AfterSmall Things Like These, the movie to watch is a similar drama from 2002, to learn more about life in Ireland during the 20th century.Small Things Like Theseis adapted from the 2021 novel by Claire Keegan and depicts the daily life of coal merchant Bill Furlong, who grows suspicious about the work of his town’s Magdalene laundry and struggles with deciding whether to remain silent or retaliate. The movie stars Cillian Murphy, who also served as a producer on his first movie since his Oscar-winning performance inOppenheimer.
Small Things Like Thesehas received highly positive reviewsand has been described as a harrowing and somber depiction of the power of the Catholic Church in Ireland during the 1980s. It shows how people in Ireland were bribed and blackmailed to remain quiet about what happened behind closed doors. Another acclaimed drama,The Magdalene Sisters, also reveals what happened behind the Magdalene laundry doors and should be watched after the success ofSmall Things Like These.
The Magdalene Sisters Depicts What Life Was Like Inside The Laundries
The Movie Won The Golden Lion Award At The Venice Film Festival In 2002
Directed by Peter Mullan,The Magdalene Sistersrecounts the stories of Margaret, Bernadette, and Rose, who are each sent to a Magdalene asylum after being deemed “fallen women” in Irish society.Margaret spoke out about being attacked, Bernadette was seen as “too promiscuous,” and Rose had a baby out of wedlock. They are forced to work long hours in the laundry in squalid conditions and endure cruelty and humiliation from the nuns, led by the sinister Sister Bridget. The girls face the rest of their lives incarcerated, but they become determined to escape.
The Magdalene Sisterswas based on the testimonies of four Magdalene survivors from the 1998 documentarySex in a Cold Climate,one of the first to reveal the cruel realities of life inside the Magdalene laundries (viaEmbryo Project Encyclopedia). Released in 2002,The Magdalene Sisterswas described by critics as “a deliberately provocative film” and “an unflinching, harsh but engrossing glimpse” of the cruelty of the Magdalene laundries (viaRotten Tomatoes). As of 2024, the movie has a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival.
The Magdalene Sisters & Small Things Like These Both Explore The Theme of Secrecy
Both Movies Depict The Horrors Of The Magdalene Laundries In Ireland
Throughout the 20th century, the Magdalene laundries were riddled with rumors of abuse and mistreatment, but it wasn’t until the discovery of a mass grave of inmates in 1993 that the true horrors of the asylums were revealed to the public (viaThe Irish Times).BothThe Magdalene SistersandSmall Things Like Theseoffer a dark and heartbreaking insightintothe true history of the Magdalene laundriesand the suffering of the women who were incarcerated. Both movies also explore the theme of secrecy in society and display the consequences of speaking out against what is seen.
Where To Watch Small Things Like These: Showtimes & Streaming Status
Actor Cillian Murphy’s new historical drama film, Small Things Like These is finally being released, but viewing options are scarce at this time.
InThe Magdalene Sisters, the girls are presented at a public event as obedient and repentant to protect the laundry’s reputation, while behind closed doors, they are threatened and mocked by the nuns. Meanwhile, Bill is warned bydifferent characters inSmall Things Like Theseto keep quiet about what he sees whenever he delivers coal to the laundry.The Magdalene SistersandSmall Things Like Theseuse different perspectives to tell their stories — the imprisoned women in the former and a working-class man in the latter—but both are deeply accurate, intense, and heartbreaking in their portrayal.
Small Things Like These
Cast
Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, uncovers dark secrets at a convent that lead him to confront his past and the silent complicity of his Church-influenced Irish town.
