Irish Films to Watch on Netflix This St. Patrick’s Day
Posted: 15th March 2019
From thrilling dramas and poignant coming-of-age stories to hard-hitting documentaries and laugh-out-loud comedies, there is a huge variety of Screen Ireland-supported films available to stream on Netflix this St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Katie
This documentary intimately follows champion boxer Katie Taylor as she attempts to rebuild her career after a year of turmoil threatened to derail her career. With many writing her off, Taylor decided to start again, and the notoriously private champion agreed to let a small crew document her attempt to rescale the heights.
Katie is directed by Ross Whitaker who also produced the film alongside Aideen O’Sullivan for True Films and Venom with Andrew Freedman as Executive Producer with funding from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, RTÉ, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and Wildcard Distribution.
Maze
Maze is based on the true story of the 1983 mass breakout of 38 IRA prisoners from HMP Maze high-security prison in Northern Ireland. As Larry Marley (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), the chief architect of the escape, schemes his way towards pulling off this feat, he comes into contact with prison warder, Gordon Close (Barry Ward).
Initially Larry and Gordon are confirmed enemies, born on opposite sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide, but when Larry realises that Gordon may be unwittingly useful for his escape plan, a slow seduction begins. Larry intends to use and manipulate Gordon in order to get closer to his goal but what follows is a tense, and intriguing drama in which an unlikely relationship is forged between two enemies that will have far reaching consequences for both of them.
MAZE is a Mammoth Films and Cyprus Avenue Production, in co-production with Filmgate Films, Sweden and was financed by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, RTÉ, the BAI, Film Vast, Windmill Lane, Cork regional funding and Irish tax incentives for the film industry.
Michael Inside
Michael Inside tells the story of Michael McCrea; an impressionable eighteen-year-old living with his grandfather Francis in a Dublin housing estate, who gets caught holding a bag of drugs for his friend’s older brother and is sentenced to three months in prison.
The film was produced by by Donna Eperon, Tristan Orpen Lynch and Aoife O’Sullivan for Subotica and Write Direction Films.
Handsome Devil
Starring Irish actors Andrew Scott, Moe Dunford, Amy Huberman and Ardal O'Hanlon alongside Fionn O'Shea and Nicholas Galitzine, the film follows the story of the unlikely friendship of boarding school roommates Ned (O'Shea) and Conor (Galitzine). Despite taking an instant dislike to each other, they are encouraged by their English teacher Dan Sherry (Scott) to find their own voices and defy the status quo of their rugby-obsessed school. As the two bond over music, an unlikely and inspiring friendship begins to blossom.
Handsome Devil was written and directed by John Butler and produced by Rebecca O'Flanagan for Treasure Entertainment.
The Cured
The film is set in the aftermath of a world ravaged for years with a devastating virus that turned the infected into zombie-like cannibals. While a cure is found, the wrenching process of reintegrating the survivors back into society begins. Among the formerly afflicted is Senan (Keeley), a young man haunted by the horrific acts he committed while infected. Welcomed back into the family of his widowed sister-in-law (Page) he attempts to restart his life — but is society ready to forgive him and those like him? Or will fear and prejudice once again tear the world apart?
The Cured was produced by Rory Dungan, Rachael O'Kane and Ellen Page for Tilted Pictures, Bac Films Production and Bounder And Cad in association with Savage Productions, Shinawil and Yellow Moon Post Production, with David Freyne writing and directing the film.
Brain on Fire
A look at a young New York woman’s rapid descent into insanity, written and directed by Gerard Barrett and starring Chloë Grace Moretz.
The Siege of Jadotville
Besieged by overwhelming enemy forces, Irish soldiers on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Africa valiantly defend their outpost in this true story. The Siege of Jadotville stars Jamie Dornan and is directed by Richie Smyth.
Bobby Sands: 66 Days
At seventeen, Bobby Sands was interested in girls, soccer and music. Ten years later he led a hunger strike against conditions inside Northern Ireland's infamous H Blocks that grabbed the world’s attention. Sands became an icon for a world that, to this day, knows little about him. Featuring fresh insight and remarkable archive, 66 Days brings us the story of this enigmatic prisoner and the events that turned him into a 20th Century icon.
