Calm with Horses (2019) User Reviews

Very misunderstood film I these reviews.

[robNorseman · 7/10 · 1 November 2020]

Firstly it is a sad gritty portrayal of criminal families retribution and loyalty set in rural Ireland...

It's not a Guy Ritchie film, it's not got clever lines and arty montages set to current edgy. Trendy music.

The lead role is much maligned in some reviews as wooden and poor actor. I could not disagree more... Firstly he's playing the part of a quiet man who has learned a way in the world through violence and misplaced loyalty. Its clear that as well as his little boy being far on the autistic spectrum that so is he. So infact imho he plays the role very well...

The film is tense and brooding and yes it's depressing... But hey watch Mary Poppins if you don't like gritty films.

If you are looking for stylish gangsta movies... Move along... But otherwise give this film your time...

A Convincing Rural Tale...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 28 April 2020]

... of crime and retribution in a small, provincial, Irish town. The misguided, misled and educationally challenged enforcer for the local drug dealing family takes a decision that may well jeopardise the relationship he desires with his autistic son, at the same time his ex partner is doing the same. A top performance from Cosmo Jarvis as the family's muscle; I was reminded of his equally brilliant performance in Lady Macbeth.

Gritty crime thriller set in rural Ireland

[radhrh · 7/10 · 8 September 2021]

First off the performance of Cosmo Jarvis is the stand out in this movie. He has a feel of Tom Hardy about him and I'd tip him for big things in the future.

I was a bit worried going in that there might be a language barrier as the Irish accent can get a bit thick but it wasn't a problem for me.

The story is pretty standard, a crime family taking retribution on a local miscreant but transplanting it from the streets of New York or LA to rural Ireland gives the movie a wild west feel. My only criticism is the ending is a little predictable, in fact all but inevitable. I would have liked to have had my expectations subverted in that respect.

Great indie filmmaking!

[13SecondFilmReviews · 22 August 2020]

This was an intense and well-made crime drama with excellent performances. Barry Keoghan delivers as do the actors who play the diabolical uncles. There are a few spots that unnecessarily slow down the pacing, but overall this is relatively taut and impressive for a lower-budget indie. Nick Rowland's direction was spot on. This film is well worth taking a ride on.

a treat

[northstar-55616 · 7/10 · 6 March 2021]

Great Irish film making, intense, emotional, and gritty!

The B reel accompanied in this film was good enough to get a nod for a nomination.

[tkaine3 · 6/10 · 27 April 2020]

Been a blessing because it kinda puts you off hearing the heavy Irish accents you have to really concentrate when listening at times it doesn't even sound like their speaking English. But once you get a handle on their cadence and comprehend Ireland's pronunciation the dialogue is pretty well written. The whole film is shot beautifully and the acting was superb a melancholy vibe persisted from start to finish. Not really disturbing or ominous but as you watch the anticipation builds tremendously because you know something tragic is bound to happen it gives you that feeling at any moment you'll see it explode. Oddly enough with everything in place the story sparks but never blowups. Not that nothing happens it does run it's course but it could of been so much more powerful at the end. I did enjoy watching and the score was phenomenal an early 90's late 80's vibe and sound. The film had a great msg. which means a lot so I would definitely recommend this film to checkout.

"Don't go thinking all violence is the work of hateful men."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 24 February 2021]

There's not a lot to do about horses in this story, though the idea sits as a backdrop to Douglas Armstrong's (Cosmo Jarvis) young autistic son and the calming effect provided when he rides or otherwise associates with them. 'Arm' is the brute enforcer for an Irish gangster clan headed by a thug named Paudi (Ned Dennehy), and things go a bit haywire when Arm fails to fulfill a hit on a family friend who raped a young girl from the Devers clan. Jarvis is quite effective in demonstrating the angst one might feel when ordered to kill someone for the first time, so he tries to take the easy way out by threatening Fannigan (Liam Carney) to leave the village and never come back, lest more than mere bodily harm come his way. The plan doesn't last very long, and Paudi doesn't intend to let Arm off easy for failing to heed his directive. Seems in this case, blood isn't thicker than water.

