Enda Walsh

Enda Walsh, born in Dublin back in ’67, is one of those names that keeps popping up when folks talk about the wild, unpredictable edge of Irish storytelling. The guy’s done a bit of everything—plays, movies, wild experimental stuff that’ll leave you scratching your head and grinning at the same time. He’s probably best known for his work on “Hunger” (2008), which, let’s be real, is not an easy watch. That film dives straight into the heart of the 1981 Irish hunger strike and doesn’t flinch for a second. Michael Fassbender’s performance? Brutal and brilliant. It’s the kind of movie that stays with you, pressing on those ugly, raw bits of history that most people would rather skip over. Then you’ve got “Small Things Like These” (2024), which is way more subtle but somehow just as punchy. Walsh adapted the story from a Claire Keegan novella, and it’s set right around Christmas in a small Irish town. There’s this quiet tension humming underneath the surface, all about secrets and shame, especially tied up with the Catholic Church. It’s one of those films where the silence says as much as the dialogue, and nobody’s really innocent. And don’t sleep on “The House” (2022), either. That one’s weird in the best way—stop-motion, dark, kind of haunting. Walsh brings his knack for unsettling worlds, and it’s got this offbeat humor that sneaks up on you. Basically, if Enda Walsh’s name is attached to something, you know you’re in for a ride that’s going to shake you up, maybe make you squirm, but you’ll definitely remember it.