A compelling new Irish drama film is available to watch from this week

'The type of warm Irish crowdpleaser that will provoke some big chuckles, while subtly tugging on the heartstrings.'

The film follows four estranged siblings (Carolyn Bracken, Eric O'Brien, Jed Murray and Neill Fleming), whose lives have all gone down radically different paths, as they return to their childhood home in the West of Ireland.

Their father (Lalor Roddy, That They May Face the Rising Sun) has just died, and very quickly, it becomes clear that none of the four have many positive memories of their recently deceased dad.

The siblings are back to hear their father's will, with some of them desperately needing the money that they assume will be left to them.

Tensions rise, however, when it becomes clear that their father was not actually as financially well off as they thought.

Even worse, the siblings are told by a solicitor (John Connors - Cardboard Gangsters, Re-Creation) that they have 24 hours to agree on how to settle their dad's estate or risk losing everything to the State.

While some members of the family wish to sell their childhood home, others are completely opposed.

The plot of Horseshoe doesn't hold a ton of surprises, and some later developments in the movie slightly strain credibility.

That said, there is a lot to like in the film for fans of comedy-dramas and stories about familial conflicts.

The banter between the four siblings is pleasingly sparky and irreverent, making the audience like the characters despite their recognisably human flaws.

The four main actors are uniformly terrific, managing to be believable as relatives, even with their many differences.

It must be said, though, that the show is almost stolen by the brilliant Lalor Roddy as the abusive father, whose death kickstarts the movie.

The character inventively appears throughout the film to each of his children, as they imagine what he'd say to them if he were alive.

With only brief screentime, Roddy's dark performance makes everything the protagonists went through in childhood feel very tangible.

Though some of the conclusions that Horseshoe builds to are a tad predictable, that doesn't mean they don't ring true or feel believable for this specific group of characters.

All in all, the comedy-drama is the type of warm Irish crowdpleaser that will provoke some big chuckles, while subtly tugging on the heartstrings.

Horseshoe is in cinemas on Friday, 5 December.