Michael is a widower who is struggling to adjust to his new role as the sole caretaker of his two children. Still reeling from the death of his wife, he has been plagued by terrifying apparitions. When he volunteers at a local literary festival, he finds himself drawn to Lena, an empathetic author of supernatural fiction. While Lena tries to help Michael with the mystery of his nightmarish visions, she must contend with problems of her own, as she’s being jealously pursued by self-obsessed novelist Nicholas, her one-time lover. As the festival progresses, the three adults’ lives converge and collide.
Acting
Ciarán Hinds devastates with minimal dialogue.
Direction
McPherson makes grief genuinely supernatural.
Score
Félim Gormley's strings ache perfectly.
Director
Conor McPherson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ciarán Hinds and director Conor McPherson collaborated multiple times; this was their most intimate project. Hinds reportedly stayed in character's grief headspace throughout the 24-day shoot.
The fictional Cobh Literary Festival mirrors Ireland's real Writers' Week, and the film captures post-Celtic Tiger malaise—beautiful towns full of people who can't afford to live there.
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