Bobby Sands: 66 Days is directed by Brendan Byrne who also the film alongside Trevor Birney for Fine Point Films.
The Young Offenders
Directed by Peter Foott, The Young Offenders is the most recent Irish film to be added to Netflix, following a wildly successful year which saw the film gross over €1.2m at the Irish box office alone. Set in Co. Cork and inspired by Ireland’s biggest cocaine seizure of €440 million off the coast of Cork in 2007, the film follows two Cork inner-city teenagers, Conor and Jock, as they embark on a 160km road trip on stolen bikes in the hopes of finding an unrecovered bale of cocaine.
The Secret Scripture
Directed by Jim Sheridan, The Secret Scripture centres on Rose McNulty (Vanessa Redgrave), an elderly woman who has lived in state institutions for over 50 years. Despite her bleak surroundings there is a light in her eyes that cannot be extinguished. Dr. Stephen Grene (Eric Bana) is drawn to her, compelled to discover her past and help gain her freedom. Through Lady Rose’s ‘scripture’, a life of extraordinary love and great injustice emerges, revealing a remarkable young woman of courage, whose only crime was to fall in love. Set against a backdrop of an emerging Irish state in the 1940s in which female sexuality and independence unsettled the colluding patriarchies of church and nationalist politics, we learn of her ultimate triumph.
The film was produced by Noel Pearson and Rob Quigley for Ferndale Films.
Hardy Bucks: The Movie
The ‘Hardy Bucks’ are a group of bored slackers living is the sleepy hamlet of Castletown. Originally started as a bit of fun on Youtube, the mockumentary was entered into RTÉ’s ‘Storyland’ competition, which it subsequently won. There followed two TV series and a Christmas Special on the Irish national station. In four short years Hardy Bucks have attained over 7 million Youtube views, with over 20,000 channel subscribers and have over 130,000 fans on their Facebook page. Hard Bucks: The Movie sees the lads as they finally leave Castletown and head out on a wild road trip across Europe.
The film was produced by Mike Cockayne and Paul Donovan.
Damo & Ivor: The Movie
The film, which follows on from the massively popular satirical comedy is directed by Ronan and Rob Burke and sees Damo and Ivor embark on the mother of all adventures across Ireland to find the last piece of their family puzzle, their long-lost brother John Joe.
Damo & Ivor: The Movie was produced by Ruth Carter for Blue Ink Films alongside Andy Quirke, who also wrote and starred in the film
The Lodgers
Set in 1920s rural Ireland, the film follows twin brother and sister Rachel and Edward who share a strange existence in their crumbling family estate. Each night, the property becomes the domain of a sinister presence which enforces three rules upon the twins: they must be in bed by midnight; they may not permit an outsider past the threshold; if one attempts to escape, the life of the other is placed in jeopardy.
When troubled war veteran Sean returns to the nearby village, he is immediately drawn to the mysterious Rachel, who in turn begins to break the rules set out by The Lodgers. The consequences pull Rachel into a deadly confrontation with her brother - and with the curse that haunts them.
The film was written by David Turpin, directed by Brian O'Malley, and produced by Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde of Tailored Films. Macdara Kelleher as executive producer.
Wake Wood
Starring Timothy Spall, Aidan Gillen and Eva Birthistle, Wake Wood is directed by David Keating. The film follows the parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog as they are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter. The film is produced by John McDonnell and Brendan McCarthy for Fantastic Films, alongside Magnus Paulsson’s of Hammer Films Productions.
Hostage to the Devil
A child possessed. An exorcist locked in combat with an ancient evil. Using first-hand interviews, dramatic reconstruction, archival evidence and Martin’s own words, this documentary film tells the true story of Father Malachi Martin, and asks, in the battle for saving a soul, just who really is ‘Hostage to the Devil’? The film was produced by Rachel Lysaght & Martin Stalker for Underground Films and Causway Pictures.