It broke my heart when I learned that Martin McDonagh‘s The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight, 10.21) wouldn’t be screening at Telluride ’22. I knew it would be at least pretty good, and I couldn’t figure why Telluride hadn’t grabbed it. Probably some Venice Film Festival bullshit.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been hearing it’s a lot more than “pretty good”, and that it might even be a Fabelmans conqueror. And now that I’m hearing that a fair number of critics believe that Banshees might actually win the Best Picture Oscar, my heart is still broken as I won’t see it until 10.20, or the day before it opens.

Critic friendo #1: “I’m hearing that the movie that’s going to win Best Picture is the Martin McDonagh film. I’ve just heard it here and there. People adore this film.” Critic friendo #2: “Don’t miss Banshees…it’s A-plus. It made me realize how (1) filmmakers in America don’t really know how to tell good stories because they all want to write their own scripts and they’re not great writers. And (2) I’d forgotten how powerful a great story can actually be, and why they matter so much. McDonagh is such a great fucking writer.”

Critic friendo #2 response to Best Picture buzz: “I have to agree with that. Also Best Original Screenplay.”