Bring Them Down tells a twisted story of revenge that is difficult to watch due to animal cruelty but stellar lead performances make it a must see.
There are a lot of movies that prominently feature a tale of revenge, and while Bring Them Down is another one of these, there is a lot that makes it unique and causes it to stand out among the bunch. It might be on the more difficult side to watch because of the animal cruelty involved, but the stellar lead performances from Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott make it an absolute must watch.
The main plot of Bring Them Down revolves around a fued between two sheepherding farms. Jack (Keoghan) and Michael (Abbott) have it out for each other and while at first the reasoning is not completely clear, it does become apparent as the movie goes on. There is a lot more history there than just rival farms trying to one-up each other, although that is what it appears to be at first.
The story gets dark and twisted the more we learn about it. There are several moments that will be difficult for animal lovers (well, heck, for anyone) to watch because of the severe animal cruelty. I found myself hiding under the covers during certain scenes because they were just too much. In fact, I was muted one scene completely because of the awful sounds coming out of the sheep.
That said, these moments really drive the story home and have a prolonged effect on several different characters – even ones you might not expect them to. Bring Them Down tells a simple story, but an intriguing one. It feels like something that could easily happen between neighbor sheep farms, and is completely believable.
There are times where this movie gets intense, especially towards the end. It switches gears from a drama to more of a thriller – both Keoghan and Abbott make that jump seamlessly. Both of their acting performances are memorable, but it is the chemistry between the two of them that will rock viewers to their core. Likely you will relate to them both at one point or another, which is equal parts scary and disturbing because of the ordeal they are going through.
Something that could cause a few viewers to end up confused is that there is some going back and forth in time. Bring Them Down is, for the most part, told in the order of events, but every once in a while we find dots being connected by jumping backwards in time. While I did not find this hard to follow, I can see how some might.
There is no doubt that Bring Them Down is a difficult watch. It is unafraid to go there in order to drive its point home, but because of that some scenes are sickening. Violence is often a vicious cycle, and some fights are just not worth it. Keoghan and Abbott are both fantastic in this film though, which makes it a must watch (even if you have to cover your ears and eyes a few times).
Bring Them Down is playing in select theaters now.
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About Bring Them Down
Starring Oscar-nominee Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin) and Christopher Abbott (Possessor, Sanctuary), BRING THEM DOWN is a tense and gripping thriller about two warring families set against the harsh landscape of rural west Ireland.
When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael (Abbott) and Jack (Keoghan) suddenly escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.
From first-time filmmaker Christopher Andrews and co-starring Colm Meaney, Paul Ready and Nora-Jane Noone, this is a fierce, muscular debut that signals a bold new cinematic voice.
Bring Them Down is in select theaters now.
Bring Them Down tells a twisted story of revenge that is difficult to watch due to animal cruelty but stellar lead performances make it a must see.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.