A round-up of the best Irish films to watch – and the ones you can’t miss out on…
From the Banshees of Inisherin to Leap Year, Betfair Casino have revealed the top Irish films to watch from the comfort of your own home this year.
With a lot of tough competition, it was the Banshees of Inisherin which bagged the best Irish film to watch in 2024. The popularity of each film was measured by a unique index score – generated by ratings on IMDb, Rating Graph, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic – with the lower the overall index score the higher the ranking.
It’s no surprise The Banshees of Inisherin came on top after receiving nine Oscar nominations and winning three Golden Globe awards after its release in 2022. The film won Best Motion Picture, Best Actor – due to Colin Farrell’s stellar performance alongside Brendan Gleeson – and Best Screenplay. Directed by McDonagh, the film also won four BAFTA Awards and has been cited as among the best films of the 21st century so far.
The Commitments followed behind in second place and it proves to be a popular film to tick off your list with the film, directed by Alan Parker, focusing on a man from Dublin who is on a mission to form a jazz band.
In third place was The Lobster – featuring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Coleman – which is described as a dark, futuristic dystopian drama. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, singletons must find a romantic partner in 45 days or face being turned into an animal.
Other popular films that made the top 8 were In Bruges, Breakfast in Pluto, The Matchmaker and P.S. I Love You.
Top 8 Irish films ranked (Index Score measured by IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and Rating Graph)
Banshees of Inisherin
On a remote Irish island, Padraic is left devastated after lifelong friend Colm decides to put a blunt end to their friendship.
The Commitments
A story about an unemployed man from Dublin who decides to form a jazz band – finding musicians on the streets of Dublin.
The Lobster
A dystopian film where singles are taken to The Hotel to find their perfect romantic partner.
In Bruges
A black comedy that follows two hit men (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) – who are waiting for their next orders from their boss after their job went wrong.
Intermission
Colin Farrell and Cillian Murphy star in a black comedy, which follows the journey of finding true love.
Breakfast on Pluto
Cillian Murphy plays a transgender woman searching for love in a small town in Ireland and London in the 1970s.
The Matchmaker
A romantic comedy starring Janeane Garofalo follows an assistant who is trying to trace a senator’s relatives – but finds herself at a matchmaking festival.
Albert Nobbs
Albert meets a handsome painter who discovers his real identity that he’s been hiding.
Leap Year
After waiting for her boyfriend to ask her hand in marriage, Anna Brady decides to travel to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy
P.S I Love You
After Holly loses the love of her life Gerry, she discovers a series of letters from her late husband, which he left behind to help his wife relive their old memories.
