Calvary directed by John McDonagh, Brendan Gleeson, Aiden Gillen, Chris O'Dowd

Father James (Brendan Gleeson) learns he will be killed in a week's time. This is Sligo, Ireland. Revelations about abusive priests rock the catholic church, and the killer, abused as a boy, sees purchase in killing a good priest. Father James fits the bill. This is McDonagh's second film. His eclectic style evokes Enda Walsh, David Lynch and Ballykissangel, the dark side. At base level Calvary is a 'who's-going-to-do-it.' The townsfolk, from the ghoulish doctor (Aiden Gillen) to the fallen Magdalen (Orla O'Rouke) simmer with rage against the church and its representative, as the countdown begins. At the same time, Calvary is atonement. The action inexorably moves towards its uncompromising end, yet the journey is both humorous and unsettling.The scenery, breathtaking in its savage beauty, matches the film's mercurial tone: all glowering skies, cross-currents, while the dominant Knochnarea Mountain, in sweeping aerial shots, looks like a sacrificial altar. This is intelligent, angry stuff.