In the Land of Saints and Sinners

In the Land of Saints and Sinners
Film poster
Directed byRobert Lorenz
Written by
  • Mark Michael McNally
  • Terry Loane
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTom Stern
Edited byJeremiah O'Driscoll
Music byDiego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg & Lionel Baldenweg
Production
companies
  • Facing East
  • RagBag Pictures
  • Prodigal Films Limited
Release date
  • 6 September 2023 (2023-09-06) (Venice)
CountryIreland
LanguageEnglish

In the Land of Saints and Sinners is a 2023 Irish action thriller film directed by Robert Lorenz and written by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane. The film stars Liam Neeson in the lead role, alongside other Irish actors including Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson and Ciarán Hinds. This is Neeson's second collaboration with Lorenz after the 2021 film The Marksman.

The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 6 September 2023.

Plot

In the windswept, Irish coastal town of Glencolmcille, haunted ex-assassin Finbar Murphy seeks penance by leading a peaceful life.[1] He has carved out a new identity, tending to his pub and savouring the quiet. But the ghosts of his violent past refuse to stay buried.

When Doireann McCann, an IRA terrorist on the run, arrives with her brutal cohorts, the fragile peace shatters. The group seeks refuge, unaware of Finbar's history. In an act of vigilante justice he kills Doireann's brother. Fuelled by vengeance and grief, Doireann and her gang terrorise the villagers, culminating in a horrifying act of abuse against a young girl. Witnessing this injustice forces Finbar into a terrible choice: remain hidden and protect his own peace, or confront his past and risk everything to defend his newfound home.

A relentless game of cat and mouse ensues, testing the resilience of the villagers and pushing Finbar to the brink of moral reckoning. Torn between his desire for redemption and the violent skills he loathes, he must decide how far he is willing to go to protect the innocent and face the consequences of his past.

As the final showdown looms, Finbar confronts not only Doireann and her deadly vengeance, but also the demons of his own soul. In the harsh landscape of In the Land of Saints and Sinners, one man's path to redemption leads him through a brutal crucible, where saints and sinners collide in a desperate fight for survival.

Cast

Production

In October 2021, it was announced that Liam Neeson would star in an Ireland set thriller film, re-teaming with director Robert Lorenz. Ciarán Hinds, who is a long time friend of Neeson, was also announced as starring in the film. In April 2022, Kerry Condon was announced as part of the cast.[2] The screenplay was written by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane, with revisions by Matthew Feitshans. Principal photography was lined up for March 2022 in Ireland.[3] In 2022, the film was primarily shot in County Donegal, with additional filming in Dublin.[4]

Release

The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 6 September 2023.[5] In April 2022, Netflix was revealed to have pre-bought the film's distribution rights in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.[6]

References

External links