Drama
Ireland,United Kingdom
Calm with Horses is a 2019 British-Irish drama film directed by Nick Rowland and written by Joseph Murtagh. It stars Cosmo Jarvis as Douglas 'Arm' Armstrong, a former boxer who becomes the enforcer for the Devers family, a notorious drug-dealing gang in rural Ireland.
Arm is a complex character, torn between his loyalty to the Devers family and his desire to be a good father to his son Jack, who is autistic. Jack's mother Ursula (Niamh Algar) left Arm when Jack was a baby, leaving him to raise their son alone. Arm struggles to balance his violent job with his responsibilities as a father, often turning to his friend and fellow gang member Dympna (Barry Keoghan) for support.
The film is set against the backdrop of a power struggle within the Devers family, as patriarch Paudi (Ned Dennehy) prepares to step down and pass control to his more ruthless son Hector (David Wilmot). As tensions rise, Arm is asked to carry out his first killing, forcing him to confront his own moral code and decide where his loyalties truly lie.
Calm with Horses is a gritty and intense exploration of loyalty, family, and violence. It has been praised for its strong performances, particularly by Jarvis, and its raw and authentic portrayal of life in rural Ireland.
