Starring: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen
Directed By: John Carney

Plot: A young boy (Walsh-Peelo) in Ireland, seeing no future for himself, starts a band, despite having no idea how to start a band. But, with a little can do attitude, this ragtag group of rejects might turn into a something great.

What Works: Well, John Carney is a master of directing movies about music, and he does a great jobs here, just like he did with Once and Begin Again. The songs here are great, and deserve Oscar consideration. Ferdia Walsh-Peele is a great undiscovered talent. I hope we see more from him in the future. Jack Reynor, who I have yet to see challenged as an actor, gives a great supporting performance. This is a little gem. I had no idea I was going to be seeing something this good when I picked it on Netflix. Do yourself a favor, and let this surprise you too.

What Doesn’t Work: I’m struggling to come up with something I didn’t like about this film. The ending was a little cheesy, but that’s about it.

Final Word: Don’t let this one slip past you. It’s definitely one of the best films of the year.

Final Grade: A