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DRIVER, penned by Patrick Ireland and Jessica Romagnoli, will bring together two of television’s most compelling performers in Dafne Keen and Aidan Gillen for what’s being billed as a charged exploration of London’s after-hours underworld. The film centers on Trey, a reclusive ex-con who’s carved out a solitary existence on the city’s margins, making his living as a night driver. His carefully maintained isolation begins to crack when he encounters Camden, played by Keen, a sharp and restless young woman navigating life as a call girl. What develops between them is described as a fragile bond that grows increasingly intimate, set against the backdrop of a city that never quite sleeps and the kind of nocturnal London that most people never see.
Keen has been building an impressive career since her childhood debut on THE REFUGEES in 2015, but it was her ferocious turn as Laura in LOGAN that announced her as a talent to watch. That 2017 X-Men film showcased her ability to convey both vulnerability and barely contained rage, a performance she revisited years later in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Between those superhero appearances, she anchored the ambitious fantasy series HIS DARK MATERIALS as Lyra Belacqua and more recently appeared in the STAR WARS universe as Jecki Lon in THE ACOLYTE. Her trajectory suggests an actor unafraid of complex material and physically demanding roles, making her casting as Camden feel like a natural progression into grittier, more grounded territory.
Gillen brings decades of experience playing men operating in moral gray zones and wielding quiet power. From his breakout as Stuart Alan Jones in QUEER AS FOLK through his chilling portrayal of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish across seven seasons of GAME OF THRONES, he’s proven adept at characters who survive through intelligence and adaptation. His work as John Boy in LOVE/HATE and Aberama Gold in PEAKY BLINDERS further cemented his ability to inhabit the criminal underworld with authenticity and surprising humanity. As Trey, he’ll likely draw on that entire reservoir of experience to create a character whose past weighs heavily but whose present offers the possibility of redemption or at least connection.
The premise of DRIVER taps into something quintessentially British while also feeling universal in its exploration of loneliness and the unexpected places people find intimacy. There’s something compelling about two people existing on society’s edges, both running from something or toward something, finding each other in the small hours when defenses are down and the city reveals its hidden face. The fact that it’s set specifically in London’s after-hours world suggests the filmmakers understand that the city itself will function as a third character, its nighttime geography shaping the relationship that develops between driver and passenger. With Keen’s proven ability to convey fierce independence and Gillen’s mastery of guarded complexity, DRIVER has the elements to become the kind of British crime film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll.
The awards season darling you`ve been hearing about is finally streaming.
Chloé Zhao`s HAMNET—the haunting exploration of grief, love, and the creation of Shakespeare`s HAMLET—brings together Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in performances that have kept both firmly in the Oscar conversation.
If you missed it theatrically, now`s your chance to see what the buzz is about before Oscar night. This is the kind of film that reminds you why cinema matters.
More HAMNET at irishfilmtv.com.
Taylor Swift just dropped the OPALITE music video and it`s giving major Irish vibes ☘️✨
The nearly 6-minute visual sees Domhnall Gleeson starring as Taylor`s love interest, playing two lonely souls who find each other. But here`s where it gets even better: eagle-eyed Swifties spotted cameos from Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton, making this a full-on Irish affair.
Want the full breakdown of this transatlantic collaboration? Head to our blog for all the details on how this stunning video came together. Link in bio! 🔗
The creator of DERRY GIRLS just dropped a murder mystery set at an Irish wake, and honestly? It`s the genre mashup we didn`t know we needed 🕵️♀️
Lisa McGee is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST on Netflix, and if you loved how she found humor in the Troubles (Protestants! Toasters! Cupboards!), you`re going to eat this up.
Three friends reunite for their childhood bestie`s funeral, only to realize her death isn`t what it seems. Cue an eerie adventure across Ireland that`s equal parts creepy and hilarious.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
British Vogue just put Jessie Buckley on their February cover and it`s not just a magazine shoot—it`s a coronation.
Shot by Jack Davison on the windswept Norfolk coast near her home, these images are pure cinema. Sky, sea, and a woman at the exact moment her entire life is about to change.
She`s the frontrunner for Best Actress. HAMNET is destroying audiences. She`s a new mother standing at the edge of the kind of fame that alters everything.
And Vogue captured it all—the grit, the greatness, the quiet mastery that got her here.
More Jessie at irishfilmtv.com.
Caitriona Balfe has just landed her next major role in THE HOUSEKEEPER.
Set in a grand historic manor against Cornwall`s dramatic landscape, Balfe plays Danni, a housekeeper who falls into a forbidden affair with none other than writer Daphne du Maurier (played by Mackenzi Laird).
While we`re counting down to OUTLANDER`s final season premiere on Mar 6th, Balfe is already proving she`s so much more than Claire Fraser. 🔥
More Caitriona at irishfilmtv.com.
After over 20 years of mesmerizing us on screen, Saoirse Ronan is ready to call the shots—literally.
The four-time Oscar nominee is making her directorial debut with PAPER PLANE, an Irish short film she`s also writing, and honestly, this feels like the natural next chapter for someone who`s been acting since she was nine years old.
Details about PAPER PLANE are still under wraps, but with Ronan`s track record, expectations are sky-high. What are you most excited to see from her behind the camera? 🎬
More Saoirse at irishfilmtv.com.
Louis Paxton`s Sundance 2026 debut THE INCOMER stars Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, and Grant O`Rourke in a trio that`s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.
Think fish-out-of-water meets generational grief, wrapped in the warmth of fireside hot chocolate. Sometimes the scariest thing isn`t a legendary Fin Man—it`s letting go of the past.
Have you ever held onto something because changing felt like betrayal?
More Domhnall at irishfilmtv.com.
🎸 THE BEATLES ARE COMING BACK TO CINEMAS.
Four films. Four perspectives. One legendary band.
Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney. Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
The first look just dropped via postcards hidden around Liverpool`s performing arts campus and honestly?
The hype is REAL. 🔥
Sam Mendes is directing all four films, each told from a different Beatle`s POV, and they`re ALL releasing on the same day—April 7, 2028.
Which Beatle`s story are you most excited to see? 👇
Irish talent is absolutely dominating the 2026 BAFTA nominations! 🇮🇪✨
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal both scored major noms for HAMNET, with Buckley up for Leading Actress as Agnes and Mescal recognized for Supporting Actor as William Shakespeare. The film has basically swept the nominations, breaking records left and right.
But that`s just the beginning. Andrew Scott landed on the longlist for BLUE MOON, Robbie Ryan got recognized for his stunning cinematography on BUGONIA, and even Cillian Murphy appears as a producer on the STEVE longlist.
From performers to cinematographers to production companies like Element Pictures and Wild Atlantic Pictures, Irish voices are everywhere in this year`s race.
The ceremony hits London on February 22nd. The world is watching Irish cinema right now, and what a moment to witness. 🎬🔥
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