The lead actor in this picture really impressed me, but not for the obvious. Though he was an accomplished enforcer with a mean streak, his moments with ex-wife Ursula (Niamh Algar) and their son revealed a surprising bit of tenderness and compassion, particularly when it became apparent that she was about to move away for a job opportunity. The closing moments of the story demonstrated how a hulk of a man could be reduced to tears for allowing his life to go off the rails the way it did. Not to mention that he knew that his own life was forfeit due to crossing the local crime lord.

What was humorous to me while watching the picture though, was the name of the crime family in the story. Three of my best friends are brothers with the last name Dever, close enough that whenever I heard and saw the name 'Devers' captioned in the film, I paused the story to take a screen shot when it came up. An early scene had Arm's handler Dympna (Barry Keoghan) going on and on about demanding respect for his authority from a discourteous saloon patron. It will now be a source of endless ribbing to remind them all that "They're trouble, the Devers".

Bold, beautiful and brilliant

[peterhorrey · 9/10 · 1 November 2020]

This is a must watch for anyone. It has everything, it triggers every emotion. It is a brilliant observation of small time gangsters. This is in the same league as Shane Meadows "Dead Mans Shoes". Stunning cinematography, outstanding acting by the whole cast. And a simple tale of morality, loyalty and trying to do the right thing. How is is the latest Liam Neeson film can be #1 in the box office this week when a film like this deserves a huge audience.

Quite liked this one

[coho93-118-573240 · 7/10 · 12 May 2020]

Really good story and the acting was great. Not so much a gangster flick, but there are definitely some violent moments. I couldn't help but feel for Arm.

Brutal and haunting Irish gem

[martynherman · 8/10 · 10 August 2021]

Cosmo Jarvis take a bow. Playing lead character Douglas (The Arm) he hits every note. His portrayal of a former boxer struggling to break free from the brutality of his past and present life is both captivating and heart wrenching. Set in rural Ireland, Douglas is used by local crime family the Devers as their enforcer, and while the punishment he dishes out to those unfortunate enough to have crossed them is savage, he is the real victim. Jarvis captures superbly the tortured soul of the main protagonist with a brooding and sensitive performance that deserves huge praise. Superb supporting roles from the brilliant Niamh Algar as his former wife trying to make a life for their autistic son and Barry Keoghan as his manipulative wannabe drug king pin. Throw in Ned Dennehy's performance as Paudie, a wretched local crime lord descending into madness, and the ensemble in complete. Cinematography is bleak and beautiful and the music is so in tune with the narrative that you forget it's there.

A great piece of gritty Irish cinema and my only gripe is that I feel there was room for another 20 minutes or so.

Whiskey in the Jar by Thin Lizzie in the pub!?

[benprichardsdotcom · 6/10 · 11 May 2020]

So hopelessly cliched and formulaic. Certainly a pastiche of so many British/Irish gang films. Cosmo Jarvis was alright, Barry Keoghan is definitely better suited to the weirdness of The Killing of a Sacred Deer. I found him not threatening at all. The young actor who played Jack was excellent.

Savage Gangster Film

[Pairic · 8/10 · 16 March 2020]

Calm With Horses: Savage gangster film set in a small seaside town. Cosmo Jarvis is Arm, a punch-drunk ex-boxer who is none too bright but is literally the strong arm of the Devers crime family, big fish in a small pond. He is used by his friend Dympna Devers (Barry Keoghan) who withholds money due to him and feeds him cocaine. Dympna tries to turn Arm against Ursula (Lisa Algar) who is the mother of Arm's son, Jack. Jack has special needs but loves horses and Ursula needs money to enroll him in a new school. Dympna's uncles Hector (David Wilmot) and Paudie (Ned Dennehy) think that he hasn't gone far enough in punishing someone who has crossed the family and demand that the culprit be killed. This sets off a train of events which can only have a tragic outcome.



A dark narrative of insular small town/rural gangsters, enforcing their law on their patch. Those who owe debts are beaten without mercy as a warning to others. Dympna strives to establish himself as a hard man, to live up to his uncles' expectations, realising he is being blooded. Hector is a sociopath, casually issuing death sentences but he's the nice guy; Paudie will hang you by the heels and butcher you like a pig. Arm is the tragic figure, who wants to be with his son and Ursula but he is caught up in a spiral of violence. Some really shocking scenes in this film so be warned. Working from a script by Joe Murtagh, Director Nick Rowland delivers a powerful tale of tragedy and torment. 8/10.

