The Troubles in film and television
(Redirected from List of The Troubles films)
Below is an incomplete list of feature films, television films or TV series which include events of The Troubles and the Dissident Irish republican campaign. This list does not include documentaries, short films.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] This list includes films about events from the late 1960s to the present day. For events of the early 20th century, see List of Irish revolutionary period films.
1960s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | United Kingdom | The Violent Enemy | Don Sharp | Crime, drama, thriller. Based on the novel A candle for the dead. |
1970s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Canada | A Quiet Day in Belfast | Milad Bessada | Drama. Based on the play A quiet day in Belfast. |
| 1975 | United Kingdom United States |
Hennessy | Don Sharp | Action, Drama, Thriller. |
| 1979 | United States Netherlands |
The Outsider | Tony Luraschi | Drama, history, thriller. Based on the novel The heritage of Michael Flaherty. |
1980s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | United Kingdom | The Long Good Friday | John Mackenzie | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller. |
| 1981 | Looks and Smiles | Ken Loach | Drama. | |
| Ireland | Traveller | Joe Comerford | ||
| United Kingdom Ireland |
Maeve | Pat Murphy | ||
| 1982 | Angel | Neil Jordan | Drama, Music, Thriller. | |
| 1983 | United Kingdom | Acceptable Levels | John Davies | Drama. |
| Belgium France |
The Writing On The Wall (Nous étions tous des noms d'arbres) |
Armand Gatti | ||
| 1984 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Cal | Pat O'Connor | Drama, thriller, romance. Based on the novel Cal. |
| 1985 | United Kingdom | No Surrender | Peter Smith | Comedy. |
| 1987 | Boy Soldier (Milwr Bychan) |
Karl Francis | Drama. | |
| A Prayer for the Dying | Mike Hodges | Action, crime, drama, thriller. Based on the novel A prayer for the dying. | ||
| 1988 | United Kingdom United States |
For Queen and Country | Martin Stellman | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. |
| 1989 | Elephant | Alan Clarke | Drama. |
1990s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | United Kingdom | Hidden Agenda | Ken Loach | Drama, Thriller. |
| 1992 | The Railway Station Man | Michael Whyte | Drama, romance. Based on the novel The railway station man. | |
| United States | Patriot Games | Phillip Noyce | Action, thriller. Based on the novel Patriot games. | |
| United Kingdom Japan |
The Crying Game | Neil Jordan | Crime, drama, romance, thriller. Based on the short story "Guests of the nation". | |
| 1993 | United Kingdom | Fatal Inheritance | Gabrielle Beaumont | Action, Drama, Thriller. |
| Ireland | High Boot Benny | Joe Comerford | Drama. | |
| Ireland United States |
In the Name of the Father | Jim Sheridan | Biography, crime, drama. Based on the autobiography Proved innocent: The story of Gerry Conlon of the Guildford Four. Guildford pub bombings, Guildford Four and Maguire Seven | |
| 1994 | United States | Patriots | Frank Kerr | Thriller. |
| Blown Away | Stephen Hopkins | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. | ||
| 1995 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Nothing Personal | Thaddeus O'Sullivan | Drama. |
| 1996 | Lebanon Germany Ireland |
Warshots (Kriegsbilder) |
Heiner Stadler | |
| Ireland United States |
Some Mother's Son | Terry George | Drama, history. 1981 Irish hunger strike | |
| 1997 | Ireland | This Is the Sea | Mary McGuckian | Drama, Romance. |
