The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

A quirky short film-like premise gets expertly expanded under vast Irish sky, casually meandering like a stroll down to the shore and back up to the pub into the territories of pure drama and absurdist dark comedy, respectively. What is a friendship? What is a life well-lived? “How’s the despair?” These questions are bandied about in a snappy, smart script (Dominic’s tragic arc felt disconnected though), perfectly acted out. Siobahn’s a perfect third character (“You’re *all* fucking boring!”).

8

The Green Knight (2021)

Gets off to sort of a bland start pre-quest, with more to chew on in acts two and three. Aside from the riveting final meeting, even those are hard to engage with in the moment (the visuals are great but the bizarre symbolism and plot movements are hard to wrap your head around), but looking back, it’s impossible not to appreciate the poetic artistry of it all, from its thought-provoking take on the classic “hero’s quest” story arc to its almost playful engagement with themes of time and honour.

7