It’s a day for celebration! Except this year maybe we have to celebrate a little more moderately than initially planned.
With Coronavirus shutting down most bars and St. Patrick’s Day plans, we have 10 movies to get yourself in the Irish Spirit!
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Hunger
While this is definitely a dire movie to start the list off on. Hunger is one of the greatest movies made in the last two decades.
Featuring a stellar and mesmerizing performance from Michael Fassbender, and a gripping true to life story.
The story of Bobby Sands and his leading the hunger strike in Northern Ireland is essential. Both in the halls of Irish history as well as just being incredible filmmaking!
Michael Collins
Liam Neeson leads a powerful performance in this incredible movie based off of true to life stories.
Michael Collins was the fierce leader of the Irish Civil War, leader of the Irish Free State and fought the UK for years. The real life character of Michael Collins is revered and detested in Irish history for several reasons. And this movie hits all of them.
Cannot stress enough just how well crafted this movie is, and just how essential viewing it is for fellow Irish!
The Wind that Shakes The Barley
Focused on the Irish Civil War, this movie focuses on two brothers who fight side by side as they battle the British for independence.
Cilian Murphy (who is often underappreciated) and Padraic Delaney are wonderful in their brotherly chemistry. Painting a stellar picture of hardship, warfare, civil rights and psychological effects.
As well as the strain of family being torn apart among hardships. This movie is simply astounding.
The Boxer
Daniel Day Lewis featured in a movie about the IRA? What else could you possibly want out of a movie!
Playing the character of Danny Flynn, a young man who takes a bad rap from the IRA tries to rebuild his life.
Lewis gives an extremely convincing performance as Flynn. Bringing the pain of a life long lost through no fault of his own, he is stellar in this role!
In the Name of the Father
Featuring the same amazing actor from the previous entry, Day Lewis returns to the role of an Irish man unfairly convicted.
Gerry Conlon is accused of helping plan an IRA bombing and finds himself fighting for his life in prison. Soon after his father finds himself in prison as well and he fights for his innocence.
Some of the most emotional monologues and acting scenes in any movie ever put to the silver screen.
Calvary
What if I told you one of the best films of 2014 is a movie that probably never made it to the theaters in your state? Or possibly even in your country?
Calvary sees us watching a priest try to solve the issues of a small town after someone threatens his life during confession.
Equal parts darkly humorous, thought provoking and deeply unsettling. Social issues are explored, theology is dissected and Brendan Gleeson gives a knockout performance.
Far and Away
Despite featuring two leads who could not carry an accent to save their life, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman kill it in this movie.
The story of two Irishmen who flee the country to try and start a new life in the US, this is a great movie. While it does occasionally suffer from over reliance on cliches and melodrama, it makes up for it in acting.
On top of the actor’s commitments to the roles, it has some of the best cinematography of the 90s.
In Bruges
While not taking place in Ireland, this is one of the best dark comedies featuring Irish actors that will ever exist.
Featuring career best performances from Colin Farrel and Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges is dark and comical.
Whip smart dialogue, terrific pacing, hilariously quotable lines and some very dark twists and turns. In Bruges succeeds in every category that most dark comedies fail to ever even come near.
The Quiet Man
What if I told you that one of the best boxing scenes and one of the best movies about Ireland starred John Wayne? Well, then you’d probably call me crazy.
The Quiet Man is just that movie. A retired boxer returns to his hometown to try and pick up the pieces of his life and regain his respect.
Along the way he finds himself falling in love, learning life lessons and reminiscing about old times.
The Siege of Jadotville
Telling the very unknown story of Irish soldiers in rural Africa during the tumultuous times of the 60s.
This movie is one of the most underappreciated and stellar depictions of warfare that has been put to screen. Despite a relatively low budget, this movie succeeds where films like Saving Private Ryan did. A lot of what you see is unbelievable, but it all actually did happen.
The story of Patrick Quinlan and his abilities as a tactical commander to keep his men alive is a story for the ages.
There you have it folks! Our picks for some of the best movies about Ireland and the Irish people! While St Patrick’s Day was pretty slow this year due to Coronavirus concerns, all of these films are well worth a watch.
While some are certainly a little more on the thought provoking and dour side, they feature some of the greatest performances in film history.