| United Kingdom | The Eliminator | Enda Hughes | Action, Comedy. | |
| United States | The Devil's Own | Alan J. Pakula | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. | |
| United Kingdom Spain Germany Ireland Japan |
A Further Gesture | Robert Dornhelm | Drama, Romance, Thriller. | |
| Ireland United States |
The Boxer | Jim Sheridan | Drama, Romance, Sport. | |
| United States | My Brother's War | James Brolin | Action, Thriller. | |
| 1998 | United Kingdom | Crossmaheart | Henry Herbert | Drama. Based on the novel Cycle of violence. |
| United States United Kingdom |
Ronin | John Frankenheimer | Action, Crime, Thriller. | |
| United Kingdom Ireland |
The General | John Boorman | Biography, crime, drama, thriller. Based on the book The general. Martin Cahill | |
| United Kingdom | Divorcing Jack | David Caffrey | Thriller, comedy. Based on the novel Divorcing Jack. | |
| Titanic Town | Roger Michell | Drama. | ||
| Resurrection Man | Marc Evans | Crime, drama, thriller. Based on the novel Resurrection man. Shankill Butchers | ||
| 1999 | Ireland | Sunset Heights | Colm Villa | Action, Thriller. |
| United Kingdom United States |
Shergar | Dennis Lewiston | Crime, drama, romance, sport. Shergar |
2000s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Ireland United States |
Moving Target | Paul Ziller | Action. |
| United States | An Everlasting Piece | Barry Levinson | Comedy. | |
| 2001 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Mapmaker | Johnny Gogan | Thriller. |
| Ireland | Silent Grace | Maeve Murphy | Drama. Based on the plays The Armagh women, Now and at the hour of our death. Dirty protest | |
| H3 | Les Blair | Drama. 1981 Irish hunger strike | ||
| 2002 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Boxed | Marion Comer | Drama. |
| 2004 | United Kingdom France Ireland |
Mickybo and Me | Terry Loane | Comedy, drama. Based on the play Mojo Mickybo. |
| 2005 | Italy | The Silence of the Skylark (Il silenzio dell'allodola) |
David Ballerini | Drama. |
| Ireland United Kingdom |
The Mighty Celt | Pearse Elliot | ||
| Breakfast on Pluto | Neil Jordan | Comedy, drama. Based on the novel Breakfast on Pluto. | ||
| 2006 | United States Ireland |
I.R.A.: King of Nothing | Damian Chapa | Action, Drama. |
| United Kingdom Ireland |
Johnny Was | Mark Hammond | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. | |
| 2007 | United Kingdom Canada United States |
Closing the Ring | Richard Attenborough | Drama, Romance. |
| 2008 | Ireland | Anton | Graham Cantwell | Action, Crime, Drama, History, Romance, Thriller. |
| Peacefire | Macdara Vallely | Drama. | ||
| United Kingdom Ireland |
Hunger | Steve McQueen | Biography, crime, drama, thriller. 1981 Irish hunger strike | |
| United Kingdom Canada |
Fifty Dead Men Walking | Kari Skogland | Crime, drama, thriller. Based on Martin McGartland's autobiography. | |
| 2009 | United States | Disappearing in America | Erik Rodgers | Drama. |
| United Kingdom Ireland |
Five Minutes of Heaven | Oliver Hirschbiegel | Drama, Thriller. |
2010s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Shadow Dancer | James Marsh | Drama, mystery, thriller. Based on the novel Shadow dancer. |
| 2013 | Good Vibrations | Lisa Barros D'Sa Glenn Leyburn |
Biography, Drama, Music. | |
| United Kingdom | The Best Years | Danny Patrick | Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance. | |
| Ireland | A Belfast Story | Nathan Todd | Crime, Drama. | |
| 2014 | United Kingdom | Shooting for Socrates | James Erskine | Comedy, drama, sport. 1986 FIFA World Cup |
| '71 | Yann Demange | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller, War. | ||
