A fateful exchange on a flight has consequences for Daniel Murphy. He’s left in charge of the corpse of someone he never knew. He is persuaded to take on the challenge of getting a coffin from his family home in Clonakilty to Rathlin Island.
Michiel Huisman is an enjoyable actor and rightfully has been getting cast in a lot of film and TV roles. In “The Last Right,” he plays Daniel Murphy, an Irishman that grew up stateside in Boston, now living in New York City. Huisman is from the Netherlands and he can pull off an American accent so it’s a solid backstory to avoid any poor Irish impressions that plagued films of the 1990s.
While Daniel is heading back to County Cork for his mother’s funeral, he reluctantly strikes up a conversation with a sweet old man named Padraig (Jim Norton). Padraig is returning home and mentions his wishes to be buried with his deceased brother on Rathin Island. During the plane’s descent, Padraig dies in his sleep and oddly listed Daniel as his next of kin.
After finally arriving home for the funeral, he’s tasked with convincing his autistic brother Louis (Samuel Bottomley) to move back to NYC and attend a new school. The estranged brothers meet Mary (Niamh Algar), who works at the funeral home and somehow all three are roped into a road trip across the Emerald Isle. A manhunt and plenty of hi-jinx ensue.
Writer/Director Aoife Crehan shows promise but it’s a bit too broad of a comedy overall. Thankfully, the supporting cast is fantastic featuring Brian Cox, Colm Meaney, and Michael McElhatton. It might be nice to watch with your family but it wasn’t my cup of tea.
In Virtual Theaters Friday, March 12th and On-Demand April 9th
