Academy Award-winning filmmaker Martin MacDonagh, who is also a celebrated Irish playwright, is known for the use of anguish and dark humour in all of his movies.

MacDonagh’s upcoming film is The Banshees of Inisherin, which chronicles the collapse of camaraderie between two lifelong friends (played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) and hits the theatres on October 21.

Before that, we pick four films by McDonagh to give you a taste of his delicious platter of black humour.

Six Shooter (2004)

Starring Brendan Gleeson and Ruaidhri Conroy in lead roles, McDonagh’s Oscar-winning short film follows a widowed traveller who meets a psychotic passenger on a train. It deals with mental health issues and tragic loss, not without a hint of humour. This 26-minute film gave McDonagh his first break in the world of cinema and helped him get his other projects started.

where to watch: YouTube

In Bruges (2008)

Considered a cult classic, this 2008 black comedy crime drama is set in Bruges, Belgium, which is famous for its Renaissance architecture. The film follows two hitmen, Ray and Ken, who get stuck there after an unsuccessful mission. The situation becomes complicated when their boss asks Ken to kill the emotionally unstable Ray. Starring Colin Farrel as Rayl and Brendan Gleeson as Ken, alongside Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy and Jordan Prentice, In Bruges will make you laugh — perhaps with a sense of uneasiness — even in the grimmest situation.

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video Rent

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken in main roles, this 2012 satirical black comedy crime drama film delivers a mix of sharp dialogue and gleeful violence. Seven Psychopaths chronicles the life of a budding screenwriter, Marty (Colin Farrell), who’s working on a script. He unwittingly gets embroiled in criminal activity when his erratic buddies kidnap a pet of an emotionally unstable criminal mastermind. The movie pays homage to B-grade buddie crime comedies.

Watch it on: YouTube Rent

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Partly based on real events, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri follows Mildred Hayes, who is inconsolable after learning that her daughter has been raped and murdered. When the police are unable to apprehend the offender months later, she challenges them and protests by installing three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. Starring Frances McDormand in the lead role, the film has a subtle undertone of comedy. Both McDormand and Rockwell won Academy Awards for their performances and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri received a total of seven nominations.

Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar