The Irish film-making industry has gone through a period of success in recent years, leading to many new movies being released on different subjects. From the Oscar-winner The Banshees of Inisherin to many lower-profile efforts, the number of different Irish movies available means that you can choose the theme that best suits you.

Irish Wish

This fantasy romantic movie quickly became the most-watched film on Netflix on the day of its release. Although it is an American production starring Lindsay Lohan, it was filmed across Ireland and the plot involves a traditional Irish fairy who offers Maddie (Lohan) the chance to make her wish come true. A Tourism Ireland spokesperson confirmed that they started to see an increase in online searches for the featured locations upon its release.

As a light-hearted tale with a touch of Irish mythology, Irish Wish is a good example of how Ireland has traditionally been viewed in the entertainment industry. This page with casino tips for beginners lists some of the most popular slots in different themes, with one article covering Irish slots. Among them, Wish Upon a Leprechaun and Leprechauns Luck: Collect both feature popular fairy-type characters, with pots of gold and rainbows among the other symbols. Free spin rounds are commonly offered in Irish slots, with jackpot prizes up for grabs in some of them.

Bring Them Down

This thriller was originally to be set in Northern England but a change of plan saw it relocate to Ireland and Barry Keoghan brought in to replace Paul Mescal. It’s a feature-length directorial debut for award-winning short film director Chris Andrews and also stars Christopher Abbot and Colm Meaney.

Abbott plays Michael, who is a member of a family of shepherds that lives in a remote house with his sick father Ray (played by Meaney). He gets into a dispute with another family and the events soon spiral out of control. It’s got a darker tone than Irish Wish, using the Irish culture and setting to explore universal issues such as generational trauma and heritage. 
“Irish countryside, Liscannor, Ireland” (CC BY 2.0) by Giuseppe Milo (www.milo.photography)

Fréwaka

This Irish horror movie is directed by Aislinn Clarke and stars Clare Monnelly as well as Bríd Ní Neachtain. Monnelly plays a care nurse who has her own drama from the past to come to terms with. She’s sent to a remote Irish village to look after a woman suffering from agoraphobia.

One of the interesting aspects of this film is that it’s told in a mixture of England and Irish, leading to some people calling it the first Irish-language horror movie. The word Fréwaka comes from the Irish fréamhacha, meaning underground entwined roots.  The director is from Northern Ireland and she called it “an original take on Irish folklore and contemporary Ireland”.

All of these new Irish movies help to reveal why the country’s film-making reputation is growing so quickly. With creative ideas and subtle links between the past and present, the success of these and other films should help to ensure that we see a lot more of Ireland on the screen in the next few years.