CHRISTY in theatres Aug 29
In the unforgiving landscape of Irish social realism, where stories often gravitate toward inevitable tragedy, CHRISTY emerges as something altogether more hopeful—a film that finds profound beauty in the struggle to belong. This is the story of seventeen-year-old Christy, cast adrift from his suburban foster home and thrust into the working-class reality of Cork’s north side, where his estranged older brother Shane reluctantly takes him in.
Director Brendan Canty, expanding from his own 2019 short film, has crafted something remarkable here—a social-realist drama that pulses with genuine warmth rather than manufactured sentiment. Working alongside screenwriter Alan O’Gorman, Canty understands that authentic emotion emerges not from manipulation but from honest observation of human nature. The result is a film that earns every moment of tenderness through unflinching honesty about the complexities of family, community, and the magnetic pull of home.
At the heart of CHRISTY lies a beautiful contradiction: this is a young man discovering he has talents beyond the fighting that has defined his troubled past. His unexpected gift for cutting hair becomes a neighborhood sensation, particularly after he transforms local kid Robot (played with natural charisma by real-life Cork rapper Jamie “the King” Forde). These moments of discovery and community acceptance provide the film’s emotional center, even as the threat of his dangerous cousins lurks perpetually in the background.
Perhaps most impressively, CHRISTY manages to convey something extraordinarily difficult to achieve without descending into sentimentality: genuine love for one’s hometown. This isn’t blind nostalgia or romanticized poverty tourism, but an honest reckoning with the way place shapes identity, the way community can be both salvation and trap, the way home can be simultaneously the source of our deepest wounds and our greatest strength.
The film builds to a cheeky hip-hop sequence over the closing credits that serves as both celebration and release—a moment of pure joy that feels completely earned after everything that’s come before. It’s the perfect capstone to a film that understands that even in the midst of struggle, there’s room for sweetness, for fun, for the kind of communal celebration that makes survival feel like victory.
CHRISTY premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival before its Irish and Northern Irish release on August 29th and wider UK release on September 5th. It stands as proof that social realism doesn’t have to sacrifice heart for authenticity, that stories about working-class life can be both unflinchingly honest and deeply moving. In a cinematic landscape often divided between gritty pessimism and manufactured optimism, CHRISTY charts a third path—one that finds genuine hope in the simple act of coming home.
🎬 CHRISTY from @sleeper.films hits different.
This Cork story isn`t your typical social realism - it`s got heart, humor, and the kind of authentic brotherhood that`ll stay with you long after the credits roll.
Out in Ireland/Northern Ireland Aug 29, watch the trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🎰 Colin Farrell`s career glow-up continues!
From Oscar-nominations to the unrecognizable Penguin in THE BATMAN, and now as an obsessive gambler in Edward Berger`s BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER.
Mark your calendars: @tiff_net premiere Sept 9, limited release Oct 15, Netflix Oct 29. 🔥
* NEW TRAILER ALERT *
Cillian Muprhy`s latest project STEVE premieres at Toronto Film Festival before hitting Netflix October 3rd.
Murphy plays a reform school headteacher fighting to save his institution while battling his own demons—because this man never takes the easy route.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 HE`S BACK. After 8 years in "retirement," Daniel Day-Lewis returns to the screen in ANEMONE - and it`s personal.
The three-time Oscar winner emerges from his artistic sabbatical for his most intimate project yet: a family drama he co-wrote with his son Ronan, who`s making his directorial debut.
World premiere at NYC Film Festival. October 3rd limited release. The legend continues. 🔥
More at irishfilmtv.com.
📺 NEW TRAILER ALERT 📺
Premiering Aug 28, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB follows four retirees who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun - based on @misterosman’s bestselling novel.
Visit irishfilmtv.com for more!
🎭 LEGEND RETURNS TO THE STAGE 🎭
From Mad-Eye Moody to Uncle Pastuzo, Brendan Gleeson has captivated us on screen for decades. Now he`s making his WEST END DEBUT in THE WEIR! Dublin first (Aug 8-Sep 6) then London`s Harold Pinter Theatre (Sep 12-Dec 6).
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 From beloved DERRY GIRL to Chekhov star!
Saoirse-Monica Jackson is trading the screen for the stage in Kabosh`s bold new adaptation of THREE SISTERS at @gaiety_theatre.
Visit irishfilmtv.com for ticket links!
Liam Neeson just crushed it as Frank Drebin Jr. in THE NAKED GUN and now he`s diving headfirst into horror comedy with COLD STORAGE.
At 72, Neeson is still choosing the wildest projects and we`re absolutely here for it. COLD STORAGE hits theaters next year!
Watch the crazy trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
NEW trailer alert! 🎬 From STAR WARS galaxies to Ohio newsrooms!
Domhnall Gleeson is trading his General Hux uniform for editor-in-chief duties in THE PAPER - @peacock!`s brilliant new spin on THE OFFICE universe.
Premiering Sep 4, watch trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
From the Scottish Highlands to the boxing ring 🥊✨
Caitriona Balfe trades tartan for training gloves in THE CUT, Sean Ellis` brutal psychological boxing drama.
Our OUTLANDER queen steps WAY outside her comfort zone as Caitlin - wife, trainer, and witness to Orlando Bloom`s obsessed fighter spiraling toward self-destruction.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎵 "Music to scare priests and politicians" 🎵
@celtic_utopia is shaking up everything you thought you knew about Irish folk music. This isn`t your typical Celtic sound— it`s raw, rebellious, and revolutionary.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
DERRY GIRLS and GAME OF THRONES star Ian McElhinney hits the stage at @theeverymancork!
Running until Aug 10th - STONES IN HIS POCKETS has heart, humor, and a Hollywood ending that`ll leave you grinning! 🎭
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Hollywood heavyweights Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander as... otherworldly beings? 👀
Na Hong-jin is BACK! After 10 years since THE WAILING left us speechless, the master of psychological horror returns with HOPE - hitting theaters next summer!
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 From "I will find you" to "I will make you laugh" - Liam Neeson is trading his particular set of skills for punchlines in THE NAKED GUN!
Is this Neeson`s Leslie Nielsen moment? Could we be witnessing the birth of comedy`s newest unlikely hero?
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott`s BLUE MOON trailer released!
Shot in Ireland, this Richard Linklater gem pairs Scott with Ethan Hawke for a 1943 Broadway drama that`s already being called a masterpiece. Scott plays composer Richard Rodgers in what critics are calling his most nuanced performance yet 🎵
Watch trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
