What are the worst Irish movies ever made?
We think we have come up with the Top 5 but if you have any better or worse ideas, feel free to join in.
From stereotypical views of Ireland in “Leap Year” and atrocious acting and accents in “Far and Away” to the embarrassing tales of “High Spirits” and “A Tiger’s Tale,” there have been some really awful films made about or in Ireland.
Here at Irish Central we’re saved the number one spot for one of the most bizarre movies ever made. “Holy Water” is a tale about a group of men who put Viagra in their town’s water supply. Need we say more?
Here’s our full list of the top worst Irish movies of all time:
Holy Water (2009)
Just a short description of this Irish movie will show you quickly why it got our number one vote. The story centers around the town of Kilcoulins Leap, home of a famous Holy Well. A postman, Podger Byrnes, comes up with a plan to hijack a van of Viagra and sell it in Amsterdam. When the plan goes wrong and Viagra’s makers send in their muscle, the postman and his friends hide the load of Viagra down the town’s Holy Well. You can guess the hilarity that follows.
Far and Away (1992)
Back in 1992 “Entertainment Weekly” spelt out perfectly what was wrong with this Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman epic about venturing into the Wild West in the 1800s. The review read, “Cruise has no edge, no inner fire. He lacks the passionate, volatile qualities that might have expanded the character into something more than a screenwriter’s concoction. … Machine-tooled and weightless — that’s Cruise in ‘Far and Away’. And that’s the movie as well."
This movie is also an example of some of the worst Irish accents and lines in an Irish movie. The most famously bad line from this movie is one of Cruise’s when he says to Kidman’s character, “You're a corker, Shannon. What a corker you are.”
Leap Year (2010)
Guilty of leaving Ireland in the dark ages, “Leap Year” sees Oscar nominee Amy Adams as Anna, a woman desperate to marry her long term boyfriend. She plans a trip to the Emerald Isle for February 29, where traditionally in Ireland women can propose to men.
“The New York Times” got it right when a critic described “Leap Year” as one of the worst movies of the year. The romantic comedy paints modern Ireland as a backward country where a power surge caused by Adam’s Blackberry wipes out electricity for an entire town. The hackneyed love story does little to promote the true identity and lure of Ireland.
The Tiger’s Tail (2006)
Written and directed by Englishman John Boorman, this is one Irish film that belongs on the editor’s floor. Good points start and end with the cast line up, which includes Brendan Gleeson and Kim Cattrall (with a very unconvincing Irish accent).
Gleeson plays Liam, a property developer in Ireland’s economic heyday whose dodgy dealings leave him seeing a double of himself, akin to Macbeth’s ghosts who haunt him for the duration of the film.
High Spirits (1988)
The brilliant Peter O’Toole plays a major role in this movie which does not paint the Irish or Americans in the best light. Stereotypes and an embarrassingly predictable story earned this movie a place on our list.
The movie tells the story of a busload of American tourists who arrive at Peter Plunkett’s Irish castle which he pretends is haunted.
14 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.TisEyerish | Oct 02, 2012, 11:37 AM EDT
The only movie I have seen that is listed is "Leap Year." There were many fallacies in this movie, including the proposal made by women on February 29th...that is known as "Sadie Hawkins Day" in the US and it was also a day when women could ask men to marry them. Having said that, taken in the context of a romantic comedy, I have to say that I adore this movie. I own it on DVD and have watched it many, many times. I enjoy looking at the landscapes that I love so well (and being able to say, "I was there!" on occasion) and I love the great comedy in it.
angrypaddy | Sep 14, 2012, 12:35 AM EDT
"The Brillcream Boys" a cross between The Quite Man and The Great Escape.The greatest load of bowel motion ever A 5 year old would write a better fairy tail ,no wonder the world is laughing at our stupidity
Lynchy | Sep 13, 2012, 10:19 PM EDT
Did anyone enjoy Zonad? when I heard the plot I was interested to see it, but sadly disappointed by the film, I would have preferred never to have seen it.
edmundburke | Sep 12, 2012, 09:19 PM EDT
Have to agree with rodgerahara, "Irish Jam" must go on the worst list - stupid story, bad acting, bad accents, and I don't think there are any more 18th century shebeens left in Ireland where the locals all go to drink.
WoundedKnee | Sep 12, 2012, 04:31 PM EDT
Any list of the worst Irish movies must include The Commitments. 90 minutes of stupidity, inanity and vulgarity. The only smile it raised from me was when I realized it was over.
rodgerahara | Sep 12, 2012, 01:47 PM EDT
Don't know how you could leave off "Irish Jam", a terrible movie starring(?) Eddie Griffin about a pub in Ireland being given away to the writer of the best poem, who, in this case, turns out to be an African-American rap artist from Los Angeles. I think it might have been one of those straight to DVD and cable movies. Icky at best!
Eschetic | Sep 12, 2012, 01:17 PM EDT
I'm certainly with you on FAR AND AWAY - at that point in their careers they sent two only mildly talented children to embarrass themselves trying to do adults' work in a film that came close to working but for their sore thumb performances, but I'm with the readers who speak up for the dumb fun (it was a Steve Guttenberg film after all) of HIGH SPIRITS! YES, it is sexist and racist and stereotypical in inexcusable ways, but Liam Neeson is also sexy and hilarious in almost obscene ways and the film is simply too funny to dismiss as the trash it always threatens to be. Like one other reader, I have severe problems with the almost iconic QUIET MAN despite admirable performances by the leads and beautiful cinematography - the glorification of supposedly essential to Irish culture "donnybrooks" is inexcusable to 21st century adults and an insult to CIVILIZED Irish men. IF you're going to defend it however, do at least have a look at the failed 1961 Broadway musical (called, appropriately enough, DONNYBROOK!). The glorious Johnny Burke score almost justifies the silly story and when New York's Irish Rep mounted a revival not too long ago, they *almost* finessed the fighting thing.
micky74007 | Sep 12, 2012, 11:17 AM EDT
Leap Year--they even got the geography of Ireland wrong in this picture.
MotherIrish | Sep 12, 2012, 11:13 AM EDT
Both my husband and I loved Leap YEar -- we have watched it twice. It makes us laugh and he always hugs me tight when we watch it. One man's trash is another man's (woman's) treasure.
handsome68 | Sep 12, 2012, 10:47 AM EDT
Haven't seen "High Spirits". As for the one of the worst Irish movie of all time, I nominate "The Quiet Man". Yes, yes, I know maybe the majority of youse liberal omadhauns love(d) it, but I thought it rollicking only in stupidity. On the other hand, if they would do a remake with Amy Adams playing the Maureen O'Hara part, I'd see it even if they got Tom Cruise as male lead again with his miserable excuse for an Irish accent.
feliciamaisey | Sep 12, 2012, 10:46 AM EDT
I saw all of the films and they are silly..ok trite. The best reason to see any of them is the scenery which makes for some memory recall of travels past.
feliciamaisey | Sep 12, 2012, 10:29 AM EDT
Never heard of these filims (is that a bad enough Oirish accent?). I think I'll see 2-3 of them. They sound entertaining for late night.
Ms.Gail | Sep 12, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT
I also love High Spirits and catch it whenever it's on TV, haven't seen the others either, must have read the reviews when they came out.
lecorri | Sep 12, 2012, 10:14 AM EDT
Well, I LOVED High Spirits, thought it was cute. But I didnt see the others so cant/wont comment on them.