because he finds him boring ends up being a profound cautionary tale.

A trademark of Martin McDonagh's first three movies is having major characters briefly survive ridiculous events that should have immediately killed them so that they can say their last words, or at the very least the characters get closure before they shockingly die. The Banshees of Inisherin ending doesn’t afford this pleasantry to Dominic (Barry Keoghan), the movie’s most troubled character, whose death is shrouded in mystery. His unexplained death makes Dominic's life even more tragic, because he didn't get to make amends with Pádraic, his only friend.

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How Dominic's Death Compares To Deaths In Martin McDonagh's Previous Movies

Martin McDonagh's first two movies, In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, feature deaths that allow the characters to survive for a final moment of clarity, even though they should already be dead. In Bruges sees Ken (Gleeson) fall to his death to warn Ray (Farrell) of incoming trouble, but on impact with the ground momentarily survives to talk to his friend before succumbing to his fate and whispering "I'm gonna die now, I think." in a darkly hilarious spot. Similarly, in Seven Psychopaths, Hans (Christopher Walken) and Billy (Sam Rockwell) also get to have final words before dying after being shot, in sharp contrast to the complicated setup in The Banshees of Inisherin. Hans happily states that the afterlife isn't gray, putting his anxieties of what happened to his wife after her death to bed, while Billy got to have one last pet of the dog he stole, but grew to love.

McDonagh also has a history of giving characters a moment of clarity before they end their own lives. Harry (Ralph Fiennes) from In Bruges and Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri shoot themselves in the head, albeit for different reasons, but both get to have that final realization of how they got there - something that Ken, Hans, and Billy also got when they were given an extra few seconds before passing. Played by rising star Barry Keoghan, Dominic is the first major McDonagh character not to get that treatment, as The Banshees of Inisherin kills him off without any resolution to his tragic story.

Dominic’s Death in The Banshees Of Inisherin Is McDonagh’s Bleakest

Barry Keoghan as Dominic in The Banshees of Inisherin

In the Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated dark comedy movie, following Colm's unfriending of Pádraic, Dominic is only one of Pádraic's three remaining friends, but they all leave him in the end. Siobhán (Kerry Condon), his sister, leaves for mainland Ireland to pursue a career, while Pádraic's donkey dies choking on one of Colm's severed fingers. While both of those departures are well explained, Dominic's death is not, as he is just found washed up on shore after drowning in unexplained circumstances, having earlier fallen out with Pádraic who he had yet to make up with. Dominic's story was bleak to begin with, particularly after the revelation that his father sexually abused him, but his mysterious ending in The Banshees of Inisherin, which unlike other Martin McDonagh character deaths didn't come with any closure, makes his life even sadder.

Martin McDonagh Is Receiving Widespread Acclaim For The Banshees of Inisherin

Collin Farrell as Pádraic looking confused in The Banshees of Inisherin

The 2023 Oscars nominations list revealed that Martin McDonagh is up for two Oscars, and The Banshees of Inisherin scooped up an additional seven nominations. McDonagh's story hit home with viewers, bringing both laughter and tears, and it didn't hurt that the film's Golden Globe win greased the wheels for its whopping nine Oscar nominations. McDonagh was given the honors of being nominated for both Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and for the former, McDonagh is in competition with Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans), Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Todd Field (Tár), and Ruben Östland (Triangle of Sadness).

Four of The Banshees of Inisherin's Oscar nominations are going to the cast, with Colin Farrell nominated for Best Actor, both Brendan Gleeson and The Batman actor Barry Keoghan for Best Supporting Actor, and Kerry Condon for Best Supporting Actress. Additional nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin are Best Picture, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. It's safe to say that while The Banshees of Inisherin breaks some directorial trends for Martin McDonagh, the move has definitely paid off, as it's set to become one of his most widely acclaimed movies to date.

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