Bring Them Down: Is it Realistic?

I rarely watch movies without knowing what they are about and what to expect. Yesterday I watched Bring Them Down without expectations, only knowing it was about a farm and people that perhaps fought over land. I imagined it was going to be the typical land dispute issue that happens all the time in the fields and big lots. I was in for a treat!!!

I convinced my mom to watch the film with me because she’s always dreamed of having her farm. My mom grew up in the city, and after years she moved to a smaller city surrounded by nature and the jungle. Five years later, she got a big lot in the rural areas far from the city, trying to build her farm from scratch. She planted papaya, zapote, tomatoes, Chaya, bananas, and different types of endemic fruits. She had chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, and lambs. She also built a small pond with Koi fish and Guppies. Everything went well for almost a year, unfortunately, moving into a farm is very difficult. She doesn’t have enough resources to live off solely from her farm, and the farm isn’t sustainable yet. Because of that, she must work in the city Monday through Friday, which eventually became a problem. Since she is not on the farm every day of the week, people around found out the farm was empty for most of the week. A group of people broke in and stole her animals, except for one or two chickens and turkeys. This represented a big financial loss to my mom, but most specifically, an emotional loss. Two years or so of work were lost, she had already bonded with her animals and developed a close relationship with them –she talked to them, haha–.

As we were watching the movie yesterday, my mom felt very impacted by the plot. She couldn’t believe the sheep’s feet got hacked without getting killed first, but most importantly, she was overwhelmed with Michael’s loss. She has never lost her livestock in such a violent way, but it was taken away from her. She is very aware that “if there’s livestock, there’s deadstock”, but just because she knows that, it doesn’t mean she won’t be taken by surprise after losing her animals or a single animal to sickness. 

I couldn’t believe the movie’s plot was a little bit close to what my mom experienced. As someone who has always lived in cities, I’m not very familiar or experienced firsthand with how brutal life and farm life can get. I think, as city people, we often take for granted what survival entails. My biggest concern regarding my meals is going to the grocery store, getting it, and cooking it. I have never had to worry about keeping my animals healthy and alive, and that in itself is a huge privilege I often forget. I might cry or feel frustrated when things don’t go my way, but Bring Them Down reminded me that life is not designed to be “painless” or “comfortable”. Humans have worked their way to reach a lifestyle away from any sort of discomfort, so much so the point modern humans are spoiled in a way, and we complain too much over simpler issues. 

Summary of Bring Them Down

Bring Them Down is a 2024 Irish-British-Belgian thriller written and directed by Chris Andrews, featuring Christopher Abbott as Michael, Barry Keoghan as Jack, Colm Meaney as Ray, Nora-Jane Noone as Caroline, and Paul Ready as Gary.

Set in rural Ireland, Bring Them Down follows Michael, a quiet shepherd haunted by a tragic accident from his past that left his girlfriend injured and took his mother’s life. Now living in isolation with his disabled father, Ray, Michael’s life surrounds tending his sheep and avoiding the community he feels alienated from, including Caroline, his former girlfriend, who is now married to a neighboring farmer, Gary.

The peace ends when two of Michael’s prized sheep go missing, and he suspects Jack, Gary, and Caroline’s teenage son. Tensions increase as Michael uncovers the truth—that Jack not only stole the animals but also later mutilated his entire flock for profit. He intended, along with his cousin, to sell the flock’s legs on the black market for 1300 euros. The violence of the act pushes Michael to the edge. At his father’s need for revenge, he mistakenly kills an innocent man, believing him to be involved.

Guilt, fury, and old resentments boil over when Michael finally confronts Jack. A brutal fight leaves both men seriously wounded after they stab each other. Despite everything, Michael has enough empathy to carry Jack home. When Caroline realizes what Jack has done, she silently takes her son and leaves, ending the family’s last bond forever. 

The film ends on a dark note with Michael, exhausted and bleeding, returning to his empty home, left to process the cost of violence, pride, and the ghosts of a past he couldn’t outrun.

Michael

I think the ghosts he couldn’t outrun revolved around his responsibility for his mother’s death. When he first confronted Gary for stealing two of his sheep, Gary lost clients, so he followed Michael back to his farm in a dangerous road rage. As Gary and Jack crash, Michael helps them get out safely and walks them back home. Michael aids them because he cares about Caroline enough to protect her family. I’m convinced he also doesn’t want to be responsible in any way for another death; his mom’s passing has already been traumatic enough.

But why did he save Jack in the end? Same reason. He is already doomed and miserable. As he told Jack, in the end, –You have killed me already, why don’t you finish the job? –.  He surely thinks poorly of himself, and he doesn’t want to contribute to another death. And even if you have never been responsible for anyone’s death or injury, you wouldn’t want to cause harm or ill to anyone. When my mom and I were watching the movie, she was very angry after Jack mutilated Michael’s flock. She argued Michael should’ve killed him. She was so angry she couldn’t believe he spared Jack. But I think what my mom is not considering is, you never know how you might react in a situation like that. We are wired to survive, and we are educated to help those who are in deep trouble. Perhaps, if I were in his situation, I would try to defend myself, but avoid a tragedy. I believe we are designed to avoid catastrophe and trauma, even though many times it’s inevitable. Michael put his mom and Caroline in danger once; he is most likely deeply troubled and regretful, so it makes sense that he would do things differently the next time.