‘RE-CREATION’ (Tribeca 2025) A head spinning deep dive into an unsolved case.

Tribeca 2025 rainbow logoRE-CREATION

re-creation

Co-directors Jim Sheridan and David Merriman give Tribeca 2025 audiences a truly extraordinary viewing experience with RE-CREATION. Based on the failed attempt to convict a self-professed murderer in the Irish courts, Sheridan gathers forensics experts, police interviews, evidence, and a fictional jury to see what might have happened if history had played out differently. A spectacular cast assumes the roles of the barristers, the accused, and the lead witness. Sheridan digs into the questions of the case and the delicate nature of one person’s truth.

In 1996, French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier arrived at her holiday home in Toormore, West Cork. A witness described a man in a long, dark coat following Sophie for two days. On the third morning, Sophie was found brutally murdered in the lane outside her home. Irish authorities investigated British journalist Ian Bailey. He never faced trial in Ireland despite being tried and convicted in absentia by the French government. It is considered one of Ireland’s most shocking unsolved crimes, and now I know why.

Re-Creation evidenceThe jury is exceptional as they move through measured recall to furious shouting matches. Their diligence in tracking down evidence and looking at all sides gives me hope that jurors take their duties seriously. Jack Thornton’s editing is a feat. The choice to keep Krieps in the frame for longer than seems normal has a chilling effect. RE-CREATION is akin to live theatre. It is an improvisation session strapped to a ticking time bomb. The audience is the 13th jury member. Sheridan provides newsreel footage, newspaper clippings, video testimony, and audio recordings at the precise times we might feel lost. It is a real-time exploration of possibilities. 

Colm Meaney plays Ian Bailey. He is weary and entirely silent. Meany speaks not a single word, but his presence is vital. Vicky Krieps plays the outlier juror #8. She elicits pure, unfiltered emotions by poking the bear and sewing doubt. Krieps is sometimes intentionally antagonistic to prove a point. This role adds to her long resume of chameleon roles. She is relentlessly compelling.

Re-Creation Colm as BaileyJim Sheridan also plays Juror #1, serving as a guide and sounding board. Sheridan’s attention to detail is award-worthy. Going as far as to take the jury on a tour of the key locations in the investigation. It’s hard to discern where Sheridan lies on the guilty spectrum personally. His extensive knowledge never feels coercive. He and Merriman skillfully make a case for confusion and conflict, mirroring the state of the evidence.

This hybrid fact and fiction roleplay is intoxicating. True crime fans will eat it up. RE-CREATION is a physical manifestation of every podcast, thriller novel, and Dateline episode come to life. People would pay to participate in something this immersive. Gather all your armchair detectives and get ready to hold your breath. RE-CREATION is one of Tribeca 2025’s best films.


Director: Jim Sheridan, David Merriman

Producer: Fabrizio Maltese, Tina O’Reilly

Screenwriter: Jim Sheridan, David Merriman

Cinematographer: Carlo Thiel

Composer: Anna Rice

Editor: Jack Thornton

Executive Producer: Jim Sheridan

Associate Producer: Gráinne Carroll, Mark Ward

Line Producer: Solveig Harper

Production Designer: Christina Schaffer

Costume Design: Magdalena Labuz

Funding Partners: Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Film Fund Luxembourg, Eurimages, Latido FIlms and Doha Film Institute

Sound Engineer: Carlo Thoss

Cast: Vickey Krieps, Jim Sheridan, Aidan Gillen, Colm MeaneyRe-Creation
Tribeca 2025 icon
For all things Tribeca, click here!
 

Austin Film Festival 2023 review: ‘THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE’ brings familial chaos and charm.

THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE

Two distant cousins who’ve never met – one in NYC, the other in the smallest town there is in Ireland – come together to finally put an end to a generations-long family feud. It doesn’t go well. The Problem With People, set in the beautifully lush Irish countryside, is a heartwarming comedy about family, world peace … and sheep.


Director Chris Cottam brings Austin Film Festival audiences a charming transatlantic tale of fortune, forgiveness, and family.

Paul Reiser, who also writes the screenplay with Wally Marzano-Lesnevich, plays Barry. A real estate mogul from NYC, he receives a call from his distant cousin in Ireland, requesting his presence to heal a wound from generations past. The caller is Ciáran, played by Colm Meaney. The two proud, established men momentarily connect for the sake of their family. When Barry finds himself inheriting half of the family land, shenanigans ensue, dividing this small town between old and new ways.

This breezy film is perfect for the festival circuit. Jane Levy grounds the film as Barry’s daughter. While 95% of her appearances occur as phone calls from NYC, her brightness keeps Barry grounded for the viewer. Reiser is as great as ever. His big-city energy is a delicious foil for Meaney’s homegrown pride. Ciáran wavers between forgiveness and fight, and Meaney is a pro.

The landscape of the film is breathtaking. The sets are inviting. The script is heartwarming and silly. Frankly, THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE is a film we all need right about now. While it doesn’t break the mold, it makes you smile from beginning to end. I would easily watch a sequel of these two men navigating whatever comes next.


For more info on the Austin Film Festival 2023, click here!

 

Review: Irish folk horror ‘UNWELCOME’ is a fairy tale for adults.

UNWELCOME

Directed by Jon Wright and co-written by Mark Stay, Irish folk horror UNWELCOME has you on edge from the beginning. A fresh start for Maya, Jaime, and their baby on the way, comes with a caveat; their newly inherited country house has a beautiful garden that backs up against the woods and a promised nightly offering to keep the Red Caps at bay. Not upholding tradition with the little people beyond the wall could be a huge mistake.

Colm Meaney is the abusive Daddy Whelan, heading up the unsavory local family fixing the cottage. Proud and fiery, he is just as volatile as his children. Jaime-Lee O’Donnell and Chris Walley make the aggressive audience relentlessly uncomfortable with their behavior and nationalist words. Kristian Nairn plays Eoin, the quiet, clearly complicated, deemed “simple” son of the Whelan crew. Nairn gives a brilliant performance, more complex than at first glance.

Douglas Booth wears his emotions on his sleeve as Jaime. He is charming and kind but channels his unresolved trauma into simmering anger and anxiety. Hannah John-Kamen is enchanting and vulnerable. She owns the screen in her self-assured presence. Her chemistry with Booth and the rest of the cast keeps you watching.

The script is a dark adult version of a Grimm’s fairytale. Costumes are as colorful as the scenery is lush. Gorgeous drone shots down windy roads are breathtaking. The score creeps up on you. The first appearance of the elusive creatures is reminiscent of 80s Jim Henson; think Hoggle and the goblins from Labyrinth. They are awesome in the truest sense of the word. As a person who has been pregnant twice, the violence in the film is visceral. The commitment from the cast is applause-worthy. As the impressive practical effects get more intense, so do their performances. You will find yourself wincing and giggling simultaneously. Yes, it is over the top. And yes, the ending is a real WTF. Just go with it and have fun because in UNWELCOME, keeping the tradition alive keeps you alive.


UNWELCOME is set to be out in theaters this FRIDAY, MARCH 10th

 as it’s part of the AMC Thrills & Chills lineup,

and on Digital Tuesday, March 14th!