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.
Saoirse Ronan is heading back to the `60s! 🎸
The four-time Oscar nominee is reportedly set to play Linda McCartney in Sam Mendes` wildly ambitious THE BEATLES project—four separate films, each following a different Beatle.
She`ll star opposite Paul Mescal (her FOE co-star) as Paul McCartney, with Barry Keoghan as Ringo, Joseph Quinn as George, and Harris Dickinson as John.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy just confirmed THE IMMORTAL MAN drops in 2026 and Tommy Shelby is coming back with a vengeance. 🔥
Fresh off STEVE hitting Netflix, Murphy spilled the tea on The Graham Norton Show that the Peaky Blinders film has wrapped.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Graham Norton isn`t going anywhere!
The BBC has locked in three more series of THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - with 2.9 million viewers tuning in and clips going viral weekly, Norton continues to prove why he`s the gold standard for celebrity interviews.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy isn`t chasing blockbusters—he`s back in the classroom.
The Irish actor`s latest role in Netflix`s STEVE sees him playing a struggling teacher at a last-chance reform school, proving once again that he`s more interested in transformation than validation.
Watch Cillian`s TODAY interview via link in bio.
🖤⚡️ JESSIE BUCKLEY IS COMING BACK TO LIFE! ⚡️🖤
Ireland`s Irish powerhouse transforms into a Gaga-esque flapper brought back to life as the companion of Christian Bale`s creature in Maggie Gyllenhaal`s electrifying new take on THE BRIDE!
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🌟 From THE WITCHER to DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS to EVERYTHING NOW.
Dublin`s @niamhhmccormack_ has been quietly building one of the most impressive portfolios in Irish acting.
Don`t miss her in HOUSE OF GUINNESS, now streaming on @netflix.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🌊 When Oscar-nominated Stephen Rea (THE CRYING GAME, MICHAEL COLLINS, V FOR VENDETTA) lends his legendary voice to a haunting tale of shipwreck and survival, you know something magical is about to happen.
📍 @irishculturalcentre, Hammersmith
🗓️ November 8-9 ONLY
🎭 Don`t miss this exclusive London run!
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 Cillian Murphy is absolutely unstoppable right now!
Three incredible performances in a row: Oscar winner OPPENHEIMER ✨ SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE 💫 and now STEVE - a powerhouse drama about a school headteacher fighting his own demons while saving troubled kids.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
THE WEIR is haunting London`s Harold Pinter Theatre until 6 Dec, and it`s pure magic. Brendan Gleeson makes his West End debut alongside an incredible cast in Conor McPherson`s modern masterpiece - with the playwright himself directing for the first time!
"It`s already a classic in the canon of world theatre," says Seán McGinley, and honestly? We believe him. Sometimes the most powerful stories happen over a pint, in the space between words, where kindness becomes community.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🏆 IRISH TALENT TAKES TORONTO!
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal just won BIG at TIFF with HAMNET - snagging the People`s Choice Award that`s basically an Oscar crystal ball ✨
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From strolling London`s Highbury Fields to stepping into Paul McCartney`s shoes 🎸✨
Paul Mescal is living proof that staying grounded while reaching for the stars isn`t just possible—it`s the secret sauce. Fresh off HAMNET and deep in rehearsals for Sam Mendes` Beatles biopics, this Irish charmer is redefining what it means to be a modern movie star.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🔥 When Margot Robbie had a "suspicion" her chemistry with Colin Farrell would work in A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY... she was absolutely right! ✨
These two icons dive into Kogonada`s A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY where strangers Sarah and David rent mysterious cars that transport them through doorways to their childhood memories. Talk about a wild ride! 🚗💫
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Paul Mescal and Josh O`Connor playing LIE vs LIE is the chaotic energy we didn`t know we needed 😂
These THE HISTORY OF SOUND co-stars swap outrageous stories, questionable audition tales, and awkward fan encounters—and honestly, we can`t tell what`s real anymore 🤷♀️
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix has assembled a powerhouse Irish cast for their upcoming adaptation of Marian Keyes` bestselling novel GROWN UPS.
Sarah Greene (BAD SISTERS) leads alongside Barry Ward, Aisling Bea (THIS WAY UP), Robert Sheehan (UMBRELLA ACADEMY), Adrian Dunbar (LINE OF DUTY) and more incredible talent ✨
This 8-part series follows the chaotic Casey family as they navigate grief, love, and the messy reality of being "grown up".
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy`s Oscar win for OPPENHEIMER wasn`t just a personal triumph — it was the moment Hollywood finally recognized what the Irish have known all along.
Catch him next in STEVE—in theatres September 19th, streaming on Netflix October 3rd.
New COLBERT interview now at irishfilmtv.com.