A well performed but unoriginal Irish crime drama

[eddie_baggins · 6/10 · 1 March 2021]

Also known as The Shadow of Violence in other territories, this gritty Irish crime drama that is produced by Michael Fassbender under his DMC production banner is a solid entry into a crowded sub-genre of UK/Irish films of this ilk, films that refuse to back away from the bleakness that lay at the core of their beings.

From the moment we hear the gruff voice over of singer/actor Cosmo Jarvis's "Arm" talk about his violent nature and his way of life working for Barry Keoghan's Dympna (sporting one of cinemas worst recent haircuts) and his family the Devers, Horses becomes the exact type of film we expect it to be and never once truly tries too become anything but what is to be expected, but that doesn't mean Nick Rowland's debut is without merit.

Firstly giving Cosmo Jarvis his most notable film role yet, a performance that requires significant restraint but also at times built up emotion being unleashed, the film also gives us another solid Keoghan turn in what's a new addition of creepy performing from the impressive actor with the two leads front and centre through most of Horses gritty affair that sees Arm wrestling with a murderous request from the Denvers relating to a family friend that has done wrong by them.

The film tries to add extra bite with the side plot of Arm and his relationship with Niamh Algar's Ursela, who is the mother to Arm's troubled young son Jack but much like the central plot device of the film this whole component of the film fails to surprise or add much of value to the film, even if Jarvis and Algar share a strong on screen chemistry.

There are times that you are willing the tale of Arm to take us to places we didn't expect, give us something that will land a knock out blow to our expectations but those moments never come meaning that while the tale of Arm and his trials will engage us to a certain extent, Horses never does enough to make it stand out from the pack, a pack that features a number of extremely similar tales that managed to create something unique around their more generic foundation.

Final Say -

A solid Irish-tinged crime drama with some nice central performances, Calm with Horses is the very definition of solid without being at all remarkable, as the familiar tale of criminals with good hearts takes us on a journey that fails to surprise.

3 carnivals out of 5

Meandering exercise in the 'vulnerable brute' theme

[saulmack · 4/10 · 2 May 2020]

In my opinion, Bullhead already did this and better. High-grade acting is devoted and cinematography is slick & moody, but the story starts as cliched and ends as pointless. The solitary villain appeared much less dangerous than the protagonist, so I didn't get any sense of threat and failed to recognise any kind of meaningful arch. The main character's actions didn't seem to affect the plot at all. Perhaps it was meant to be the whole point? It's competently made, but I'm giving it "four out of ten" rating because it's just a shame - with the resources and talent available, even slightly more reasonable and meaningful narrative would have resulted in a really good film.

A gripping film with stunning performances

[FilmFreakForLife · 5 May 2020]

A heart wrenching film filled with gripping performances of the highest calibre/ Everyone in this movie is fantastic. Niamh Algar and Cosmo Jarvis steal the show with heart stopping performances in an accomplished feature debut from director Nick Rowland. But even the smaller parts are realised with a sophisticated level of performance. The five year old boy is terrific and there's a party scene where a young lad with just a few lines (talking about doing a runner to Mexico), turns in such a stellar performance he's worthy of a lead asap. The script feels like such a fresh and emotional take on a gangster movie set within a unique and fascinating community. This is a stunning piece of work from start to finish, superbly cast and worthy of every award going.

Hard (man) watch

[kevin c · 6/10 · 8 November 2020]

Calm With Horses sets itself from its unflinchlny violent opening. Very much an wannabe On The (Irish) Waterfront.

The film is a decent effort, but extremely violent and bleak, and a hard watch indeed.

Irish potential

[harrylosborne · 7/10 · 6 March 2021]

I can see why Game of Thrones was shot in Ireland: the sheer variety of vistas and environments presents an ideal filming setting, and for nearly all types of production.

Who else would be better to explore this but a domestic director, cast and storyline, tackling home-grown gang tensions encroaching on the lives of normal people.

The headline duo of Cosmo Jarvis ("Arm", the enforcer) and Barry Keoghan ("Dympna", the son of the drug-pedalling kingpins) are brilliant, and Keoghan was actually the reason this film caught my eye. The surrounding cast are equally competent, and I was pleasantly surprised by this quality oozing elsewhere.

