I’ve been watching a lot of films recently, nothing too outside of my comfort zone, a Marvel movie, an Irish documentary, nothing wild. Then along comes An Taibhse from director John Farrelly. Immediately I was struck by the title, you see in Irish the word for “Ghost” is usually associated with púca. I looked into the meaning of Taibhse and it means a sad deceased individual as opposed to the more malicious nature of a púca.
It is this difference that is at the core of An Taibhse. Set Post Famine, An Taibhse follows a father and daughter as they take care of an estate while the owners are away. Máire (Livvy Hill) and her father Eamon (Tom Kerrisk) have left Belfast and are trying to start a new life. With being caretakers there is hope of a bright future. Unfortunately, something has followed them to the estate, something dubbed Alexander.
What follows is a tense and suspenseful story filled with unnerving and traumatic imagery. Set in one location and with two characters this feels more akin to a play. Livvy and Tom bounce off each other well, giving you a sense of the trials and tribulations they’ve endured before reaching the Fitzwilliam estate. Watching their relationship devolve as the months go by is fascinating and unsettling as you’re not quite sure how and why it is happening.
An Taibhse – A sorrowful deceased
Many of the elements of An Taibhse come together to make this an unforgettable experience. The setting of this lone estate in the country cut off from everything is used to excellent effect as Máire wanders the grounds. The forests give off an ethereal presence that feels like it’s watching her. The manor feels like a maze in many of the scenes as Máire and Eamon lose themselves within it, both physically and mentally.
Easily the best part of An Taibhse is the horror element. The “entity” dubbed Alexander is a malicious being, something of a trickster and a goblin. It harasses Máire throughout the film and brings her to her knees with its capricious nature. All the while Eamon is slowly losing his grip on reality. Both Livvy and Tom are engaging in this regard, even if at times their performances feel somewhat one-note at times.
What clenched An Taibhse for me though, was its ending. With most horrors, it is the ending where a film will ultimately sink or swim. With An Taibhse, the ending doesn’t sink or swim, it burns bright and will stay with me for a long time.
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