Ranking Colin Farrell's 10 Best Movie Performances

At time of writing, Farrell has already nabbed a Golden Globe for his latest work, and he’s a favourite for the Oscar, too. He’d be well worth it; his third performance for writer/director Martin McDonagh is right in the actor’s sweet spot.

Set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland circa 1923, Banshees is a story of friendship gone sour, creeping mortality, and the expectations we set for ourselves. Farrell’s Padraic is a man of simple pleasures: he looks after his animals, keeps a house with his sister, and goes for a daily pint with his friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson). One day, though, Colm decides he no longer wants to associate with Padraic, citing the man as a dullard and a waste of time.

Farrell’s performance as a spurned man is heartbreaking. While there’s something childlike about Padraic, his character here is by no means a fool; he has been thrust into a bizarre situation beyond his understanding, with Colm a grown man acting like a teenager for reasons Padraic can’t comprehend.

His leading man qualities are in stark contrast to the more natural performances of the rest of the cast, making this his boldest turn in some time.