Fantastic Films
Film4 Productions
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
Not part of a collection.
A black and bloody Irish comedy.
Overwhelmed by grief following the death of his wife, Donnelly shares a train carriage home with a troubled young man identified only as the 'Kid'. As the Kid becomes more agitated and foul-mouthed, the journey takes on a violent and dangerous hue – for the bereaved Donnelly and for other hapless passengers on the train. Academy Award Winner: Best Live Action Short Film – 2005
CinemaSerf
Jan 17, 2026 · via TMDB
“Donnelly” (Brendan Gleeson) isn’t having a good day. He has just left his deceased wife in hospital and is getting the train home when he sits across from a young lad (Rúaidhri Conroy) who’s a bit free with his language and is, as my gran used to say, a little pass remarkable. His targets are a couple who board at the next stop and who don’t look very happy. It turns out that she (Aisling O’Sullivan) and her husband (David Wilmot) have had some fairly traumatic news of their own, and swiftly the smart-mouthed kid’s provocative comments lead to the first of a couple of tragic events on a journey which provides “Donnelly” with food for thought not just as he travels, but when he gets home to their rabbit “David”, too. Now if you are recently grief-stricken then maybe this won’t be for you, but otherwise it is a darkly comedic take on what makes us tick. At times it is almost daring us to laugh, knowing that there’s precious little from these scenarios that we ought to want to smile about. Conroy is a natural, and though he doesn’t feature quite so prominently, Gleeson proves the perfect foil as he has to come to terms with the day’s events. Sure, it over-eggs things for dramatic effect a bit, but I think that’s what makes this enjoyable, and well worth a watch. Celtic humour at it’s bleakest.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
ShortsTV Amazon Channel
Brendan Gleeson
Donnelly
Rúaidhrí Conroy
Kid
David Wilmot
Man
Aisling O'Sullivan
Woman
Gary Lydon
Chief Guard
Domhnall Gleeson
Cashier
David Pearse
Short Man
Martin McDonagh
Director
Martin McDonagh
Writer
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Versus
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The Ballad of Akabusi
2026
Discipline - Live 1995
2005
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
Trivia
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Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
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