DON’T be confused. Contrary to its title and Halloween friendly release, The Banshees of Inisherin’s is no horror film. That said, the performances here are scary good.

This is the latest tragicomic dramedy from Irish export Martin McDonagh. He’s the man behind Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Before that, there was Seven Psychopaths and In Bruges, each as popular as the other in British indie circles.

The Banshees of Inisherin does nothing to upset McDonagh’s record as one of cinema’s most consistently enthralling directors. In one fell swoop, the film elicits laughter, tears and alarm. It is as wickedly funny as it is darkly alarming and, be warned, increasingly violent.

Reuniting on screen for the first time in over a decade, Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleason lead as long time friends and drinking partners Pádraic Súilleabháin and Colm Doherty. While Pádraic, a local dairy farmer, is sweet but ultimately dull, Colm is profound thinker and folk musician, wrestling with the twilight of his life.

On coming to the conclusion that his remaining years are being cluttered by aimless chatter, Colm decides to cut his old pal from his social circle. A baffled Pádraic pursues answers and a resumption of their companionship but this only does to make things worse. It’s a shocking twist that sees Colm threaten to begin cutting off his fingers, one for every time Pádraic attempts to speak with him.

There’s a beautiful, painterly quality to the aesthetic of The Banshees of Inisherin, with a foley aural backdrop provided by the contemporary Irish Civil War across on the mainland. McDonagh’s film is set on the fictional satellite island of Inisherin in 1923.

It’s a blisteringly funny work but dark to a fault. Expect to hear this one in hot discussion when awards season rolls round next year.

A brief word on Frances O’Connor’s Emily, which recently enjoyed a gala premiere screening at Skipton’s own Plaza Cinema.

A biographical treatment on the possible chain of events that led the illusive, socially introverted, Emily Brontë to the writing of Wuthering Heights, Emily is a hugely engaging drama.

Sex Education star Emma Mackay is superb in the title role here, leading a gorgeous and meticulously crafted directorial debut for O’Connor.

Craven provides the film’s stunning backdrop, while the action before it lingers in the mind long after the credits have finished rolling.