Cillian Murphy, an Academy Award-winning actor, brings a powerful story of moral awakening to the screen in “Small Things Like These,” a historical drama confronting one of Ireland’s most traumatic institutional legacies. Based on Claire Keegan’s 2021 novel, the film goes into the contentious Magdalene laundries of 1985, presenting a nuanced analysis of individual conscience during a challenging moment in Irish history.
Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a coal dealer in New Ross, Ireland, who becomes increasingly aware of the dark truths about a local convent-run institution. Subtle, repressed emotion characterizes the actor’s performance, which he regards as purposeful. “A lot of acting is about withholding,” Murphy says. “It’s about leaving space for the audience to interpret emotions nonverbally.”
The film is particularly relevant to Ireland’s complex socioeconomic history. Catholic orders ran the Magdalene laundries, which sheltered “fallen” women until 1996. Murphy, who was around 9 years old when the film was set, provides insight into the period: “There was a collective cognitive dissonance in Ireland — a state of knowing, yet not knowing.”
Murphy collaborated closely on the project with director Tim Mielants and screenwriter Enda Walsh. The film came together after Murphy’s wife recommended Keegan’s book, ultimately leading to a partnership between Matt Damon’s Artists Equity and Murphy’s new production firm, Big Things Films.
Co-star Emily Watson appreciates Murphy’s nuanced performance, highlighting his ability to convey deep interior tension with minimal apparent emotion. “He’s got this vibration happening that he can’t stop,” Watson tells me. “He doesn’t do much, but you can see something rising in him.”
The film, which was shot on location in New Ross and includes a former convent, intends to encourage thinking beyond its length. “The beauty of the story is that it really begins after the movie ends,” she says. “It’s about what happens next—the conversations that follow.”
Murphy views the endeavor as a continuation of his devotion to meaningful storytelling. “My plan is nonexistent,” he acknowledges. “I’m always looking for the next good story and the next good collaborator.”
“Small Things Like These” tests Murphy’s flexibility as an actor and producer, providing a meaningful reflection on human moral duty in the face of societal injustice.
