‘Horseshoe’ review: Four estranged siblings confront their dead father in crowdpleasing Irish debut

Dir: Edwin Mullane, Adam O’Keeffe. Ireland. 2025. 88mins.

Colm Canavan is dead. That, however, does not stop his four adult children conjuring him up to hector and belittle them as they reunite at the family home in Sligo to read his will. Despite its backdrop of domestic violence, Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe bring a healthy amount of humour and warmth to this tale of family secrets and reconciliation. Although somewhat overplotted and with pacing issues that mean its ending arrives at a gallop, this is a tonally well-balanced and well-acted crowdpleaser.

Tackles difficult themes with a light touch

Horseshoe is the first directorial collaboration between O’Keeffe and Mullane – co-founders of WaveWalker Films – although both have previously made short films independently. It is likely to find a warm reception on home turf at Galway Film Fleadh, and its gentle handling of tricky themes could help it attract distributor interest.

Eldest sibling Jer (Jed Murray) and his youngest brother Evan (Eric O’Brien) have never left the house in rural Ireland that was ruled with a rod of iron by Colm (played with spittle-frothing belligerence by Lalor Roddy) both before and after the death of their mother. Jer has turned gruffness into an art form, his outlook darkened by the shadow of his father. Evan, meanwhile, is an eager-to-please, quick-to-put-the-kettle-on sort, personality traits that have led to friction within the local community.

The remaining children Niall (Neill Fleming) and Cass (Carolyn Bracken) have managed to move out and start families, although both of those relationships are now fractured. The individual conversations this quartet have with their dead dad – who is able to be omnipresent – give clues into personal details their siblings only gradually come to learn.

O’Keeffe, who also wrote the script, has a good ear for family banter. Everyday chat about not drinking tea or eating meat blends with more strained exchanges about their inheritance. Further fuel is added to the fire when a probate lawyer (John Connors) tells the siblings they have 24 hours to agree unanimously on what should happen to the house or it will be gifted to the state. The tough kernel of the family is surrounded by the predictably colourful characters that might be expected in this sort of Irish dramedy. There is the kind-hearted landlady of the local pub (Mary Murray) alongside Ivy (Caroline Harvey), the owner of a yoga retreat where Niall is trying to work through his anger management issues.

The ebb and flow of tensions within the family gives Horseshoe a strong emotional core, even if Cass and Niall have the lion’s share of character development. By contrast, too much mystery is allowed to surround the taciturn Jed, while the problems faced by Evan feel rather outdated for the modern world. A little less plotting would have given the characters room to breathe, but when the four do have the space to interact – most notably on a walk together – they are a winning combination.

The supportive score from Anna Mullarkey, coupled with folk songs from John Francis Flynn, imbue proceedings with a strong sense of place. This is further enhanced by camerawork from Jass Foley that is appreciative of the rugged handsomeness of the landscape, without feeling in thrall to it.

Some of the situations in which the family members find themselves are telegraphed ahead of time – not least talk of a gathering to take acid at the yoga retreat. Less predictable are the twists in sibling relationships taken along the way. The directors also deserve credit for tackling difficult themes with a light touch, and achieving a moving and satisfying resolution that avoids feeling over-sentimental or rote.