Christy

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Alan W Danny Power's soon-to-be 18yo Christy finds himself moving in temporarily with his estranged half-brother Diarmuid Noyes' Shane and his babymother, Emma Willis' Stacey, after leaving his latest foster home. Disillusioned and feeling unwanted, he soon falls in with a bunch of friendly kids who all seem wiser than their years, but he also reconnects with a local community who knew his mother and eventually find himself facing a choice between Shane and a shady cousin whom Shane had prudently cut off from his life. Set in a working class suburb of Cork, the familiar set-up and the depiction of people living in the margins of society reminds me of Loach (and his 2002 film Sweet Sixteen), but also the subtly powerful social dramas of the Dardenne Brothers; though the way Alan O'Gorman's observational screenplay swerves mawkishness and adopts a lighter, more life-affirming spin moves it closer to something like Shameless or last year's Kneecap. Debut feature director Brendan Canty maintains an effective sense of foreboding throughout the film, as if something can spark off any minute, but he undercuts that expectation with humour and a more grounded touch. So while the final conflict between the brothers seems a little contrived to me, it's refreshing to see the film lands not on a conventional showdown or outbreak of violence that normally follow in films like this, but a choice made under a moment of clarity instead. The strong Cork accent will need some adjusting to but bolstered by an energetic cast of fresh faces (Jamie Forde's wheelchair-bound Robot is an unexpected joy), some, including Power, have previously featured on The Young Offenders TV series, this authentic and proficiently made indie drama is so full of life and hope, it'll leave you bouncing out the cinema with a song in your heart. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/22/25 Full Review Jack S A delightful and incredibly restrained piece of filmmaking. Beautifully shot, cast and acted. Elements of Ken Loach but without the obvious political viewpoint. The cork accent is strong so if you’re not attuned to it - you mar wish there were subtitles in places! (Not an issue for me) Stay for the Kabin Krew-esque rap at the end! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Christy

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