Set during Christmas 1985 in the small town of New Ross, Southern Ireland, Small Things Like These offers a haunting portrayal of life amid hardship, where love, identity, and family intersect against a backdrop of repressed societal secrets. It is far from your typical holiday movie, weaving themes of poverty, suffering, and resilience that leave a lasting emotional impact.
The film, produced by and starring Cillian Murphy—best known for Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders—presents a subdued yet deeply affecting performance as Bill Furlong. A coal merchant, Furlong is a quiet, melancholic man, incapable of meeting anyone’s gaze. He is married with five daughters and carries the burden of a difficult past. His life takes a startling turn when, during a routine coal delivery to a local convent, he discovers a young woman locked in the coal shed, setting off a chain of events that brings long-buried secrets to light.
At its core, the film sheds light on the harrowing history of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, where thousands of women—many of them mothers who had children out of wedlock—were subjected to forced labor by the Roman Catholic Church between 1820 and 1996. These so-called “fallen women” were punished for their perceived sins, their lives marked by endless suffering and exploitation. The film depicts the trauma endured by these women, touching on the grim reality that nearly 56,000 girls and women passed through these institutions.
Flashbacks to Bill’s childhood add depth to his character. Born to an unmarried teenage mother, Bill was abandoned by her family and never knew his father. A Protestant widow named Mrs. Wilson took them in and employed his mother. Bill’s mother passed away when he was just 12, leaving him with no connection to his father and no name but his mother’s. These formative experiences resonate throughout his adult life as he confronts the complicity of his community, where the church’s influence remains undeniable and oppressive.
Bill’s encounter with the calculating and cold-hearted Mother Superior, portrayed by Emily Watson, sets the stage for a stark moral battle. A man driven by compassion, Bill is determined to show kindness to a stranger in need, much as his mother once received kindness that spared her from the same fate of institutionalization. Though the consequences of his actions remain unresolved, the film leaves viewers to reflect on the profound impact of small acts of decency.
Under the direction of Tim Mielants, Small Things Like These is filmed primarily in dark, confined spaces that enhance its somber mood. The visual symbolism of crows roosting in the convent’s trees adds an unsettling layer to the narrative, representing corruption and decay within the institution. The film’s slow pace and minimal dialogue may not appeal to everyone, but its powerful exploration of human decency and moral conflict is undeniable.
While Small Things Like These may not be a crowd-pleaser for all audiences, its profound message about compassion and the shadows of Ireland’s past makes it an unforgettable experience. I rate the film 8/10.
Small Things Like These opens on April 10, 2025, at Luna cinemas.
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