New Barry Keoghan Ireland-set thriller nabs top prize at major US movie festival

'Beneath a chilling revenge thriller is a crackling family drama.'

Bring Them Down, a new Ireland-set thriller starring Barry Keoghan, has picked up the Best Picture award at US movie event Fantastic Fest.

Based in Austin in Texas, the festival has a particular focus on genre films in the action, fantasy, horror, sci-fi and thriller categories.

And as part of its 2024 iteration, Bring Them Down screened in the festival's main competition strand.

Written and directed by Christopher Andrews in his feature debut, the film centres around the escalating tensions of two farming families in the west of Ireland, whose actions have increasingly devastating consequences.

Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott in Bring Them Down

"Michael (Christopher Abbott, Poor Things), the last son of a shepherding family, lives with his ailing father, Ray (Colm Meaney, The Snapper). Burdened by guilt over the death of his mother, Michael has isolated himself from the world," the plot synopsis reads.

"When a conflict with rival farmer Gary (Paul Ready, The Terror) and his son Jack (Keoghan) escalates, Michael is drawn into a devastating chain of events, forcing him to confront the horrors of his past and leaving both families permanently altered."

Having already had its world premiere at the prestigious 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, the movie won the Best Picture award in the Main Competition strand at Fantastic Fest.

In response to a post by streaming service MUBI - who produced the thriller and will be releasing it in Ireland - about the win, the Texas event called the movie "fantastic".

Fantastic film! https://t.co/NyBbNvB4hf
— Fantastic Fest (@fantasticfest) September 25, 2024

Currently holding an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score, you can read a sample of some of the glowing reviews for the film so far.

Next Best Picture: "Beneath a chilling revenge thriller is a crackling family drama that feeds on the violent perils of pent-up emotions."

ScreenRant: "Bring Them Down may be 105 minutes worth of violence and misery, but it’s great storytelling, nonetheless."

That Shelf: "Seeing some of Ireland’s finest actors at work makes Bring Them Down an exhilarating watch. Andrews’ script provides just the right amount of tension, and when it reveals its true intentions halfway through the runtime, the story truly comes alive."

Variety: "A brutally violent directorial debut… veers between pitch-black humour and pervading melancholy."

Bring Them Down does not have an Irish release date as of yet.

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