| 2016 | The Truth Commissioner | Declan Recks | Crime, Drama, Thriller. | |
| The Journey | Nick Hamm | Biography, drama, history. Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness, St. Andrews Agreement. | ||
| 2017 | United Kingdom China United States India |
The Foreigner | Martin Campbell | Action, thriller. Based on the novel The Chinaman. |
| United Kingdom Ireland Sweden Germany |
Maze | Stephen Burke | Biography, crime, drama, history, mystery, thriller. Maze prison escape | |
| 2018 | Ireland United Kingdom |
Penance (Aithrí) |
Tommy Collins | Action, romance. Based on the story Seacht mBua an Éirí Amach. |
| 2019 | United Kingdom | Cyprus Avenue | Rhodri Huw Vicky Featherstone |
Comedy, Drama, Thriller. |
2020s
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Wildfire | Cathy Brady | Drama. |
| 2021 | Ireland | A Bend in the River | Colin Broderick | |
| United Kingdom | Belfast | Kenneth Branagh | Biography, drama, romance. 1969 Northern Ireland riots | |
| 2022 | Ireland | The Troubles: A Dublin Story | Luke Hanlon | Crime, Drama. |
| 2023 | United Kingdom | Dead Shot | Tom Guard Charles Guard |
Action, thriller. Based on the book The road to Balcombe Street. |
| Ireland United Kingdom |
Baltimore | Joe Lawlor Christine Molloy |
Thriller. Rose Dugdale | |
| Ireland | In the Land of Saints and Sinners | Robert Lorenz | Action, Crime, Thriller. | |
| 2024 | Ireland United Kingdom |
Kneecap | Rich Peppiatt | Comedy, drama. Kneecap |
| 2025 | United Kingdom United States |
Anemone | Ronan Day-Lewis | Drama. |
Science fiction, fantasy and horror films
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Italy | Mondo candido | Gualtiero Jacopetti Franco E. Prosperi |
Adventure, comedy, fantasy. Based on the novel Candide. |
| 1976 | France Italy West Germany Canada |
Born for Hell (Die Hinrichtung) |
Denis Héroux | Drama, horror, thriller. Richard Speck |
Television films
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | United States United Kingdom |
A War of Children | George Schaefer | Drama. |
| 1980 | United Kingdom | Murphy's Stroke | Frank Cvitanovich | |
| The Long March | Chris Parr | |||
| 1981 | Nailed | June Howson | ||
| 1982 | Giro City | Karl Francis | Drama, Thriller. | |
| 1983 | Across the Water | Paul Seed | Drama. | |
| 1984 | Killer Waiting | Michael Ferguson | Thriller. | |
| United States Ireland |
Children in the Crossfire | George Schaefer | Drama. | |
| United Kingdom | Four Days in July | Mike Leigh | ||
| 1985 | We'll Support You Evermore | Douglas Livingstone | ||
| 1986 | Canada | In This Corner | Atom Egoyan | |
| 1987 | United Kingdom | Rat in the Skull | Glyn Edwards Max Stafford-Clark | |
| 1988 | New Zealand | The Grasscutter | Ian Mune | Crime. |
| 1989 | Ireland United Kingdom |
Hush-a-Bye Baby | Margo Harkin | Romance. |
| 1990 | Ireland | Dear Sarah | Frank Cvitanovich | Drama. Guildford Four and Maguire Seven |
| 1992 | United Kingdom | You, Me and Marley | Richard Spence | Drama. |
| 1995 | Canada United Kingdom |
Beyond Reason | Jim O'Brien | |
| 1997 | Ireland | Bogwoman | Tommy Collins | |
| Ireland United States |
The Informant | Jim McBride | Drama. Based on the book Field of blood. | |
| United Kingdom | The Investigator | Chris Oxley | Biography, Drama. | |
| 1999 | United Kingdom | Vicious Circle | David Blair | Crime, drama. Based on the book The general. Martin Cahill |
| 2002 | As the Beast Sleeps | Harry Bradbeer | Drama. Ulster Defence Association | |
| United Kingdom Ireland |
Sunday | Charles McDougall | Drama. Bloody Sunday | |
| United Kingdom Ireland United States |
