Summaries

Synopsis

-CONTAINS SPOILERS*

In the Land of Saints and Sinners is set in 1974, Ireland during the troubles.

It begins outside a bar in Belfast. Three IRA members, Dorieann McCann (Kerry Condon), Conor McGrath (Conor MacNeill) and Seamus Mckenna (Seamus O'Hara) are waiting for two men to walk into the bar. Seamus parks his car in front of the bar and sets a timer on a bomb.A mother and three children are walking past the bar. Two of the boys drop some schoolbooks, causing them to stop right in front of the bar. Dorieann gets out of the car and yells at them to move. The mother understands what is about to happen, but before she can react, the car explodes, killing the family and everyone in the bar.The terrorists drive off and switch cars setting the original on fire. As they speed off towards the countryside, they smash into a sign, knocking it over and breaking it.

Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) and local police captain Vinnie O'Shea (Ciarán Hinds) are shooting cans with Finbars shotgun they are talking about books they are reading. Finbar says he has finished Gulliver's Travels and has started reading Dostoevsky. O'Shea drives Finbar home down past where the sign has been destroyed. As Finbar arrives home he talks with his neighbor. Looking at his car, he finds a branch of leaves, it is a sign from his Boss. Murphy goes to the glove box and finds and envelope with a picture of his target, Bart McGuiness.

Murphy drives to a bar whilst listening to the radio. He hears about the bombing and how six people died, including three children. Murphy goes into the bar and sits down, watching as McGuiness goes up and sings.

We cut to the morning as Murphy drives into an isolated forest. Waiting for him is Kevin (Jack Gleeson) a fellow hit man and coworker. Murphy opens the boot of his car, where the tied up McGuiness is. He wakes him up. After McGuiness walks into the forest, holding a small tree. Murphy gives him a shovel and tells him to dig.After some time, Murphy tells him that it is enough then pulls out a timer, telling McGuiness he has time to say what he wants to say; beg, plead etc. McGuiness refuses to do so, first noticing all the newly planted trees and concludes there is a body under each. "You've been busy," he says, he continues saying he knew this day would come; he had done terrible things a long time ago, but had given it up to make something of himself in the community. " In his final moments, he gives Murphy a telling piece of advice. "Try and do some good before you find yourself here." The timer goes off. McGuiness begins to sing and Murphy hesitates, before finally pulling the trigger. He buries the body and plants the tree.

Murphy meets with his boss, Robert McQue (Colm Meaney) and is paid for the job. Murphy shocks him telling Robert that he is quitting and he should give Kevin all future contracts. Robert is not happy, knowing that while Kevin is competent, he is also reckless. He respects Murphy's decision.

Murphy goes home and hides his money and puts his shotgun on the shelf, somewhat relieved to be done with it. He begins to clear his yard so he can start a garden. He goes into town, and buys all the seeds from the shop.

Later that night, he has dinner with his neighbor Rita, who gives him gardening tips. After dinner, he sees a local young girl Moya (Michelle Gleeson) fishing over a bridge. He attempts to help her catch one but accidentally causes a box of food to fall over the bridge. Moya is upset at losing the items and Murphy notices bruises on her neck.

Going to the local pub, he buys O'Shea and his wife a drink. The bartender Sinead, Moyas Mother (Sarah Greene) talks to Murphy about seeing Moya and causing her to lose the box of food, which makes Sinead freeze up.

Outside, Moya is with a horse, trying to run away. He tells Moya her mother will miss her. Plus, it would be impossible for the horse to find its way in the dark. Moya is terrified but won't say why. Murphy walks her home, only for Curtis June (Dominic Eastwood) to come out, being horrible to her, he realizes this is where the bruises are coming from.

The next morning, Curtis goes inside the barn inside of Sinead's property, where McCann and the other IRA members are hiding out. He gives them food Moya gave him and they are less than pleased by what was given. McCann is annoyed with her brother for being out in the open so much.

Murphy stops by again with groceries to help replace what was lost, which he gives to Sinead. He sees Moya holding something in her hand, she shows him a bullet with a cross etched into it. Murphy realizes Curtis has threatened her to keep quiet about the abuse. Moya looks up in fear, as Curtis reappears and takes all the food Murphy brought and walks off. Sinead doesn't look happy to see him. She explains to Murphy that her brother married Dorieann and got himself killed.Murphy meets with Robert to ask if he can kill Curtis. Robert says no, given it would be a local murder and Curtis and his friends are IRA. Robert tells Murphy to inform the police anonymously, but Murphy tells that Moya is so scared she will never admit to what he has done. Robert tells Murphy he wants no part of it.

