KSL Movie Show review: Beware ‘Bring Them Down’ may be a difficult watch

Editor’s note: This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.

SALT LAKE CITY — I realize that a good movie doesn’t have to be all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes, a powerful, unforgettable film can simply be well-made, and well-acted, but be nothing but misery.

Which brings us to “Bring Them Down.”

This is an Irish film that features two neighbors in the rolling hills of Western Ireland, who you might say, have been at odds for the past two decades. The reason will be quickly apparent, as it begins in a car on a winding country road, with a mom explaining to her teenage driver son, Mikey, that she plans to leave his miserable father, Ray. In the back seat is Mikey’s sweet girlfriend, Caroline, who is somehow along for the ride.

Related: KSL Movie Show review: Journalist or not, go see ‘September 5’

The more mom explains, the faster Mikey drives at dangerous speeds, leading to a crash that we are to assume, kills mom and disfigures the girlfriend — we think. We’re given flashes of visuals that seem to indicate this horrible tragedy.

Twenty years later with nothing explained in-between, Michael O’Shea (Christopher Abbott) is working on the family sheep ranch. Their animals are the pride of the region. Unfortunately, papa Ray (Colm Meaney) is laid up with very bad knees. He spends most of his days listening to the radio and barking at his vacant-staring son.

 

A phone call from neighbor Gary says his boy Jack (Barry Keoghan) has found two dead rams from the O’Shea herd, brought them to the house and has disposed of the remains in “the pit” – an area we assume where all things that expire end up.

A cranky Ray sends Michael over to see what’s up. Michael is met in the yard by a now-grown Caroline with scars on her face, who is now married to Gary. Mind you, Michael hasn’t been to their neighboring farm in twenty years, so this sudden meeting between he and Caroline is strained at best.

More from KSL Movie Show: KSL Movie Show review: ‘Love Hurts’ is painful to watch

For the time being, we follow Michael to the area auction house, where he hopes to buy two new rams that would fit the quality of the O’Shea brand. There, he spots his supposedly dead rams being auctioned off by Gary and Jack, who stole the prized animals and lied about it. Tempers and actions escalate, to the point where some rustlers raid the O’Shea herd, cut the hind legs off all of the sheep (they can get $15 a pair) and leave them all to suffer in agony.

Now I spent my teenage years growing up on a cattle ranch and I never saw anything as cruel and horrific as this. So if you have issues with animals in peril — definitely stay clear of this film.

Then suddenly, the perspective switches to Jack as we see all the same scenes again. We see that his family is desperate and facing the possibility of losing their farm. Jack does a lot of horrible things, some based on the promptings of his psychotic cousin, but he doesn’t want to lose his parents, who are threatening divorce and walking away from everything he knows.

I wish I could tell you that all ends well, but that’s not what this agonizing movie is about. I will tell you that it haunted my dreams last night, in which I began a conversation with colleagues trying to understand why a filmmaker would linger so long on the horrors and misunderstandings that were taking place, even if some were implied and off-screen. The dark imagination can be a terrifying stage. “Bring Them Down” amplifies it to another level. However, if there is a bright spot, it’s the performance of Nora-Jane Noone who plays the long-suffering Caroline. She shows a toughness that is impossible to dismiss, even in this devastating film.

“Bring Them Down” (B-) Rated R for language throughout, violent content, some grisly images and brief drug use. Starring Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney and Nora-Jane Noone. Co-written and directed by newcomer Chris Andrews. In Irish and English. Filmed in Ireland. Running time: 105 minutes.

The KSL Movie Show with Andy Farnsworth and Steve Salles airs Fridays on KSL NewsRadio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Follow the show on Facebook, and join The KSL Movie Show Club for exclusive perks by texting MOVIE to 57500. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel. Message frequency varies.