Five of the best Brendan Gleeson films to watch this weekend

Brendan Gleeson, like his co-stars Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon, has been enjoying renewed success as of late thanks to Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin. A black comedy-drama written and directed by McDonagh, the film has been lauded by critics and audiences the world over – and has already had racked up quite an impressive number of awards so far this season.

If you haven’t seen Gleeson’s latest project, best start with that. Then follow that up with the four others on our list which you can peruse below…

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Released in Irish cinemas nationwide last October, the film was later added to Disney+ where it’s now available to watch from the comfort of your own home. Already generating much excitement and a 13-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival premiere, this dark comedy-drama follows two lifelong friends as they find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.

Calvary (2014)

Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, Calvary boasts an incredibly impressive Irish cast that includes Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran and Brendan’s son, Domhnall Gleeson. The film revolves around a good-natured priest who wrestles with a cynical, spiteful community after he receives a death threat from an unknown parishioner in a confessional booth.

The Guard (2011)

Also written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, The Guard saw Brendan Gleeson receive a well-deserved Golden Globe Award nomination and is one of the most successful independent Irish films of all time in terms of Irish box-office receipts. Gleeson plays the role of Sergeant Gerry Boyle, an irreverent and unorthodox officer of an Garda Síochána who’s partnered up with a straight-laced, no-nonsense FBI agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.

In Bruges (2008)

A black comedy crime film that first brought the Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Martin McDonagh trio together, you’ve more than likely seen In Bruges more than once already, but it’s always worth a rewatch. If you haven’t seen it, the film revolves around a pair of hitmen as they await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Who put Harry’s name in the goblet of fire? The fourth movie in the Harry Potter series, Goblet of Fire sees Brendan Gleeson take on the role of Mad-Eye Moody, who becomes the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. And he is truly brilliant as the weird and wonderful Mr Moody.