What do people think of when they imagine an Irish film? Period dramas like Black ‘47 or the iconic 1992 thriller The Crying Game are set in Ireland during the grim era of the Troubles. On the other side are travel-based rom-coms like Leap Year, which are more about the beauty of the nation. In the worst cases, some may picture the less-than-respectful Leprechaun franchise. But there’s a thriving film culture in the nation, including several visionary horror directors.
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Irish director Lorcan Finnegan crafted this bizarre new vision of a living hell in 2019. Starring Jessie Eisenberg and Imogen Poots, the film depicts the nightmarish surreality of settling down, retiring to the suburbs, and having a kid. A charming young couple finds themselves struggling to buy their first home until they find a conveniently placed suburban development. They make the drive to tour the home, both largely uninterested in the property, but they quickly discover that they’re unable to leave. Before long, they discover a baby on their porch whose bizarre behavior leaves them in a constant state of terror. Watching Eisenberg and Poots break down as their suburban prison saps their sanity is one of the most bracing cinematic experiences of recent years. It’s an intelligent and subtle film, but, when it cuts loose, it evokes a level of visceral terror that’s tough to match.
You Are Not My Mother
There’s a uniquely common trend of horror films about mothers and things that may be impersonating them. You Are Not My Mother fits well in that trend, but the stellar execution by first-time writer/director Kate Dolan makes it special. The film stars Hazel Doupe as Char, a young lady who struggles to fit in with her family or her peers. Her time at school is plagued by bullying and her time at home isn’t any better. Her mother has grown depressed and rarely leaves her bed while her grandmother is suffering from substantial illness. When her mother suddenly disappears, only to reappear dramatically changed, Char is forced to reckon with something she cannot comprehend. The film effortlessly balances its unnerving horror and its social themes, creating a deeply clever and haunting atmosphere.
The Hallow
It would be a shame not to include a film that focuses on Ireland’s long and proud history of nightmarish creatures that haunt their lovely forests. Luckily, Corin Hardy’s 2015 directorial debut serves to teach newcomers to the mythology about the true nature of faeries. The plot follows a conservationist, his wife, and their newborn who move to an Irish village surrounded by a dense blanket of forest. Before long, locals begin acting strange, as if they’re trying to force the family out of their new home. The family discovers strange and malevolent forces with designs on their infant and must fight against impossible creatures to survive. It’s not the most original film, it’s a little bit Evil Dead and a little bit Straw Dogs, but the Irish folklore edge gives it a unique identity. Anyone with familiarity with or fondness for fairy tales should seek out this film.
The Hole in the Ground
Yet another directorial debut, this time from Lee Cronin who is set to direct an upcoming Evil Dead series. Released in 2019, The Hole in the Ground is an unusually solid entry in the weirdly prolific evil kid subgenre of horror film. It stars Seána Kerslake as a young single mother who becomes increasingly troubled by her son’s unusual behavior. When she discovers the eponymous sinkhole, she begins to wonder whether the boy living in her house is her son at all. The film manages to keep a consistently unpleasant atmosphere relying almost entirely on cinematography and musical cues. It’s a tried and true concept dolled up with near-perfect execution.
Grabbers
The Irish are arguably much more famous for their sense of humor than they are for their horror, so horror comedy from the Emerald Isle stans out. Director John Wright and screenwriter Kevin LeHane crafted this unique and entertaining monster movie that combines writhing horrors with one of the nation’s most prolific stenotypes. The film stars Richard Coyle as an aging alcoholic cop who is displeased when he meets his new partner, who is hardworking and ambitious in her pursuit of promotion. The quaint Irish village finds itself under attack from a host of disgusting masses of tentacles with mouths. Things look dire until they discover that the alien’s weakness is alcohol. This forces the town’s inhabitants into a long protective stupor and turns the nightmarish survival scenario into a high-stakes pub brawl. It manages the difficult double-act of being genuinely scary and funny. Films like these should put Irish horror on the map for the unique and wonderful bounty it is.
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