Christopher Andrews (director)
(studio)
15 (certificate)
106 (length)
07 February 2025 (released)
05 February 2025
Driving fast down rural dirt roads will generally courts disaster and does in the tight opening sequence of Bring Them Down. There setting up a thriller of dirty deeds, long running family rivalries and vengeance.
Michael (Chrisopher Abbot) is the last son of Ray (Colm Meany) who is in a wheelchair. The farm is struggling to keep going though Michael does his best with the sheep he tends. Finding two dead rams his thoughts go immediately to a rival family farmer Gary (Paul Ready) and confronts him and his son Jack (Barry Keoghan) over the animals, at their home. This reopens deep-seated issues between them as well as triggering a series of ever escalating events.
Written and directed by Christopher Andrews, his debut feature is a taught thriller of family and business rivalries mixed with toxic masculine pride and weakness, physically and mentally.
Michael struggles to deal with the farm and his demeaning father. His mental health issues erupt when he takes his father’s words literally with horrific results. Gary for all his bravado is cowed by wife Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone). In the background is the enigmatic son Jack observing saying little, though by no means removed from what is going on.
Andrew’s is uncompromising with his writing in particular the patriarchs Gary and Ray. Two deeply unpleasant people driven by hate and loathing that have festered for years. Meany and Ready are outstanding as the cruel yet pathetic figures. There’s more sympathy for Jack and Michael, though by no means unstained by the rivalry, sensitive performances from Geoghan and Abbott balance these issues, up to a point.
The film changes perspective about mid-way through that balances out the story and character development, without losing any momentum or over complication. Granted it’s a well-used device and here totally justified.
Bring Them Down looks incredible with photography that captures the harsh West of Ireland terrain. Theres no lyrical romance in this tough rural area, just hard work and harder people.
Bring Them Down will be in UK and Irish cinemas on 7 February 2025.
