For moviegoers looking for both tension and inspiration, “Small Things Like These” is a perfect choice. Starring Cillian Murphy, the historical drama explores the age-old question of moral responsibility through the lens of the controversial Magdalene Laundries of Ireland.
The film, directed by Tim Mielants, is a faithful retelling of the 2021 homonymous novel by Irish writer Claire Keegan.
Bill Furlong (Murphy) plays the film’s soft-hearted protagonist, a coal merchant in 1980s Ireland who is forced to confront injustice in his community after finding a teenage girl (Zara Devlin) associated with the local convent locked in the coal shed.
“Small Things Like These” is unflinching in its depiction of Irish Magdalene Laundries — religious institutions that housed marginalized women and subjected them to harsh labor and abuse. Although centered around this historical horror, the film brings forth larger questions about the responsibility humans have to one another, exploring how easy it is to fall into the trap of complicity in everyday life. Furlong, faced with the dilemma of going against a powerful institution, considers how he was able to endure his own tragic history through the kindness others showed him.
Doing justice to his 2024 Best Actor Oscar win, Murphy provides a hard-hitting performance that expertly captures how childhood wounds manifest in the convictions of adulthood. His emotional portrayal of Furlong intersperses with childhood flashbacks that contextualize his struggle to accept the cruelty of the world.
The film also features a star-studded supporting cast. Actress Emily Watson plays a cunning Sister Mary, holding court whenever she enters the screen. Michelle Fairley powerfully depicts the kind Mrs. Wilson, a woman who shapes Furlong’s empathetic nature.
Despite having a simplistic plot in which very little unfolds on screen, “Small Things Like These” packs a strong emotional punch by taking viewers on a complex character study that pushes them to look inwards. No question posed in the film is clearly answered: Viewers only discover the answers themselves when they are held captive by the same feelings of guilt and indecision as the protagonist. It is such reflection and involvement that make “Small Things Like These” a haunting watch. In a world where the suffering is constantly publicized, Furlong’s desperate attempts to make a small difference in the lives of others are sure to resonate with viewers.
With stunning visuals of Ireland and an immersive sound experience, the film is also a sensory masterpiece. Set in the weeks leading up to Christmas, “Small Things Like These” relies heavily on its winter setting to convey Furlong’s isolation despite the holiday cheer around him. The peaceful landscape shots are juxtaposed with close-ups of Furlong’s face, emphasizing the sudden emotional turmoil he experiences within his familiar surroundings.
Ultimately, “Small Things Like These” leaves much unexplained, with an abrupt ending that makes viewers ache for a sense of resolution. It seems to indicate that viewers are not entitled to anything from the film beyond a sense of urgency to act meaningfully in their own lives. “Small Things Like These” simplifies a truth that is too often complicated: Doing the right thing may not be easy, but where would we be if others had not helped us along the way?
