Burst pipes, rats and financial pressure torment a Limerick theatre owner in 1984 in David Gleeson's heartwarming love letter to cinemas.
The business model of having groups of people convene in a large room to watch a feature length film is one that’s been under constant threat. Television, pandemics and streaming services have all taken shots, casualties fall by the wayside, but cinema lives on, audiences still find their way back to their seats. They aren’t dead till they’re dead, and nobody understands that like a cinema owner in the midst of the VHS revolution in the 80s.
Watch: The trailer for Once Upon a Time in a Cinema
Earl Clancy (Colin Morgan) is running a local single-screen theatre handed down from his father. Despite the building being the centre of the community, the financial woes are intense, and Earl’s brother Gerald (Calam Lynch) is eager for him to sell to local businessman and politician Harry (Stanley Townsend). At the same time, Earl is dealing with a strained relationship with his daughter, a handyman demanding payment, a recent cash theft and the demands of the projection room. The story plays out in real time, and, due to the lack of a projectionist, the slowly mounting tension is punctuated by reel changes every 15 minutes for tonight’s performance of Breathless.
It’s clear Once Upon a Time in a Cinema was made with a lot of passion and love. The location is a genuine cinema, The Royal Theatre, wonderfully adorned with film posters of the era such as Christine and Ghostbusters, it has an air of authenticity that a soundstage would struggle to match (incidentally, the location also hosted the premiere).
Adding to that authenticity is a refreshing attention to detail regarding costume and hair, with everything kept tastefully restrained, avoiding the parody of 80s Ireland that many productions find themselves drifting into. And despite the limited location, there’s ambition on screen here. The camera knows a film about cinema needs to be somewhat cinematic. The ambition may push it a little far in some areas, at times you could claim it's trying a little too hard to endear itself to the audience, in particular a musical interlude will divide viewers but a mild concern when looking at the big picture.
Colin Morgan’s portrayal of Earl first comes across as a slightly uptight, prickly fellow, but as we see what he deals with, and his passion for his business and the medium as a whole, we warm to him. Surround a performance like that with a strong ensemble and that sense of heart and ambition, and it creates an atmosphere that’s bound to bring a smile to audiences’ faces and remind us that, while venues like the Royal may be sadly few and far between in 2026, we’re lucky cinema hasn’t fully given up the ghost just yet. Support your local cinema and go see this gem.
