Twice Shy Review

With a style influenced by American made indie movies, making him stand out from the ever growing crop of Irish directors, Tom Ryan quietly made his mark on the film scene with 2014’s Trampoline, a touching and personal micro-budget coming of age drama that dealt with ones struggle with finidnging their place in the world. For his second feature, Twice Shy, the budget is that bit bigger, the story much more topical, but the result is no less intimate.

With Repeal the Eighth heavy on the mind of almost every Irish person at the moment, the release of Twice Shy couldn’t be more timely, concerning young couple Andy and Maggie (Shane Murray-Corcoran and Iseult Casey) as they make the trip from Maggie’s home in Tipperary to London to deal with her unplanned pregnancy. As their journey unfolds in relative silence, we dip in and out of snippets of their past, shedding light on their relationship’s sweet beginnings and the circumstances that brought them to their current situation.



While it does tackle some heavy themes, from abortion to an expert handling of the subject of depression, the beauty of Twice Shy is that it doesn’t trivialise or priorities them. It presents them in a fair and balanced way that will make you think, but doesn’t let them get in the way of a truly wonderful story. From the opening frame, you are in this with Andy and Maggie, and as the story unfolds you will find yourself becoming more and more invested. The run time may be slim, 76 minutes, but every available ounce of story is wrung from this narrative, the incredibly smart and witty script (also written by Ryan) dropping details in very subtle and satisfying ways. The story may seem simple at first, but as it moves forward the lines are coloured in, spinning it off in some unexpected ways, and bringing with it it’s fair share of emotional gut punches. But for every trip through the emotional wringer, the movie deliver will deliver a moment of true sweetness, including a strong contender for my line of the year that make will make you laugh due to just how Irish and inappropriate it is.



The small cast do wonders with material, with Casey and Murray-Corcoran breathing life into the already well-rounded characters. We watch this young pair grow up in front of our eyes, with Casey especially becoming a different character by the time credits roll. They spark off each other wonderfully, and really sell every aspect of their relationship, with good and bad. The old guard, Pat Shortt and Ardal O’Hanlon (playing their respective father figures) offer able support, with O’Hanlon  putting in a powerhouse performance with a truly genuine portrayal of dealing with depression.



Sweet and thought provoking, Twice Shy is a powerful yet simple movie that is the perfect antidote for those looking for something beyond the typical CGI laden Summer blockbuster.

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