The Oscar winner plays a hard-working coal merchant and father haunted by Church-sanctioned cruelty in Ireland in the Lionsgate drama that will hit theaters on Nov. 8.
Oscar winner Cillian Murphy stars in Small Things Like These as Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and father haunted by dark secrets tied to a local convent run by the Catholic Church. The film, set for a theatrical release on November 8, promises a gripping and emotional storyline.
In the trailer, Furlong delivers coal to the convent and witnesses a distressing scene: a mother trying to force her young daughter inside against her will. The girl’s desperate cries—“Mommy, please! Stop it! No please! I’m not going in there”—leave Furlong visibly shaken.
Set in 1985, just before Christmas, the film explores Furlong’s unspoken grief and childhood trauma. As he continues his deliveries, he is faced with difficult moral choices. A warning in the trailer emphasizes the dark truths he may uncover: “You want to watch what you say about what’s there.”
Adapted from Claire Keegan’s acclaimed novella, Small Things Like These is rooted in the real history of the Magdalene Laundries, institutions run by the Catholic Church in Ireland that were purportedly designed to help “fallen women.” These laundries were closed in 1996 amid a widely publicized scandal involving the Church.
The screenplay is written by Enda Walsh, with Tim Mielants directing and Emily Watson co-starring. At the Berlin Film Festival, where the film premiered as the opening night presentation, The Hollywood Reporter noted Murphy’s powerful portrayal of Furlong as a reserved but fundamentally decent man, contrasting sharply with his role in Oppenheimer.
Produced by Murphy and his partner Alan Moloney through Big Things Films, the project is backed by Artists Equity, a studio co-run by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The production team also includes Catherine Magee and Drew Vinton, with executive producers including Affleck, Kevin Halloran, and Michael Joe. Small Things Like These promises to be a poignant exploration of courage and conscience amidst deep personal and societal challenges.
