What a cast
Netflix has added a new thriller that has been labelled the ‘Irish Avengers’ thanks to its stellar cast of actors from the Emerald Isle.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September, but was added to Netflix in the UK and Ireland on Friday.
Directed by Robert Lorenz, the cast is a veritable who’s who of Irish film and television. With Liam Neeson in the main role, the movie also stars Irish Oscar nominees Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast), along with Irish acting legend Colm Meaney.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners is set in 1970s Ireland during the Troubles, and follows Finbar Murphy (Neeson), a man with a dark past who leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glencolmcille, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country.
But when a group of terrorists arrive, led by a woman named Doirean (Condon), Finbar is drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, forcing him to choose between exposing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbours.
The film is currently at number one in the Top 10 Films chart on Netflix in the UK.
Other main cast members include Sarah Greene, who appeared in Normal People, and Jack Gleeson. Whilst you may not recognise Gleeson’s name, many of you will have watched him play one of the greatest villains in television history.
The 31-year-old played Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones until his character was famously poisoned in one of the show’s most memorable scenes.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners marked his first major return to acting after he announced he was retiring a decade ago because he had lost the “passion” for his career.
With such a stellar cast of Irish talent, some have labelled the film the nation’s version of the Avengers.
Last year, Meaney spoke to JOE about the film, saying he had “high hopes” for it.
He said: “Very good script. It’s got Liam [Neeson], it’s got Kerry Condon – my favourite woman in the world – Ciarán Hinds…
“It’s a great cast and a great script, so yeah, fingers crossed. High hopes for it.”
The movie has lived up to its hype as well, earning a score of 82 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
In their review of the film, Empire magazine described it as a “solid, old-fashioned Irish Western about what it means to hang up your rifle.”
Meanwhile, the Financial Times drew comparisons between Neeson and Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, writing that the Irishman is “as sturdy as ever in a role Clint Eastwood might have played 20 years ago and a few thousand miles away.”
In the Land of Saints and Sinners is available to watch now on Netflix in the UK and Ireland.
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