My waxing lyrical about the settings is not misguided - some of the scenes in more remote Ireland are perfect, an allegory for the hopelessness and desolation some of the characters feel at the same time. Shot selection is also paramount, and Calm with Horses uses the more claustrophobic settings well to build tension. One shot in particular, filmed at the druglord's farmhouse during some blustery weather, is cinematic gold.

Story-wise, this isn't going to blow you out of the water; a fairly standard premise, arc and character development awaits, and I would say this is the film's greatest fault.

However, clearly it was not produced without passion and feeling invested, and the end result is still a watchable (and above all, enjoyable) small-town film.

Grim but worthwhile

[emgvgdi · 7/10 · 11 January 2021]

You can guess how this is going to go quite early on but stick with it because the journey is rewarding. Convincing performances all round and a great score.

Fantastic Irish film

[cmanso756 · 9/10 · 31 October 2020]

Really enjoyed this. Very well written and shot and to be honest, I don't understand the negative reviews. Well worth a watch.

It's okay

[keithcunningham1989 · 6/10 · 27 August 2021]

The movie has great cinematography, great location and a great performance from the lead actors.

....But the pacing isn't great. I felt like I was watching filler a few times. The climax of the film is let down. The ending was well foreshadowed but also too much of a cliche.

The director very obviously wouldn't mention what part of Ireland this was based in and I just thought it was very lazy writing. Let the audience get to know the movie

Cosmo Jarvis deserves a mention he got the rough Irish accent down to a tee.

Gritty drama does not get much better

[michael-kerrigan-526-124974 · 9/10 · 28 April 2020]

Wow. I would have loved to have watched this on the big screen but it came out just as lockdown was taking hold. This is not a film for the faint hearted. Cosmo Jarvis plays Arm, an ex boxer who, having lost his vacation, has hooked up with a gangster type family to be their 'hatchet man'. Violence is all he's ever known. But he's not an evil man, and the methods of his bosses don't sit well with him. But he gets on with it - until he's asked to do a job too far, that has repurcussions for everyone. An absolute gem of a film. Dark. Tense. Gritty. And yet with hope. Bravo

Extremely well made Irish movie that lands far from the bulls eye..DO NOT EXPECT A GANGSTER FLICK!

[rochfordsimon · 6/10 · 3 May 2020]

Redneck gangsters and parents dealing with an autistic child make this story very touching.

As far as irish produced movies go, this is top shelf and sets a high standard.

But, the ending was very flat and extremely disappointing. I get the meaning of the finale, but the build up was leading to a serious conflict that never happened.

Typical Michael Fassbender production, excellent production values but weak pay off.

Beautifully shot, emotionally gripping.

[aisharaji-99579 · 10/10 · 13 June 2020]

This movie leaves you with a feeling you can't shake. It's not one of those superficial Hollywood, wooden actors type stuff. This is gritty, top notch acting. You don't doubt the characters realness at any moment. It's not for the faint hearted, if you are looking for formulaic gangster movie then this isn't for you. It's set in Ireland which we don't see much on our screens so it was very refreshing. Artistically executed, great film.

drugs. murder. so much...

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 29 March 2022]

Imdb has this as calm with horses released 2019 ... netflix has it as shadow of violence 2020. Ireland. Cosmo jarvis is arm armstrong, former fighter, who works for the mobsters now. He's trying to raise money to get his autistic kid into a special school. Of course, he shouldn't be taking the whippersnapper along on mob business anyway. That's not healthy. Now they tell him to off someone who may have done the family wrong. So much talking. Nose candy. More talking. More nose candy. Does he have the guts to knock the guy off? More talking. Directed by nick rowland. Based on the story by colin barret. Nominated for four bafta awards. It's okay. Kind of goes on and on.

This is nowhere near a ten !

[carlcasso · 3/10 · 29 October 2020]

I watched this Movie after reading all of the amazing reviews on IMBD and once again I worry about the validity of the reviewers on here.

This is at best a missed opportunity and even that is high praise.

Its slow and I mean SLOW.

Nothing really happens and if it does you wont care.

The supporting Cast here were of such a high caliber of actors it was a shame to see them try and save this.

I've seen Cosmo Jarvis in other work and he's been a fine actor. Here he is just dull and hard to understand.

Barry Keoghan has never been one of my favorite actors but he's wasted here. I've seen him put in some decent performances but he doesn't get a chance here. He turns his head to the side and mutters his lines.

Don't be fooled by the reviews. This is not another Irish Classic .