The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Small Things Like These is a restrained historical drama about a coal merchant whose discovery at a local convent forces him to reckon with a community’s silence—and with his own past. Cillian Murphy gives the film its center of gravity: an inward, finely controlled performance that makes small gestures carry the weight of a moral crisis. Its deliberate pace can feel absorbing or frustrating, depending on how much you want a film to spell out.
What is Small Things Like These about?
Set over Christmas in 1985, the film follows Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy), a coal merchant and devoted father in an Irish town. A disturbing discovery at the local convent draws him toward the Magdalene laundries and the truths his community would rather leave unspoken. The discovery also touches his own past, making the story both a confrontation with institutional cruelty and a test of personal courage.
The film’s framing, as described by its production company, concerns institutions run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until 1996, ostensibly to reform “fallen young women.” It keeps its focus on one man’s encounter with that system rather than turning into a broad historical survey.
How does Cillian Murphy perform?
Murphy plays Bill as a man who has learned to keep most of himself contained. His performance is quiet without being blank: attention shifts, pauses and restrained reactions suggest the thoughts he cannot easily voice. That inwardness suits a character raised in a town where silence is a form of social protection, and it gives the film’s moral turning point more force than a more demonstrative performance might.
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#1 Best Overall
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Emily Watson, Eileen Walsh and Zara Devlin are also among the named cast. Watson’s presence adds tension to the convent scenes, while the film’s overall emphasis remains on Bill’s hesitant, increasingly difficult awareness.
Does the slow-burn approach work?
Tim Mielants directs with a subdued, patient touch, and Enda Walsh’s screenplay leaves much unsaid. That restraint can make the drama feel morally serious: the harm is not presented as spectacle, and Bill’s gradual response matters more than a tidy explanation of every consequence. The same choice can also make the film feel emotionally distant. Viewers looking for a forceful historical exposé or a fully articulated resolution may find its quietness enervating and its ending abrupt.
Rank #2
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That split is reflected in the critical reception. Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus praises Murphy’s acting while noting that the historical drama can be “occasionally enervating.” It is a useful signal of the film’s appeal and limitation, not proof that all critics—or viewers—respond the same way.
Is Small Things Like These worth watching?
Yes, if you value a carefully observed performance and a drama that trusts implication over explanation. Murphy makes Bill’s unease legible without turning him into a conventional hero, and the film’s modest scale gives its central choice a human dimension. If you prefer brisk pacing, explicit emotional catharsis or a comprehensive account of the Magdalene laundries, this approach may leave you wanting more.
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Is the film based on a book?
Yes. It adapts Claire Keegan’s Booker Prize-nominated novel, Small Things Like These. The book is a natural next step for readers who want the source story; it is not necessary to read it before watching the film.
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The British Board of Film Classification flags upsetting scenes, sexual violence and threat, discrimination, and abuse of pregnant young women at the convent. Its guidance also mentions overnight confinement in a freezing coal shed and a flashback in which a child witnesses the discovery of his mother’s body; the BBFC describes the material as restrained and sensitive.
Rank #4
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Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Enda Walsh, the Irish-Belgian co-production premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on 15 February 2024. Murphy is both the star and a producer. Apple TV lists the film at 1 hour 38 minutes; the BBFC lists the specific cinema version at 98 minutes 25 seconds, so running time depends on the version.
Big Things Films’ official film page provides the production synopsis and credits. Artists Equity’s Berlin announcement confirms the festival opening. The BBFC classification, Rotten Tomatoes reception page and Apple TV listing offer further details. Streaming availability varies by territory.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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