“The Banshees of Inisherin" is set against the backdrop of the Irish civil war (1922-1923), in which people who once fought together in the previous Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) decided to fight against each other. Although the habitants of Inisherin (a fictional island) keep their distance from the war, and seem mostly unbothered by it, I suspect a lot of the movie is about the war and the absurdity of it.

The movie begins with Pádraic (Colin Ferrall) in the beginning of a fall-out with his friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson), for what reason he does not know. But Padraic needs an answer. It turns out that Colm just wants to be left alone. He finds Pádraic too dull, too chatty. Colm just wants his peace and quiet to play his fiddler, compose music, and perhaps, leave a legacy.

Pádraic, however, is too upset. He is a nice man, and it hurts him that Colm would rather befriend the evil cop on the island, who is a violent, abusive father. None of this makes sense to Pádraic. As he tries to mend the friendship, Colm threatens that he will cut his own fingers off if Pádraic doesn't leave him alone.

The movie ends with Colm severing all five of his own fingers, and one of his fingers that he throws at Pádraic's door kills Pádraic's beloved miniature donkey, Jenny, who is nothing but loyal and innocent. She has no say in it all, but is choked by Colm's fat finger. (It is likely that she mistakes it as a carrot.) Pádraic, in return, burns Colm's house down, while Colm is sitting inside. (He is nice enough to forewarn Colm though, in front of the whole town.) Nice as he is, he also…