film synopsis
Could Irish writer-director Philip Doherty, also a former playwright, be the new Martin McDonagh? Unique and exhilarating, Doherty’s surreally stylized debut feature is a Bible-inspired, pitch-black comedy about a prodigal son returning to his rural hometown to seek salvation for his sins. And it’s a musical. Jimmy Cullen (Aaron Monaghan) left the village of Ballylough in disgrace. He returns seven years later to visit his dying father and carry out some other plans. Said father is definitely not happy to see him, and his brother greets him with a headbutt. Soon, Jimmy is ready to move on, but the terms of his father’s will state that he cannot be buried on a day with rain, otherwise both sons will be disinherited. Sadly, soggy Ballylough is on the receiving end of a truly Biblical downpour and Jimmy is stuck in place, trying to redeem the guilt and shame of his past.