Title – The Quiet Girl (2022) 

Director – Colm Bairéad (Murdair Mhám Trasna)

Cast – Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett

Plot – In rural Ireland of the early 1980’s, softly spoken young girl Cait (Clinch) spends a summer on a farmstead with her families relatives Eibhlín (Clinch) and Sean (Bennett) who tend and care for Cait like her own family neglects to do. 

“Don’t be afraid” 

Review by Eddie on 30/01/2023

Currently at the time of writing holding an impressive 98% critic approval rating and a 93% audience rating on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, Oscar nominated Irish film The Quiet Girl is an impressive success story from the 2022 release schedule, that much like its titular young girl has remained somewhat low-key and softly spoken about in the months since its initial release, despite its critical acclaim and award wins at the likes of the Berlin International Film Festival and the Irish Film and Television Awards.  

Adapting Claire Keegan’s book Foster, Irish director Colm Bairéad announces himself in a big way on the feature film map with his carefully considered and deceptively heartbreaking film, with The Quiet Girl slowly but surely morphing into a powerful and moving study of love, loss and acceptance, that may steer clear of dialogue heavy and “big” moments but packs a punch regardless as we begin to understand more about the world of Catherine Clinch’s young girl Cait and her Summer family that is Carrie Crowley’s Eibhlín and Andrew Bennett’s man of few words Sean. 

Unravelling a seemingly simple yet considered and layered narrative across 90 minutes, there may be some viewers that wonder what Cait’s Summer escape with her relatives may all be about but this early 80’s set drama has much too say and do without doing it in a way that creates an unwarranted fuss and by the time all the pieces of the story’s puzzle come together and you become aware of the central trios motivations and backstories, The Quiet Girl ranks up there with the best of the 2022 drama class. 

Beautifully filmed by cinematographer Kate McCullough, who wonderfully captures the essence of the story as well as the era in which the film takes place in and effectively scored by composer Stephen Rennicks, The Quiet Girl may be a small-budgeted and intimate production but Bairéad and his team that includes the great double act of Crowley and Bennett as the loving yet wounded Cinnsealach’s and a star-making turn from young performer Clinch, who should be destined for great things following on from her memorable turn here as a young girl learning her way in a world that hasn’t always been as kind too her as she deserves, should be commended for putting their hearts and souls into this touching piece of art.  

There’s a strong chance that you might never have heard of this little film with a big heart but it should be a major priority when completing your 2022 release watch-list, easily one of the most touching dramas of recent memory, The Quiet Girl is a film to loudly recommend. 

Final Say – 

One of the most impressive Irish films of the modern era and a genuinely soulful drama, The Quiet Girl is a top-tier feature that deserves to be discovered by a much larger audience than its found at this point in time. 

4 1/2 letters out of 5