The Belly of the Whale (2018) User Reviews (10)

Keep it real

[mikeporter-79530 · 6/10 · 24 September 2019]

Not a film for people with attention deficiencies. Fans of marvel look elsewhere. Nice to see a credible film for a change.

I really liked it

[grahamhart-55335 · 6/10 · 26 March 2019]

Enjoyable,made a change from the US over hyped stuff.

Grim reality

[lloyd150 · 6/10 · 1 April 2020]

Recorded this as it looked interesting. This is not an upbeat film, more about a troubled teen returning to a town that feels as though it has been left behind. The backdrop of rural, small town life with little to do and no prospects are well portrayed. A little glimmer of hope as the relationship between the two main leads develops. Worth a watch as it challenges you to make sense of it.

I need a 1,000 Teddy Bears.

[nogodnomasters · 2/10 · 26 April 2019]

Joey Moody (Lewis MacDougall) is a 15 year old boy on his own. His dad was shot, and most folks think Joey did it. He owns a trailer park. He meets up with Martin Lanks (Art Parkinson) a man down on his luck, needing money for his sick wife. They team up and decide to rob the Moby Family Entertainment Center, run by Gits, who is running for public office and is also being shook down by some incriminating photos.

I couldn't get into the film. Watching the kid transport the old man on his bike was boring. Gray and dull.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

...

[jennybeau · 2/10 · 9 August 2019]

Boring AF, really really dull. Dont bother, probably watch some paint dry instead. Maybe sort some dominos into numerical order. Try and make some tea in a chocolate teapot or use a toothpick to eat your dinner.

Really good indie film.

[firesmudge · 7/10 · 4 August 2019]

Really good little Irish indie film. Interesting characters and great setting. Good story and good acting.

A dark, gritty, moody, low-budget, small-town, crime drama from Irish society's underside that isn't "Calm With Horses" (or nearly as good as)

[danieljfarthing · 7/10 · 28 October 2022]

As a moody, low-budget, small-town, crime drama from Irish society's underside, 2018's "The Belly Of The Whale" was a sound pre-runner to the like-toned (but far superior) "Calm With Horses". Lewis MacDougall's a teen scrote returning to his depressed home-town (years after a dubious tragedy with his dad) where he ends up hanging with older, down-beat Pat Shortt (terrific) with whom he plans (against advice of friends like Lauren Kinsella) to rob sleazy local politician Michael Smiley (wrapped up in his own little mess). Debut writer / director Morgan Bushe does a good job delivering his dark & gritty tale that's no "Calm With Horses", but ain't bad. Fair play.

Great watch!

[pjlfclarke · 8/10 · 29 April 2019]

The Belly of the Whale tells a neat story of unorthodox friendships, small-town scallywaggery and, ultimately, of redemption. Morgan Bushe's first feature-length is an exploration of the remnants of our past, our longing to right our wrongs and the cautions of suturing emotional wounds with lies. Set around the clockwork of a small-town inhabited with peculiar characters, from local cocaine sniffing hard-men Rooster and Hobo Harry, to elderly gamblers and underage drinkers, all presided over by the principle antagonist, local business owner-come-politician Gits, played to slimy perfection by the menacing Michael Smiley. Told with dark humour and more than a nod to its transatlantic indie influences, we're plunged into a stylistically shot long-weekend in a coastal town when young drifter Joey Moody returns from Scotland to the caravan park that bears his family name, that was clearly once his home, with the mission to raise the funds to reanimate the derelict site. Enter the bumbling and relapsed alcoholic Ronald (Pat Shortt) who, through divine intervention involving the failed sale of shoddily manufactured teddy-bears, makes acquaintance with the young Moody. He too must raise some cash, although for an altogether different reason. On a drunken night at the park, spirits buoyed by spirits, the two hatch a plan that falls somewhere between pure intoxicated enterprising and thinly-veiled revenge-plot. What follows is a chain-of-events that manifest as both the comically violent and at times, deeply tender exploration of how far the human mind and spirit will go to avoid facing up to the tragedy and despair of reality. The ending comes around much like the start, endowing the whole film with the ephemeral attributes of a dream, as if this wild-weekend never actually happened. Except that it did, with very real consequences and with poignant questions posed to the audience.

Excellent indie film with an undeserved low rating

[amybearcat · 9/10 · 5 August 2019]

This is a fantastic film for the genre. The characters are all strong and believable, the sets and environment spot on. Ignore the rating and give it a watch. Don't expect CGI and cliched chewing gum for the brain, this is an emotional story of peoples lives that is relatable in many ways.

Wacky and wonderful

[fiachwhite · 8/10 · 30 April 2019]

I caught this in the Irish cinemas. Great cast especially youngster Lewis MacDougall and Michael Smiley, mad story, like no Irish film I've ever seen before. It's a slow burner but it really takes off as the story progresses towards the climax. Really impressive cinematography and sound design. Would definitely recommend if you're interested in seeing an alternative slice of the new wave of Irish cinema.