Stephen Morgan’s review published on Letterboxd:
Absorbing and emotional Irish drama.
The film has a very distinct atmosphere - cold, wet and often dark - that contrasts with the Christmas setting.
Thematically the film deals with a crisis of conscience and the ethics of speaking out in the face of huge, institutional abuse balanced against personal risk.
Cillian Murphy is superb and does a lot of excellent acting work with just his eyes and expressions. Emily Watson makes a short but memorable appearance as a formidable Sister at a convent.
I enjoyed the fact the movie doesn’t spell everything out for the viewer and often left things up to the viewer to work out for themselves.
The end is good and I liked where the film leaves the story.
Ultimately there is a smallness to it that perhaps stops it from being really good, but it is a solid drama with some impactful moments that is worth checking out.
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