Calm with Horses (The Shadow of Violence)

Cinéart | Release Date: July 31, 2020

5.8	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Ratings

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MarakaiAug 19, 2020

Despite a lot of critical acclaim, Independent Irish cinema never seems to get the audience it deserves and, most likely, Calm With Horses (also known as The Shadow of Violence) will be another casualty of that. Those that choose to overlookDespite a lot of critical acclaim, Independent Irish cinema never seems to get the audience it deserves and, most likely, Calm With Horses (also known as The Shadow of Violence) will be another casualty of that. Those that choose to overlook this film will only be doing themselves a disservice as it’s a taut and very well executed crime drama. First-time director Nick Rowland gets up close and personal in his depiction of low-key, working class criminals and isn’t shy in depicting the violence and brutality involved in their day-to-day lives. However, the film is much more than that. As a character study, there’s a genuine emotion that courses throughout the film as it explores the complexity of the small town’s inhabitants whose bleak surroundings are reflected in their motivations. For a debut film, Nick Rowland has a strong handling on the material with a keen eye for a shot and even stronger ability to tease out great performances from the cast. Barry Keoghan will be a familiar face to many having recently appeared in American Animals, Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. He’s certainly a talented performer but he’s overshadowed by the work of protagonist, Cosmo Jarvis. As a brutish, troubled man-child, Jarvis injects such humanity into his role that watching him search for some form of redemption is just heartbreaking. It’s a magnetic central performance amidst a finely crafted slice-of-life.… Expand

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Brent_MarchantJul 13, 2021

Originally titled "Calm with Horses," this gritty drama with a soft underbelly capably tells the story of a former boxer-turned-enforcer for an Irish crime family whose loyalty gets tested when he's assigned a particularly gruesome task, allOriginally titled "Calm with Horses," this gritty drama with a soft underbelly capably tells the story of a former boxer-turned-enforcer for an Irish crime family whose loyalty gets tested when he's assigned a particularly gruesome task, all while he attempts to reconcile with his estranged wife and autistic son. Director Nick Rowland's debut feature serves up a familiar story with a number of intriguing twists that provide an interesting venue for its multidimensional characters, roles that give the picture's excellent ensemble cast much to work with, especially protagonist Cosmo Jarvis and sinister sidekick Barry Keoghan. The picture drags a bit in a few spots, and the actors' thick accents sometimes challenge the viewer's audio comprehension capabilities, but there's much to like in this otherwise-fine offering. In fact, I liked just about everything about this film except its title(s), neither of which suit it particularly well. But, as with a good book, if the content captivates, who cares what the cover looks like?… Expand

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DawdlingPoetMay 8, 2022

This is very much a bleak, gritty watch, with lots of swearing, aggression, bloody violence and the like. I thought it was interesting seeing how the young children reacted being around the aggressive people, their parents (primarily theThis is very much a bleak, gritty watch, with lots of swearing, aggression, bloody violence and the like. I thought it was interesting seeing how the young children reacted being around the aggressive people, their parents (primarily the father). It's a dark and sad watch at times but it does have some quite gripping scenes - confrontations and a fast paced car chase scene coming to mind. Its a film about family and loyalty set in Ireland.

The performances are pretty good and yes, I'd recommend this film, if your interested.… Expand

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JohnboyblogsOct 26, 2020

A great movie, with a great cast. Beautifully shot and directed. Tense, emotional and perfectly paced. One of the best Irish films of the last ten years, it does Colin Barrets short story justice.

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