Film Snail

6.9

Small Things Like These

PG-13·2024·99m

Drama

Summary

While working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.

Cast

Cillian Murphy

Bill Furlong

Emily Watson

Sister Mary

Michelle Fairley

Mrs. Wilson

Eileen Walsh

Eileen Furlong

Zara Devlin

Sarah Redmond

Clare Dunne

Sister Carmel

Helen Behan

Mrs. Kehoe

Ella Cannon

Laundry Girl

Patrick Ryan

Pat

Peter Claffey

Barry

Ian O'Reilly

Sarah Morris

Sarah's Mother

Cillian O'Gairbhi

Sarah's Father

Tadhg Moloney

Diarmuid Sinnott

Liadán Dunlea

Kathleen Furlong

Giulia Doherty

Joan Furlong

Rachel Lynch

Sheila Furlong

Aoife Gaffney

Grace Furlong

Faye Brazil

Loretta Furlong

Agnes O'Casey

Sarah Furlong

Louis Kirwan

Young Bill Furlong

Mark McKenna

Younger Ned

Clare Dunne

Sr. Carmel

Joanne Crawford

Norma Sinnott

Aidan O'Hare

Mick Sinnott

Ryan Waters

Young Boy Drinking Milk

Maire Ni Ghrainne

Sr. Anne

Patricia Twomey

Sr. Frances

Abby Fitz

Lisa

Amy De Bhrún

Emma

Vega Farrelly

Little girl with Emma

Clare Monnelly

Niamh

Helen Gregg

Kate

Hugh McAllister

Barber

Ella Cannon

Laundry Girl (uncredited)

Tom Leavey

Pub Goer (uncredited)

John McCarthy

Father with Boy (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Tim Mielants

Book

Claire Keegan

Writer

Enda Walsh

Reviews

r96sk

November 1, 2024

<em>'Small Things Like These'</em> is absorbing.

I basically got exactly what I expected from this one. It's a slow burn, quiet film featuring a stellar, if somewhat understated, Cillian Murphy performance. The pacing is spot on and the story is undoubtedly engrossing, it's one that holds plenty of emotion behind it.

It does conclude rather abruptly, I in fact overheard someone nearby remark "that can't be it" when the cut to black happens. That isn't, for me anyway, a bad thing though. Again, I kinda anticipated it being a movie that would simply tell its tale and end, which is certainly what it does.

It is very much Murphy that stands out from these 98 minutes, but credit is still due for the likes of Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson and Zara Devlin in their respective supporting roles. No-one onscreen puts a foot wrong. All in all, it's evidently a supremely well made picture - one I'd recommend!