Film Review: Amongst The Wolves deserves attention 

The acclaimed television series Love/Hate left a significant mark on the Irish entertainment landscape, serving as a launch-pad for a new wave of talented Irish actors.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Dublin’s criminal underbelly, the series delved into the lives of drug dealers and gang members, providing an unvarnished look at the struggles and moral complexities faced by those in the lower levels of the gang hierarchy.

In contrast, the series Kin shifted the focus to the influential figures who reign at the top of the criminal chain.

Irish film-makers have a knack for portraying this genre with authenticity. Mark O’Connor has established himself as a film-maker who not only captures the gritty aspects of Irish life but also the humanity that can easily be overshadowed by violence and despair.

His latest film, Amongst The Wolves, introduces us to Danny, played by Luke McQuillan, who co-wrote the script. Danny is a former soldier who served in Afghanistan and returns home carrying the mental scars of his battlefield experiences.

During a moment of unintended neglect, his young son nearly lost his life, and now his former partner, Jade Jordan, wants him out of both their lives.

Danny is currently homeless, living in a tent by the canal. He is struggling to get his life together so he can spend supervised time with his son.

He faces cruelty from a group of young lads who film Danny at a low ebb. As he tries to recover from the incident, Danny moves further away from society and finds safety by setting up camp next to the tent of a young man, Will (Daniel Fee).

After Danny establishes that he is not a threat to Will, the two find comfort in having someone nearby. Will, a young drug runner for Power (Aidan Gillen), is hiding from his boss. He can’t go home, he can’t go into the city, Power has eyes everywhere. He wants Will to pay for a mistake he made with some of his drugs.

Amidst the loneliness of homelessness and the threats of violence, Danny meets Kate (Louise Bourke), who works in homeless services and recognises Danny for who he is: a person who needs support.

As Danny teaches Will survival techniques, it becomes clear that he must resort to darker tactics to help Will escape Power and his men.

While most of the criminal characters do little more than glower, Dane Whyte O’Hara, in a small role, delivers a strong performance as Joyce, one of Power’s associates.

Gillen, known for his ability to embody menace, doesn’t have much to do in this film. His character lacks development; however, it’s important to know that O’Connor made the film on a tight budget with limited time, so, understandably, he chose to focus on the lead characters.

What O’Connor does best is capture the darker side of Ireland today. Fights break out on a busy street, someone pees in an alley as people walk by, and too many young people find themselves caught up in crime to survive.

McQuillan and Fee give solid turns as two people struggling, both living in fear of different things.

Far from perfect, but with much to be commended, O’Connor has managed to do much more on a microbudget than many do with a whole lot more, and for that reason, the film deserves your attention.

Amongst The Wolves, in cinemas now, cert 16, ***