Bloody Sunday | Paul Greengrass | Drama, history, war. Based on the book Eyewitness Bloody Sunday. Ivan Cooper, Bloody Sunday | |
| Canada | The Pilot's Wife | Robert Markowitz | Drama. Based on the novel The pilot's wife. | |
| 2003 | United Kingdom Ireland |
Holy Cross | Mark Brozel | Drama. Holy Cross dispute |
| You Looking at Me? | Margo Harkin | Drama. | ||
| 2004 | Omagh | Pete Travis | Drama. Omagh bombing | |
| 2006 | United Kingdom | Cracker | Antonia Bird | Crime, Drama. |
| 2018 | Mother's Day | Fergus O'Brien | Drama. Warrington bombings |
TV series
[edit]| Year | Country | Title | Director | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | United Kingdom | Harry's Game | Lawrence Gordon Clark | Thriller. Based on the novel Harry's game. |
| 1985 | Confessional | Gordon Flemyng | Thriller. Based on the novel Confessional. | |
| United Kingdom Ireland |
The Price | Peter Smith | Drama, Thriller. | |
| 1988 | United Kingdom | Crossfire | Ken Hannam | Thriller. |
| Ireland Australia |
Act of Betrayal | Lawrence Gordon Clark | Drama, Thriller. | |
| 1989–90 | United Kingdom | Frederick Forsyth Presents | Tom Clegg Lawrence Gordon Clark Ian Sharp James Cellan Jones |
Action, thriller. Based on the novel The deceiver. |
| 1991 | Children of the North | David Drury | Thriller. Based on the novels: The killing of yesterday's children, Lonely, the man without heroes and A darkness in the eye. | |
| 1992 | Civvies | Karl Francis | Drama. | |
| 1993–96 | Circles of Deceit | Geoffrey Sax Nicholas Laughland Alan Grint Peter Barber-Fleming |
||
| 1995, 1998–2007, 2016–present | United Kingdom Ireland |
Give My Head Peace | Comedy. | |
| 1999 | United Kingdom | Eureka Street | Adrian Shergold | Drama, comedy. Based on the novel Eureka Street. Northern Ireland peace process |
| 2001 | The Bombmaker | Graham Theakston | Action. Based on the novel The bombmaker. | |
| 2005 | The Rotters' Club | Tony Dean Smith | Drama. Based on the novel The Rotters' Club. | |
| 2012 | White Heat | John Alexander | Drama. | |
| 2014 | From There to Here | James Strong | Drama. 1996 Manchester bombing | |
| 2018–22 | Derry Girls | Michael Lennox | Comedy. | |
| 2022 | Netherlands | The Spectacular | Pieter Kuijpers Willem Bosch |
Crime, drama, thriller. Donna Maguire |
| 2024 | United States Ireland |
Say Nothing | Joshua Zetumer | Drama, history, thriller. Based on the novel Say nothing: A true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland. |
| United States United Kingdom |
This Town | Paul Whittington | Drama. | |
| 2025 | United Kingdom | Trespasses | Dawn Shadforth | Based on the novel Trespasses. |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Gallagher, Richard (2023). Screening Ulster: Cinema and the Unionists. Springer Nature. ISBN 9783031234361.
- ↑ Gallagher, Richard (2021). "The Troubles Crime Thriller and the Future of Films about Northern Ireland" (PDF). Queen's University Belfast.
- ↑ Brereton, Pat (2022). "Troubles and Northern Ireland: Representations in Film of Belfast as a Site of Conflict". Project MUSE.
- ↑ McLoone, Martin (2009). "Film, Television and the Troubles" (PDF). Troubles Archive.
- ↑ Gillespie, Gordon (3 October 2020). "Films". Shared Future News.
- ↑ McKittrick, David (30 October 2008). "Why are all the Troubles' films about republicans?". Belfast Telegraph.
- ↑ "Classic films with the Troubles in mind". The Independent.
- ↑ "The Top 10 Films of the Troubles (1969-1998)". Top 10 Film Lists. 27 May 2021.
- ↑ Clarke, Donald (31 August 2019). "The Troubles on film: 'Hollywood has done everywhere and it's always wrong'". The Irish Times.
