Barry Keoghan Is Growing A Repertoire As The Weird Little Freak

There is nothing more rousing than a homoerotic, psychosexual thriller born of limerence, depravity and megalomania. Saltburn (2023), Emerald Fennell’s latest picture, is the talk of the town. For the film Nerds, Saltburn was just like any other psychological thriller. They have been turning their noses up at the normies gobsmacked by Fennell’s risqué new film. Viewers have been giving Barry Keoghan his flowers, and rightly so.

If this beguiling black comedy was your first taste of the thirty-one-year-old Irishman, I pity you. Simply because you are most certainly clueless about the extent of the man’s range. Actually, maybe I envy you. I wish I could experience his filmography all over again for the first time.

Whenever Keoghan’s name is spotted in the cast, you can safely assume that he will be playing the nutter or the oddball. However, Barry Keoghan definitely has not fallen victim to the typecasting curse rampant in Hollywood. Like the way Tom Cruise only ever makes action films, for example. The nature of the ‘little freak’ is an archetype stemming from odd backgrounds, warped relationship dynamics and atypical experiences. No two freaks are the same. Therefore, Keoghan being cast as such in several dissimilar films is a testament to his aptitude as an actor. And it is wonderfully touching to witness an actor with such a heart-rending backstory receiving his accolades amidst a nepotism-ridden world.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Keoghan’s portrayal of Dominic Kearney left such a strong impression on me, both as a character and as an actor. I wish this had been the world’s renowned introduction to Keoghan, though I am sure the film’s unassuming overtone would have quickly (and incorrectly) rendered it boring to many.

The film is an allegorical microcosm of the Irish Civil War. With a gentle hand, Martin McDonagh (director) compellingly captures the heavy heart wrought from years of internecine political strife. Keoghan’s character, Dominic, was the village idiot. He was an honest and innocent character [in thought and fault] who was slightly dim, sometimes loopy and always ingenious. Within him, The Fool stirred with yearning and anticipation until it didn’t.

Well, there goes that dream.

Dominic Kearney

The Killing of A Sacred Deer (2017)

This Yorgos Lanthimos film is as bizarre and implicit as all the others. The Greek filmmaker chose Barry Keoghan to play Martin Lang. This modern tragedy sought the teen to be the one to even the score when his father died in the operating theatre of a man who chose to play god. Cooly, the baby-faced avenger, delivers the demise of the fallible man. Keoghan’s painting of the character is cold and detached – administering justice as mechanically as a surgeon’s hand.

Light Thereafter (2017)

In Light Thereafter, the film reveals Pavel’s odyssey in reverse, conveying the seemingly dissatisfying and fruitless outcome of his journey. Pavel, played by Keoghan, is a peculiar boy with a fierce love of art, particularly the work of a French painter, Arnaud, whom he felt soul-tied. He embarks on a pilgrimage to find this painter, hoping to become his disciple. Upon meeting him, Pavel’s world and self-esteem are challenged as the misanthropic artist disillusions the young boy. The director simulates this destruction and discomfiture through non-linear storytelling. As always, Keoghan’s ability to communicate the complexities of his character through subtleties is ultimately what distinguishes him from his peers.

Overall, Barry’s filmography is extensive. He was even on the latest season of Top Boy. Equally noteworthy, Barry Keoghan has consistently delivered stellar performances in various war films, particularly the ones about his motherland. I urge you to peruse them all—not just to observe his talents but to ponder the never-ending brilliance emerging from this little part of the world.