Overview
A gripping tale of loyalty and betrayal unfolds amidst the chaos of civil war in Ireland.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- harrowing
- intimate
- historical film night
- political cinema discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a bleak, gripping, and historically provocative war drama distinguished by Ken Loach's realism, strong pacing, beautiful cinematography, and Cillian Murphy's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Irish struggle is dramatized through the opposing choices and eventual conflict of brothers Damien and Teddy.
Damien and his comrades adopt increasingly merciless tactics, while the conflict transforms former allies into enemies.
Ken Loach and Paul Laverty center medical workers, rural civilians, and republican militants while linking independence to socialist ideals.
Guerrilla warfare, raids, imprisonment, and civil conflict unfold in rural Irish communities with a grounded, unsensationalized texture.
Films like The Wind That Shakes the Barley, and why
The Battle of Algiers
shared anti-imperialist war drama, historical realism, and morally uncompromising treatment of political violence
Land and Freedom
shared civil war tragedy, divided loyalties, brotherhood, and bleak political conviction
Michael Collins
shared Irish historical setting, independence struggle, family conflict, and intimate wartime drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Ken Loach
- Release Date
- 2006-06-23
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (933)
Cast
- Cillian Murphy
- Pádraic Delaney
- Liam Cunningham
- Orla Fitzgerald
- Mary O'Riordan
- Mary Murphy
- Laurence Barry
- Damien Kearney
- Frank Bourke
- Myles Horgan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Acorn TV, Sundance Now, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Wind That Shakes the Barley about?
- A socialist-minded Irish doctor joins the independence struggle, only to find his ideals and his family shattered by revolution and civil war.
- What is The Wind That Shakes the Barley like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Wind That Shakes the Barley as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Wind That Shakes the Barley violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Wind That Shakes the Barley as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Wind That Shakes the Barley?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a bleak, gripping, and historically provocative war drama distinguished by Ken Loach's realism, strong pacing, beautiful cinematography, and Cillian Murphy's performance.
- Which films are like The Wind That Shakes the Barley?
- Films with a similar feel include The Battle of Algiers, Land and Freedom, and Michael Collins.
- How long is The Wind That Shakes the Barley?
- The Wind That Shakes the Barley runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Wind That Shakes the Barley?
- In United States, The Wind That Shakes the Barley streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Acorn TV, Sundance Now, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV channel.
