GKvtCiJVl2
Told largely from the perspectives of Michael and Jack, the timelines flipflop to allow the audience to see things from each character’s perspective. After many stints in similar roles (Saltburn, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) , Keoghan is adept at embodying the psychological villain and brings a childlike naivety to the role that almost endears him to us. He’s both sensitive and ruthless, unable to kill one ram yet easily driven to depravity under his cousin’s tutelage. Abbott and Meaney are both exceptional too while Noone draws attention to the plight of women in such an environment.
Directed and co-written by first-time filmmaker Christopher Andrews, Bring Them Down was a longtime passion project of the Englishman, 10 years in the making. As is often the case for creatives, the story comes from quite a personal place. “Some of the context of the family feuds in the film reflects my own experience of growing up between Catholic and Protestant families, as well as the long shadow cast by family patriarchs,” he explains. “But despite it being an area of conflict, the church was also the space in which I felt most secure – there was a comfort there. One of the stories I learned in church led to a central question of this film: ‘What If the good shepherd, after leaving the ninety-nine saved souls to rescue the lost sheep, returned to find that someone rustled or murdered his flock?’” We see that very dilemma play out here and be warned, it’s not pretty.
Beneath the subtle religious undertones, Andrews explores a range of different themes, from patriarchy to anger, toxic masculinity and how miscommunication often breeds contempt. As producer Ivana MacKinnon points out, “Wars start easily but are very difficult to end.” Set in a very male-dominated world – one where talking about your feelings is not the norm – the characters show what it means to be pushed beyond your limits, both physically and mentally. “You have a job to do. You can’t speak to anyone about your feelings. That is dangerous. That is what leads to dangerous things,” Andrews notes, highlighting how both Michael and Jack have been moulded into the men they are by the men who went before them. “Michael’s father, Ray, is a belligerent, uncompromising and generally unpleasant human being, and Gary, Jack’s father, is vain, bullying and aggressive,” he continues. Though undeniably heavy, there are moments of softness too; when Michael grieves his flock, when he cries for his injured dog, when Jack finds comfort in his mother’s hug. Andrews’ portrayal of farm life is far from the romanticised version we sometimes see on film – the reality is much more gruelling.
Arguably one of the most interesting aspects of all of this though is how readily we accept violence… that is, until it’s directed at animals. Guns are wielded with abandon and we witness more bloodshed than one might expect in a film about sheep farming—some of it so far-fetched it verges on ridiculous—but the most distressing moments for me were the ones where pain was inflicted upon the animals – defenceless creatures caught in the crossfire of a man-made vendetta. Ultimately Andrews wants us to question why that is. “People readily accepted the violence between human beings, but it was the violence against animals that made people really uneasy. People found it abhorrent, and it is, but why is it so different? We’re all animals sharing this planet together.” Perhaps, as the song goes, all God’s creatures have a place in the choir… some just suffer more than others.
3 ½ stars.
Bring Them Down opens in Irish cinemas on February 7. Watch the trailer below.
Imagery courtesy of Mubi UK.
