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Calm with Horses
2020 100 min Ireland, United Kingdom R 18+
★7.0
Crime, Drama
Director: Nick Rowland
Trailers
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Teaser
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Description
In darkest rural Ireland, ex-boxer Douglas 'Arm' Armstrong has become the feared enforcer for the drug-dealing Devers family, whilst also trying to be a good father to his autistic five-year-old son, Jack. Torn between these two families, Arm's loyalties are truly tested when he is asked to kill for the first time.
Starring
Cosmo Jarvis
Actor
Barry Keoghan
Actor
Liam Carney
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 2021
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 2021
— Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA 2021
— Best Casting
BAFTA 2021
— Best British Film
Key opinion
Calm with Horses is a gritty, atmospheric crime drama that excels through its raw, compelling performances and vivid depiction of the bleak Irish underworld. While many critics praise the film's intense character study and visual mood, others find the narrative structure relies too heavily on familiar genre tropes and lacks a coherent plot.
| Acting | Cosmo Jarvis and Barry Keoghan deliver powerful, anchoring performances that elevate the film’s psychological intensity. | |
| Production | The minimalist visuals and depressing rural Irish setting effectively mirror the protagonist's internal conflict and feelings of hopelessness. | |
| Theme | The film offers a brutal, authentic exploration of toxic masculinity and the struggle for redemption in a criminal environment. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: some appreciate the stark social realism, while others criticize the writing for being cliché-ridden, illogical, and amateurish. | |
| Originality | Viewers are split on the originality of the experience; some find the Dickensian rural setting and criminal archetypes authentic, while others dismiss them as derivative of existing crime dramas. |