In the Land of Saints and Sinners is a 2023 action thriller about a former Irish hitman trying to leave his violent past behind.
Directed by Robert Lorenz (The Marksman; Trouble with the Curve) from a screenplay written by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane. Produced by Markus Barmettler, Philip Lee, Terry Loane, Bonnie Timmermann and Geraldine Hughes.
The movie stars stars Liam Neeson (Retribution; Memory; Marlowe; Blacklight; The Marksman; The Haunting), Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson, Colm Meaney, Ciarán Hinds and Sarah Greene.
Plot:
Ireland, 1970s. Eager to leave his dark past behind, Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glencolmcille, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country.
When a menacing crew of terrorists arrive in the village, led by a ruthless woman named Doirean, Finbar soon discovers that one of them has been abusing a local young girl. Drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, Finbar must choose between exposing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbours…
Reviews:
“In the Land of Saint and Sinners is by no means a bad film but it’s also nothing exceptional. At the end of the day, this is fundamentally another film in a long line of Liam Neeson doing his Liam Neeson thing, It’s about as disposable and forgettable as they come.” Grade: C, Awards Watch
“Though the work of director Robert Lorenz has improved marginally in quality since his previous Neeson encounter on The Marksman, the culturally wound expectations and the shoehorned message which does not fit in with the writing he adapts make for a rather poor show. Hinds and Neeson have a Sergeant Butterman and Police Inspector Angel back-and-forth to them, the plucky Hot Fuzz couple is a surprise to behold and works nicely enough.” Cult Following
“Neeson brings a bit of old charm to the role of Finbar, and anchors the action admirably. Condon gets plenty of ripe dialogue to chew on, but Hinds and the rest of the cast are left peddling clichés. By the time an explosive denouement comes around, most audience members will struggle to go along with what they’re seeing. In The Land of Saints and Sinners looks handsome, but by failing to balance its irreverence with its serious material, it can’t help but feel artificial.” ★★ Loud and Clear
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Release:
In the Land of Saints and Sinners premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2023. In the US, the movie will be released in select locations by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29, 2024.
