From director-writer Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) comes a unique film starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Although Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson) have been lifelong friends, they find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, bringing alarming consequences for both of them.

For in-depth thoughts on The Banshees of Inisherin, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’ review from the Toronto International Film Festival here.

Video Quality

The Banshees of Inisherin comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in 2.39:1 courtesy of Searchlight Pictures featuring some spectacular cinematography from Ben Davis. This presentation is quite a stunner as it offers a stable image quality throughout. The gorgeous Irish countryside translates well aesthetically with most shots looking simply breathtaking. The creative team captures some awe-inspiring landscapes that really pop in high definition. Not only do the textural details render cleanly, but the lush greenery leaps off the screen. There are no egregious instances of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances of the sort. At worst there is a tiny amount of crush in some of the darkest moments. Skin tones look natural throughout the runtime. I do not see how this could have been significantly improved visually without a 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc, which we would welcome.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that conjures a very distinct atmosphere that transports you to this quaint village. This is a fairly subdued film, but the track comes alive with the environmental sounds. The wonderful score from Carter Burwell is showcased beautifully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the environmental effects or the score. Although, you might need to turn on the subtitles to perfectly capture certain dialects. The sound design is executed perfectly with sounds positioned accurately in the mix. The environmental effects create a really effective soundscape of gentle tides and wildlife. This is far from an action-heavy film, so the activity in the low end is very sparse. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life in a really splendid way. There are optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Creating The Banshees Of Inisherin: An 18-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the story, the writing of Martin McDonagh, the reteaming of Farrell and Gleeson after In Bruges, bringing the work of Kerry Condon to film, the unique tone of the film, the impressive ensemble, the shooting locations, the costume design, the production and more.

Deleted Scenes: Five unused scenes totaling five minutes are provided here which shows Pádraic trying to chase down Colm, Siobhán crying, Colm playing music and more.

Final Thoughts

The Banshees of Inisherin is a bleakly hilarious and thoughtful examination of friendship and loss that ranks among the best of the year. Colin Farrell gives one of the best performances of his career in a very understated yet effective manner. The rest of the ensemble shines just as brightly alongside him at such a level that it is nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Martin McDonagh has topped himself as a writer to make the most basic human fears and emotions some of the most riveting material you will see on screen these days. The Blu-Ray perfectly captures the cinematic nature of the story with a beautiful A/V presentation and a couple of really engaging special features. This will be a fantastic addition to any collection. Highly Recommended

The Banshees of Inisherin is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Searchlight Pictures and Buena Vista Home Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.