Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan are exceptional in gruesome thrillers

Every so often, a film comes along that sticks with you long after your first viewing. For me, this film is Christopher Andrews’ directorial debut, bring them down
which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The story chronicles a turf war between neighboring families in a rural town in Ireland, where trauma, despair and revenge are at the forefront. With an exceptional performance by Christopher Abbott and stunning cinematography by Nick Cooke, this film reveals the ugly side of survival and proving your worth. Bring them down It’s 105 minutes worth of violence and misery, but it’s great storytelling, nonetheless.

Bring Them Down grabs your attention from the opening sequence

in Bring them downs opening sequence, a young Mikey (Abbott) drives through the winding roads of a wooded area in rural Ireland. After his mother Peggy (Susan Lynch) shares that she will leave his father Ray (Colm Meaney), Mikey becomes angry and speeds off in the car. Peggy and Mikey’s girlfriend Caroline (Grace Daly) beg him to slow down, but Mikey is so overcome with anger that he can’t hear much of anything. This leads to a deadly crash that leaves his mother dead and Caroline scarred for life.

Years later, Michael tends to his family farm and takes care of the sheep to maintain their livelihood. Since his father is now impaired, it is up to Michael to keep the family business running. Across the road, an elderly Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone) is married to fellow sheep farmer Gary (Paul Ready), and they are training their son Jack (Barry Keoghan) to run the farm and be a sheep keeper. But when the neighboring farms begin to compete for sales and survival, things between the two families turn ugly, if not deadly.

Andrews has crafted a sensational directorial debut with Bring them down. Filled with trauma, despair and violence, this is the kind of feature that will stick with me for a long time. The script is centered around Michael’s anger and grief, as the memory of his mother’s death lingers on his mind. As a result of his consistent guilt and anger, he cannot imagine a world in which self-pity and regret are not part of his daily routine. Through Abbott’s Michael, we are taken on a journey of heightened hostility and anger that never ends.

As the story progresses, we begin to realize that Michael’s anger is not all unwarranted. His neighbors declare war on his family to become the best farmers in their small town. Through violent interactions and unspeakable, brutal attacks, the war between the two neighbors is almost unbearable to witness. Between the ferocious acts, Nick Cooke’s beautiful cinematography is perfectly timed as it highlights the clear landscapes. For a film so emotionally dark and wretched, his work offers a sense of hope that we are unwilling to lose. While suffocating, the clash of hope and suffering makes for an incredibly intense viewing experience.

Andrews creates an angst-inducing atmosphere with close-ups and intentional framing

To maximize Michael’s anguish, Andrews does an exceptional job focusing his camera on Abbott’s body language and facial expressions in close-ups. In the center of Bring them down is a story of grief and self-loathing. Abbott brings these emotions to life in a way that feels so devastating and numbing. Pushed to the brink of insanity, his performance is top notch. This is the type of experience that certainly requires multiple trigger warnings. And thanks to the exceptional performances across the board, empathy is all it requires.

Filled with tension and dread, Bring them down Is an experience that never lets up on its intensity. The film is full of violence, while creatively showcasing the aftermath of trauma. Abbott’s performance as a ticking time bomb is the kind of experience that will stick with you for a while. At the same time, Cooke’s cinematography offers a sense of hope in a sad setting. The clashing elements of Andrews’ feature make for a fascinating watch and never show a true hero vs. villain story. The different perspectives demonstrate the fight for survival when everything and everyone stands in your way.

Bring them down Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is 105 minutes long and not yet rated.