(WSAV) – If you’re in the mood for a St. Patrick’s Day movie, you’ll love this list of Irish-inspired films to celebrate the holiday.
‘Brooklyn’ (2015)
“Brooklyn” is a film about an Irish immigrant who moves to the United States looking for a better life. While she’s in the United States, she falls in love with an American and begins her new life. However, soon she is called back to Ireland due to tragic circumstances and must consider what’s more important: her life back home or her new one in Brooklyn.
Starring Saoirse Ronan, this film was released in 2015 and has a 7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. It also has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch the trailer for Brooklyn here.
‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’ (2006)
“The Wind that Shakes the Barley” is a war drama set during the Irish War of Independence as well as the Irish Civil War. The first war lasted from 1919 to 1921 and is also called the Anglo-Irish War while the second lasted from 1922 to 1923. The film follows the story of two brothers fighting for different military forces during the wars.
Starring Cillian Murphy and Pádraic Delaney, this film was released in 2006 and won the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. It has a 7.5 out of 10 on IMDB and a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch the trailer here.
‘The Quiet Man’ (1952)
“The Quiet Man” is an older film about an American man who moves back to his birthplace of Innisfree, Ireland, after living his life as a boxer in Pittsburgh. He falls in love with a woman there and hopes to marry her, but her brother has other plans. The film is well known for its cinematography, and Winton Hoch, the cinematographer for the film, won an Academy Award for his work.
Starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, this film was released in 1952. It won two Academy Awards and has a 7.7 out of 10 rating on IMDB. It also has a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch the trailer here.
‘Sing Street’ (2016)
“Sing Street” is a more recent film set in Dublin in the 1980s. This musical comedy-drama follows a coming-of-age story about a teenage boy who must change schools due to his family’s financial troubles. While at the school, he decides to start a band to impress his crush.
Starring Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and Lucy Boynton, this film first debuted during the 2016 Sundance festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. It has 7.9 out of 10 on IMDB and a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can check out the trailer here.
‘Song of the Sea’ (2014)
If you’re looking for a film that is more child-appropriate, then the hand-drawn film “Song of the Sea” is for you. This film follows the story of a 10-year-old Irish boy who blames his younger sister for the death of his mother. He soon discovers that his younger sister is a selkie, a mythical creature in Celtic and Norse mythology that can assume the form of a human on land or a seal in water.
Starring David Rawle and Brendan Gleeson in the English translation of the movie, this film has an 8.1 out of 10 on IMDB and a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes. You can check out the trailer here.