Small Things Like These

Very few films have managed to stir up such anger and sadness in me simultaneously. Cillian delivers a powerhouse performance in the softest, most understated way imaginable. The film addresses its central issue with such subtlety that, at times, you almost forget what’s really happening—just as the townspeople do. I watched this with a Dutch friend who enjoyed it but didn’t fully “get it.” She kept saying, “This can’t be real—why would they do this?” I think that reaction sums it up. Understanding this story feels ingrained in our DNA as Irish people. Ireland failed those women.