by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer
Revenge is one of the most common themes in cinema. Sometimes it’s portrayed as cathartic, and sometimes it’s shown as an empty spiral. Bring Them Down is a heart-wrenching exercise on this well-trodden topic. But its small scale is what really makes it stand out from the pack. This is not an epic journey of vengeance, but a story of the cycle of pain that leads to one.
We follow Michael (Christopher Abbott), a shepherd who takes care of his ailing father’s farm. When two sheep go missing, Micheal confronts fellow local shepherds, Gary (Paul Ready) and his son Jack (Barry Keoghan), believing they stole his sheep to sell them at the market. The confrontation starts mildly, but over the course of the story, things go further than anyone could have imagined.
Bring Them Down is a beautiful portrait of the loss of innocence as told through Micheal and Jack’s eyes. They not only carry the weight of their fathers, but seemingly of the discontent of their entire small village. Every character is so deeply frustrated with their lot in this town where nothing happens but petty dramas. Instead of these feelings banding them together, they lash out at each other in different ways. Writer/director Chris Andrews does a great job weaving the tales of his poor heroes together in a web of hatred. The story is told nonlinearly, so as it goes on, you get more and more context for the events that are happening. I can see this being disorienting for some viewers, but I like how it all comes together at the end. That being said, I don’t think we would’ve lost anything if the story was told in order, but it was still a creative choice.
As solid as this script is, it wouldn’t work at all without its fantastic cast. Abbott gives a heart-shattering yet subtle performance. The movie’s conflict mostly plays out on his ever-conflicted face as he tries to handle the pressures put on him by his past and his father. Keoghan is a chameleon, simply becoming his teenage character. His utter vulnerability contrasts his costar’s ever-steely gaze. There are no big dramatic performances. It’s a rather quiet movie for the most part, but that doesn’t make it any less intense, and that’s a testament to the cast’s ability. It reminds me of The Banshees of Inisherin in its ability to tell a very small, personal story that subtly points to grander issues. At the end of the day, the main problem is all of these men’s inability to handle their emotional trauma and how it affects everyone around them.
It’s best to go into this movie without knowing anything. The way the story evolves is what makes it powerful. And like all the best thrillers, it holds you in the grip of its downward spiral until the very last shot. The powerful feelings of guilt and shame this evokes don’t make for a pleasant watch, but they do have a powerful effect that’s worth the discomfort.
Rating: Liked It
Bring Them Down is currently playing in theaters
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