‘Small Things Like These’ Review – A Small Gesture Helps Us All

Life, it is known, is made up of millions (trillions? more?) of tiny moments. Many of these moments are opportunities for a choice between kindness and cruelty. Cruelty comes in many forms. It can be one of active violence or it can be simply turning a blind eye to other’s horrific actions. There are always reasons to not put yourself at risk for others. Speaking truth to power is one of the hardest things to do. It is easy to do and say the right thing when you, yourself, are not at any real risk of harm. But, depending on our own experience, there are lines in the sand. Small moments that feel larger than life. No one can tell you what they are or when they will occur, but you can tap into that moment and truly understand its importance.

Small Things Like These, Cillian Murphy’s first starring role post-Oppenheimer, tells the story of Bill Furlong (Murphy). Bill is a coal seller in New Ross, Ireland. One day, while delivering coal, he sees something strange outside of a school for girls in the neighborhood. As the story slowly unfolds, along with Bill’s own history, he is given an opportunity to make a change under pressure from religion, townsfolk, and even his own family. 

The film is the most Cillian Murphy choice possible, given his honest-to-god fame after winning Best Actor at last year’s Academy Awards. This is a, as the name suggests, small film that is humanity-forward and Irish-focused. Murphy gives yet another powerful, but subtle performance. Director Tim Mielants knows the gift he has and spends a large amount of the runtime focused on the pensive face of the award-winning actor, processing both local and individual trauma. There is a moment late in the film, when a realization hits Bill, and the camera lingers on a single tear traveling down his face. This kind of moment can easily seem cliched, but with Murphy backing it, the scene would pull you into his internal process, even without the flashback to bring another level of clarity.

This is a film that trusts its viewer to catch up, despite its slowed pace. There is much that must be noticed via context clues as it throws you into the world it is creating. Despite the importance of Bill’s decision, it is never hammered home that it is a life-altering one. And likely that is the point. His choice, in the grand scheme of the universe, is a tiny one. It is also the right thing to do. Scenes with his family, both as a child and as an adult, are at once simple and desperately important. As he sits with his wife, Eileen (Eileen Walsh), and his five daughters, we are forced to focus on gender and the impact that a good man can have on women. This is doubly true as the truth of Bill’s mother inches towards the light. We quickly understand that Bill is not only doing the right thing generally but attempting to right a wrong in his own small way.

The great evil that comes into focus is partially the Catholic Church, which made a practice of scooping up women who were unmarried and pregnant, putting them to work, and taking their children away. But additionally, the evil is silence and complicity. No one wants to lose their place and the Church is connected to everything in this small town. Many people know what is happening, but no one is willing to make an act of self-sacrifice to put a stop to it. The tyranny of the Church is played perfectly in the form of Sister Mary (Emily Watson). This would be awfully easy to overdo, but Watson is cold, calculating, and a true believer. 

Small Things Like These may feel tedious to some theater-goers, given its subtlety and slowed pace. But this is a feature, not a bug. Bill’s life, and all lives, are simple and small. Because of this, it is easy to excuse not doing the right thing. But the film posits that we all have our opportunities. It is up to us to be both aware and willing. If we look around at our neighbors’ suffering, it is our job as humans to extend our hands, even if those above us look down their noses. These small things allow us to be fully human and connected. 

Small Things Like These will debut in theaters on November 8, 2024, courtesy of Lionsgate.