The Snapper Review

Written by a Mystery Reviewer
The Snapper – 𝐀 𝐑𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

“𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝑢𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡—𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑛𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑎ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝐼𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟.” – 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

Opening the night with a bang, The Snapper immediately set the tone for an unforgettable evening. From the moment the first line was uttered, the audience was hooked, roaring with laughter at the perfect delivery of so many iconic moments from this classic Barrytown tale. The energy was electric, and it was clear that this cast had fully embraced the spirit of the film.

Leading the charge was Darren Daly as Dessie Curley, donning the legendary Barrytown Wheelies shell suit and walking the fine line between exasperated father and loveable eejit with masterful ease. His performance balanced the comedy with the genuine turmoil of a dad trying to make sense of an unexpected pregnancy in his household. It was no surprise to see him in the mix for Best Actor.

Aoife Keogh as Sharon was an absolute natural. While she may not have had to work too hard on the accent, she captured every ounce of the character’s feistiness, wit, and vulnerability, earning herself a well-deserved Best Actress nomination. The chemistry between her and Darah Bradley, who played her mother, Kay, was fantastic—Bradley’s performance was a standout, particularly in her scenes of frustration with both Sharon and her husband Dessie. The slap she landed on Doris Burgess (Serena Hopkins) could be felt around the room, with the two-fingered V-sign that followed carrying pure venom.

Cian Lynch gave us a Georgie Burgess that oozed desperation, his voice quivering as he found himself pinned against the toilet wall by Dessie. Meanwhile, Margaret O’Toole’s Mrs. O’Leary was nothing short of iconic, her constant “Trollop” insults hurled at Sharon never failing to get a laugh. Emma Cuddy as Jackie delivered some of the film’s most memorable lines with perfect comedic timing, including the razor-sharp “Close your mouth or the birds will nest in it” retort to Mrs. O’Leary.

But The Snapper wouldn’t have been complete without the brilliantly nosy neighbours, who truly captured the spirit of Barrytown. Yvonne Farrell (Neighbour Paula), Naoise Galligan (Neighbour Liz), Michelle McCabe (Neighbour Mags), and Pauric O’Toole (Lester) provided a constant stream of disapproving glances, whispers, and judgmental commentary that perfectly mirrored the small-town gossip machine. Their side-eyes and muttered remarks added an extra layer of authenticity, with every scene outside the Curley house and in the local bar feeling like a page lifted straight from Roddy Doyle’s script.

Speaking of the bar, the camaraderie between Sharon’s friends—Karen Dunne (Siobhán), Leonie Walsh (Mary), and Sarah Mooney (Yvonne)—brought warmth and energy to their scenes, whether it was teasing Sharon about her mysterious fella or fiercely defending her against the town’s gossips. Meanwhile, Daniel Grehan as the bartender oversaw the banter with an amused eye, adding to the natural flow of the pub scenes.

What made The Snapper such a joy to watch was the sheer depth of quality in the cast. From the women outside St. Clogh’s Maternity Hospital to the lively bar scenes, every single performer played their part in bringing this chaotic, hilarious, and heartfelt story to life. Their combined efforts ensured The Snapper walked away with Best Turned Out Film, a recognition of the meticulous attention to detail, from Dessie’s shell suit to the pitch-perfect Barrytown backdrop.

A riotously funny, brilliantly executed start to the night, The Snapper left the audience buzzing and set an incredibly high bar for the films that followed.