Movies About The Irish Troubles

Updated September 1, 2024

Thinking about Movies About The Irish Troubles, there is no limit to the movies exploring this topic. Here are 17 of the top ones.

In the Name of the Father (1993)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie, Philip King
Rated R

In the Name of the Father is a 1993 film directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. The film tells the true story of Gerry Conlon (Day-Lewis), a young Irishman who is wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the 1974 Guildford pub bombings along with his father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite). Over the course of the film, Gerry struggles to prove his innocence while also dealing with his strained relationship with his father and his own personal demons. Through sheer determination and with the help of a determined lawyer (Emma Thompson), Gerry eventually wins his freedom and justice is served.

Bloody Sunday (2002)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Paul Greengrass, starring James Nesbitt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Allan Gildea
Rated R

Bloody Sunday is a 2002 British-Irish historical drama film directed by Paul Greengrass about the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland. It chronicles the events leading up to the incident, during which British soldiers shot and killed 26 unarmed civil rights protesters and wounded 14 more. The film follows the march from the Creggan and Bogside areas of Derry to the city centre, and the horrific violence that takes place once the march reaches its destination. The film also examines the political context of the incident, the events that led to it, and its aftermath. The film features extensive use of hand-held cameras which gives it an immediacy and tension that is rare in a film of its type.

The Long Good Friday (1980)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From John Mackenzie, starring Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman, Leo Dolan
Rated R

"The Long Good Friday" is a classic British gangster movie directed by John Mackenzie in 1980. The film stars Bob Hoskins as Harold Shand, a powerful London gangster who is trying to make a major business deal with the American Mafia. As the day progresses, Shand's business dealings become increasingly complicated and sinister as he is forced to confront rivals and enemies from all sides. As his plans unravel and the stakes become higher, Shand finds himself in a desperate fight for survival. With action-packed scenes, suspenseful plot twists, and a powerful performance by Hoskins, "The Long Good Friday" is a thrilling ride through the London underworld.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Ken Loach, starring Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald
Rated Not Rated

The Wind that Shakes the Barley is a 2006 British-Irish war drama directed by Ken Loach. It follows two brothers, Damien and Teddy O'Donovan, who join the Irish Republican Army to fight against the British in the Irish War of Independence. After the signing of a treaty that creates the Irish Free State, the brothers find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, with Damien joining the anti-treaty IRA and Teddy joining the Irish Free State Army. With their lives and the fate of their country at stake, the brothers must decide if their values are worth fighting for and if their relationship will survive the war. The film is an exploration of the devastating cost of war and the power of loyalty and brotherhood in the face of conflict.

Hunger (2008)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Steve McQueen, starring Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon
Rated Not Rated

Hunger is a 2008 British historical drama film directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender. The film is set during the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike, led by Bobby Sands who led a group of Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland's Maze prison, in which they refused food as a means of protest against the conditions of their incarceration. The film details the struggle and suffering of the hunger strikers, as well as the efforts of Sands' ally, Father Dominic Moran, to negotiate with the British government for the prisoners' demands. The film is an unflinching exploration of the human toll of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and paints a vivid portrait of violence and despair.