If you aren’t the drinking type, or if you just want to have something with the spirit of Ireland playing on your television during your St. Patrick’s Day party, then you might want to check out some of the Irish-themed movies available to you. Some of them are funny, some sad, and some… a little scary.
Waking Ned Devine: In Waking Ned Devine, an entire Irish town conspires to get lottery winnings that a newly deceased person won. They work together to fool the claim inspector into thinking that the winner is still alive, all while trying to actually execute his funeral and deal with a potential blackmailer. There is even a little surprise twist at the end. The movie itself is beautiful, the characters charming, and the moral… well, just watch the movie to find out.
Leprechaun: This movie is pretty much a St. Patrick’s Day classic by now. Starring Jennifer Aniston before she was a household name, this scary film is about a violent Leprechaun searching for—what else? His gold. The gold was stolen from him by another resident of the South Dakota home he and Jennifer Aniston’s crew is now inhabiting. A typical gore-fest, Leprechaun is a tongue-in-cheek horror film that can be fun to watch with plenty of Guinness.
Boondock Saints: In the cult favorite Boondock Saints, two Irish brothers work together to clean the streets of Boston by taking vigilante action against those who they deem “evil.” While the movie’s scenery may be in America, its heart is entirely Irish. With a heavy focus on loyalty, family and Irish Catholicism, Boondock Saints is an edgy, violent and interesting watch. It does suffer from an inexperienced director and a gratuitous script, but if you are in the mood for revenge, you might not care.
Ballykissangel: While not actually a movie, the television series Ballykissangel is about a small Irish village and its new English priest. During the six-season series you see what life is like in a small Irish town and enjoy all the drama, trauma and unexpected life events of the residents. This show gives your home great ambiance for St. Patrick’s Day and is great to have on in the background as you are doing other things. It’s an entertaining and endearing show and you can really feel like you are part of the village. Keep in mind, it isn’t always uplifting.
The Matchmaker: Even if you aren’t a fan of the romantic comedy genre, you might just like Janeane Garofalo’s 1997 movie The Matchmaker as part of your St. Patrick’s Day movie marathon. It takes place in Ireland, has a score that is full of Irish tunes and also stars the bitingly funny Denis Leary. This is a sweet movie about an American campaign aide who is in Ireland searching for the family of her boss in order to help his re-election. While she does this, a matchmaking festival is going on which puts her in a series of awkward situations. She unexpectedly falls in love and complications ensue. Between the sardonic humor of Garofalo and the witty black humor of Leary, this film could win over even the staunchest romantic comedy haters.