Murphy watches Curtis swim in the ocean. He follows him in his car and offers him a ride back to Sineads and a cigarette. Pulling over, he shows Curtis his gun, before using it to knock him out. He takes Curtis to the forest. However, when he opens the boot of his car, Curtis is holding a knife and attacks him and runs off. Murphy fires his gun at the fleeing Curtis, but drops one of the shells in a puddle, he shoots him in the leg. Curtis says he will just leave town, Murphy reloads the shotgun but the shells misfire. As Curtis lunges at him again, he is shot in the head by Kevin who had followed them. Kevin tells Murphy that Robert had him follow them to watch his back, and he will pay for his bingo cards at the bar later that night for saving him.

At the bar, Kevin plays bingo, getting increasingly angry at losing. He talks about his victims more, being glib with their last moments of begging. Murphy angrily tells him to stop, as killing is not a joke to him and at least tries to treat his targets with some dignity at the end. Kevin asks him how many people he has killed. Murphy punches him in response and leaves the bar.

The next morning, McCann waits for her brother, McGrath and McKenna show her the newspaper about how they have been publicly named and want to flee to France or Belguim but she will not leave without her brother. She goes to look for him, finding his revolver which is missing a single bullet.

McCann goes to Sinead looking for her brother, saying he is missing she then physically threatens Sinead, choking her. Sinead tells her that Curtis swam daily, hoping he maybe drowned. McCann sits down at the beach and watches a young family nearby. She cries, remembering the family she once had before violence tore it apart.

Murphy and O'Shea do more target practice.

McCann calls her contacts, asking for information about the locals. She is led to Robert who is at home when McCann arrives. He fumbles his teacup, dropping the bullet Murphy gave him. When McCann comes in, asking about her brother, he tries to lie to her until she notices the bullet at her feet. Seeing it matches the gun, she knows Robert is involved. Robert gives up Murphy, saying he is responsible, and that he had nothing to do with it, he then goes for his gun, but McCann sees it, and shoots him in the head. His mother calls out to him, and McCann admits she killed him but doesn't want to hurt her. Showing mercy to an old woman, McCann implores her to go back to her room and wait until she has left. McCann steals money from Robert's desk and leaves.

Murphy has dinner with Rita again. She gives him a book on gardening. Kevin arrives afterwards to tell him about Robert. They go to his house and his mother tells him a woman killed her son. After burning some evidence, Murphy tells her to call the police, Kevin takes some records.

McKenna goes into a store, posing as Murphy's nephew, asking directions to his house. He passes by O'Shea and drives off. O'Shea notes to the shopkeeper that he didn't know Murphy had a nephew.

McCann and the others break into Murphy's house and wait.

Murphy and Kevin are driving back to his house when Murphy sees a light on. Realizing they are walking into a trap, he has Kevin park the car a distance away and they watch from a hill with a rifle. During the night, Kevin recounts how he was recruited by Robert as a killer after being seen in a bar fight. Kevin notes it was easy money to him and he just kept going. Murphy tells him he lost track of the number of people he killed. He changed during the war, and returned home to his wife dead, Robert came to him and he kept killing.

After McGrath realizes that Murphy knows they are in the house, McCann goes outside and starts breaking all the windows of Murphy's car. Rita walks outside and notices. Murphy winces, and quietly begs her to go back inside. Rita walks up to McCann who calls her a nosy neighbor. She tells Rita to give Murphy a message as he is done. When Rita insults her, McCann knocks her out cold. McCann and the others drive off. Kevin and Murphy carry Rita back into her house and call her a doctor.

Kevin and Murphy go back to Kevin's place. He has many records and a guitar. He speaks of one day writing his own music and living in California where it appears people are free and happy. Murphy notices ash of a newspaper in the fireplace and goes into town to buy a paper. Seeing an article on the bombing, he realizes who these people are.

Murphy goes to Sinead's house and looks in the barn where he sees their bomb making materials and a handful of grenades. He takes one of them.

