BBC iPlayer is removing Barry Keoghan's "impressive" Irish thriller very soon

Bring Them Down, the "impressive" Irish thriller starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott, is leaving BBC iPlayer very soon. So if you want to watch the drama unfold, you'll need to act fast.

Written and directed by Christopher Andrews, the acclaimed film follows Irishman Michael O'Shea (Abbott), the son of a wealthy farming family, who is haunted by a car crash from his youth.

After a rival farmer, Gary (Paul Ready), and his son, Jack (Keoghan), steal some of Michael’s prized rams, a chain of events is set in motion between the warring families, and things turn violent.

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Featuring Colm Meaney and Nora-Jane Noone in supporting roles, the thriller is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer, though the listing is due to expire soon. You have just over a fortnight to watch it, with the film set to be removed on 4 October.

Following its theatrical release last year, Bring Them Down was widely lauded by critics, and it currently has an impressive approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes from 99 reviews.

"An impressive first feature from Christopher Andrews... a bruising tale of vengeance accompanied by a savage, percussive score by Hannah Peel that sounds as though it was played on scrap metal and abandoned farm machinery," wrote The Observer.

"Unnerving and tense, Andrews's script is tinged with a film noir appreciation for the all-corrosive effects of man’s iniquity. No one has clean hands here, and no one seems destined for a happy ending," penned The Wall Street Journal.

The Daily Telegraph said: "The film brings us down, as well as letting itself down somewhat... the ending too vague. But the jangling escalations of the first half still mark Andrews out as a name to watch."

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"It's a barnstorming feature debut for Andrews, and for Abbott it's yet more evidence of what a compelling, underrated screen presence he is," opined Little White Lies.

The Hollywood Reporter said of the film: "Bring Them Down is so grim that it can be something of a chore to sit through. But there’s enough tension and underlying adrenaline to keep one hooked for at least an hour."

Bring Them Down is leaving BBC iPlayer on 4 October.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.