Jim Sheridan, the Oscar-nominated director behind MY LEFT FOOT and IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, has returned with his most provocative work yet. RE-CREATION, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, places one of Ireland’s most notorious unsolved murders under an unflinching microscope.
The film centers on the 1996 killing of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier at her West Cork vacation home. Sheridan’s compelling approach constructs a fictional trial around Ian Bailey, the British journalist who became the prime suspect but never faced trial in Ireland, despite being convicted in absentia by French courts.
Working with co-director David Merriman, Sheridan has crafted a “fiction-reality hybrid” that drops viewers into a jury room where twelve people grapple with the case’s complexities and contradictions. The film forces audiences to confront a justice system wrestling with insufficient evidence and compromised investigations.
Vicky Krieps delivers a “remarkable and magnetic” performance as the lone holdout juror, serving as moral compass in a room where tempers flare and personal experiences with injustice surface.
Colm Meaney’s silent portrayal of Bailey dominates the film despite never speaking, reflecting how Bailey was silenced more by public opinion than any court verdict. Bailey died in January 2024, maintaining his innocence until the end.
Sheridan believes there is “not a shred of evidence” linking Bailey to the murder. The case was plagued by investigative missteps: Sophie’s body lay unexamined for more than a day, witness identifications were confused, and Bailey was reportedly coerced. Mysteriously, Bailey was called to the murder scene and arrived at the exact location of the body.
The director frames this as a “double injustice” – against Sophie, whose killer was never identified, and Bailey, who lived under suspicion without receiving a fair trial in Ireland despite his French conviction.
While reviews have been mixed, RE-CREATION succeeds in its ambitious goal. It’s not traditional entertainment but a civic exercise disguised as cinema, asking viewers to do what the Irish justice system never did – sit in judgment of the evidence and reach their own conclusions.
For Sheridan, RE-CREATION represents a return to the politically charged, morally complex storytelling that made his reputation. In an era where true crime has become binge-watching entertainment, his approach feels refreshingly serious. He’s created a film that honors both victim and accused while challenging audiences to grapple with the uncomfortable reality that justice, like truth, is often more elusive than we’d like to believe.
@hozier and HAMNET actress Jessie Buckley have teamed up for FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK.
As part of Shane MacGowan’s tribute album, 20th CENTURY PADDY, they join @u2, @springsteen and @kingfishrofficial on 36 tracks that span the length of MacGowan’s musical career.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Brendan Gleeson is back, and he’s carrying a whole town on his shoulders🔥
In THE GOOD DAUGHTER, Gleeson plays Rusty Quinn, a rumpled, fearless defense attorney in rural Pikeville, Georgia, the man who defends the town’s outcasts and drives corrupt authorities mad.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Jamie Dornan opens up to @latenightseth about the intense prep for the upcoming thriller 12 12 12.
He also looks back on hosting Saturday Night Live and shares his excitement about stepping into the Lord of the Rings universe. 💍⚔️
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Before the stage, before the screen, before FLEABAG, there was porridge.🥣
Andrew Scott joins @jimmykimmell and takes us back to his very first acting gig as a kid: an Irish porridge commercial. Yes, really.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
DERRY GIRLS darling @nicolacoughlan returns to our TVs in I AM HELEN.
This critically acclaimed BAFTA-winning anthology series pairs Coughlan with PEAKY BLINDERS star Joe Cole!
Watch new trailer now via 🔗︎ in bio!
BROOKLYN fans, this one is for you 🎬
Caitríona Balfe is back in a Colm Tóibín adaptation, and A LONG WINTER lands in cinemas this January 2027. Based on Tóibín’s 2006 short story, the film casts Caitríona as Louise, a mother at the heart of a stark, emotional drama.
More details via 🔗︎ in bio!
Mayo`s own @philippa.dunne is pure joy!
On this week`s @latelaterte, Philippa shares childhood memories of growing up in Mayo that shaped her, and what it’s really like to bring unforgettable characters to life on screen.
If you love Irish screen stories told by the people who live them, watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Everyone`s favourite Andrew returns to the @britishfilminstitute London Film Festival with his new film ELSINORE.
Few actors of the stage and screen have attracted as much acclaim in recent years as Andrew Scott, both for the emotional depth of his performances and for the subtlety and nuance he brings to them.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Like father, like son!
Aran Murphy is following in his father Cillian`s footsteps with a major role in the new @sharonhorgan show YOUTH.
The 19-year-old is relatively new to the acting world but has had a very busy few months as of late, stepping out on red carpets and giving plenty of interviews for his first roles.
Let`s hear it for Ireland`s next wave of amazing acting talent!