At a local football match. The terrorists want to flee before they are caught but McCann outright refuses, not wanting to give up the cause, nor leave before her brother is avenged.Murphy sees her and tries to wait for her to exit a bathroom only for McCann to sneak up behind him with a gun. McCann tells Murphy she wants to know who ordered the hit. Murphy tries to say that they are even with Robert dead, but McCann replies Curtis was her brother therefore they are not even. "Then you knew about his...tendencies," Murphy asks her (alluding to the abuse of her niece) Mcann flinches telling Murphy he needs to give up who ordered the hit. She tells him to meet him at the bar that night and if she isn't satisfied she will blow it up with everyone inside. She will kill everyone he cares about.

Murphy drives over to Sinead's and gives Moya his cat, Moya names him Sean.

Outside the bar, Murphy prepares, He gives Kevin a briefcase, with a letter and money for Robert's mother. The rest of the money is for Kevin. Murphy wants him to leave and retire, immediately. Kevin wants to help, but Murphy tells him that this is his war. Murphy tries to reason with him, telling him he should go to California, and live his dreams in peace and never have to pick up a gun again. Kevin seemingly agrees and drives off.

Murphy walks into the pub.

McCann, McKenna, and McGrath arrive. She tells them she will go in first. McGrath will follow with a bomb in a briefcase. If Murphy tries anything, they will blow up the bar.

O'Shea sits with Murphy. O'Shea knowingly asks if his "nephew" is still around. O'Shea says he knows Murphy doesn't trade books for a living. He asks Murphy what he really does. Murphy says O'Shea doesn't want to know. In the corner of his eye, Murphy sees Moya come into the bar and usher her and the cat out, not wanting her to be in the crossfire.

McGrath goes into the bar and sits down with the case. O'Shea goes out to smoke a cigarette. He sees McCann's car and notices the scraped paint and realizes they destroyed the sign. He goes to sit down near McGrath, suspicious.

At the bar, McCann confronts Murphy, wanting the murderer of her brother. When he tries to take their discussion outside, McCann threatens to shoot him where he stands. As he is about to admit to acting alone, Kevin arrives once more and admits to ordering the hit. As Kevin continues to mock her, McCann shoots him in the gut which sets off a chain reaction in the bar. People flee as Murphy trades shots with McCann and her men. O'Shea finds the bomb McGrath brought in and tries to run out with it, only to be tackled by McKenna.

McCann shoots at Murphy who wounds McGrath. Kevin shoots McCann, wounding her badly. Kevin continues to bleed out and Murphy can only watch. Kevin tells Murphy that he will see California before he does, just as McCann shoots Kevin in the head. She stumbles off, clearly injured.

Meanwhile, McGrath fights with Murphy,over a knife and the grenade Murphy took. McGrath pulls the pin, but Murphy keeps the grenade together. Murphy forces McGrath's knife into his throat, killing him. Finding the pin, he reinserts it back into the grenade. McKenna, having recovered the bomb, tries to throw the bomb into the bar, but Murphy shoots him. He drops the bomb at the doorway and doesn't have time to throw it anywhere. The bomb explodes, incinerating him and damaging the bar, but hurting no one else.

Murphy goes outside and recovers his shotgun that McGrath had stolen. McCann shoots at him but uses her last bullet and misses. She stumbles off into a field. As he goes after her, he is confronted by O'Shea, but continues up to the local church. McCann tells him to finish it, but he notes she is going to die anyway, so there is no point and to make her peace with God. McCann tells him that her conscience is clear, and God knows why she did the things she did. Murphy notes to her that he himself had made choices like her and has made his own peace with. Bleeding out, McCann becomes more vulnerable, and thinks of her brother. "My brother, he's all alone," she cries out sadly. Murphy promises that she will join him. McCann dies of her wounds.

Murphy drives her body out to the forest and buries her next to her brother, planting another new tree.

Murphy goes home and grabs a few belongings, realizing he no longer has a home in the village. He apologizes to Rita for the trouble he caused her and attempts to give back her book on gardening. Rita tells him to keep it, so he can try again wherever he is going next.

O'Shea is overlooking the repair of the town sign. Looking inside his car he sees a package. He realizes Murphy left him a gift. Opening it, he finds a book; Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. He smiles sadly as he opens the book to page one and begins to read.