We ask you: what could be more festive than a black comedy crime caper about psychotic murderers, peyote and racism?

Well, maybe a family feud. As Martin McDonagh’s bizarre and absurdist comedy Seven Psychopaths hits cinemas just in time for Christmas, it seems Oul’ Saint Nick has delivered one of the best ensemble casts in recent memory. Starring Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Tom Waits, it seems that all of Hollywood is clamouring to work with the writer and director behind some of the most blisteringly brilliant plays of modern theatre – as well as the critically lauded films Six Shooter and In Bruges.
Which brings us onto the big, giant elephant in the room. Here is In Bruges writer and director Martin McDonagh. Here is In Bruges star Colin Farrell. But his In Bruges co-star Brendan Gleeson is nowhere to be found. Is this because he ran off to make The Guard with your brother John Michael? Hell hath no fury like a director scorned, eh?
“He’s actually doing another one with my brother. They’re filming in Sligo at the moment” says McDonagh, as Farrell roars with laughter.
“That’s two-one!” the actor goads. “That’s two-one John Michael, Martin! That must be pouring salt in the wound.”
While Gleeson may be missing, Seven Psychopaths shares a lot of thematic similarities with its predecessor. There’s some very dark comedy, some very bloody violence, characters struggling with deep-rooted guilt and a lot of philosophical musings about the nature of sin, redemption, heaven and hell. So yet another family-friendly kids’ film from the McDonagh clan, then?
“Yeah, we’re quite miserable, aren’t we?” McDonagh kids. “No, it’s not as dark as the last one – or as bleak or sad, anyway. It’s more fun. There’s more of an aspect of playing to this one.”
The idea of heaven and hell has always held a lot of mystique and intrigue for McDonagh. This film is no different. As his lead character begins penning a script about seven psychopathic murderers, he becomes conflicted about the nature of sin, revenge, murder and redemption – and the effect it all has on a person. It’s familiar territory for the writer, who admits his upbringing has much to do with his fascination with the idea of an immortal soul.
“I guess anyone brought up Catholic has those ideas in their heads a little bit, even if they’ve rejected it. And they’re such big interesting ideas to play with and explore, even if you don’t have answers either way. At one stage, Colin’s character Marty says he’s not sure what he believes and I’m probably the same way. Those themes add a bit more body to a seemingly frivolous story – it becomes darker, bigger.”
“Exactly,” agrees Farrell. “You get to project the myths of your own experience onto some other bigger platform, using some kind of knowledge or perspective that you’ve gained with age.”
While McDonagh admits he has always put a lot of himself into his characters in regards to their often insecurity-ridden, deep-thinking ways, Seven Psychopaths seems even more personal. Not only is Farrell’s character a screenwriter struggling with writer’s block and a desire to challenge Hollywood’s tired cinematic tropes – but, well, his name is Martin!
“Hey, that could be just a red herring!” quips Farrell.
“Personally, I think it’s the uncanny physical resemblance that makes us so alike,” laughs McDonagh.
Playing a part based on the director would be a daunting task for any actor. Farrell says that a combination of the humour of the piece and McDonagh’s trust in his actors and openness to interpretation meant that he didn’t feel too much pressure on-set.
“For sure, there were certain elements of Marty that were autobiographical – he’s a writer, his name is Martin. And I think there are some traits there too, such as a curiosity about the validity of his own writing and the importance of art and the consequence of violence in film, and what exists beneath it.
“I remember Martin saying one of the many things that inspired him to write In Bruges was that question of, ‘Where do stray bullets go?’ which obviously led to that first opening scene where a young boy is killed. I think in this as well, he is talking about violence in film and how to get beneath that. So I felt close to him, but honestly it was more in an actor-director way than trying to physically and emotionally replicate or represent him on screen. And Martin understands that, and was very open to interpretation. I didn’t feel burdened by having to tailor it to some ideal of what he was trying to say about himself. He was using certain experiences he had to write a much bigger, more expansive film.”
But for Farrell, certain details of the script may also have felt uncomfortably autobiographical. Marty plays a struggling alcoholic, whose dependency on drink is rapidly affecting his ability to produce good work. Farrell’s past addictions have been more than well-documented of course. Thankfully, he’s dealt with his demons so thoroughly that he feels at ease occasionally resurrecting them on-screen for roles – but he admits that wasn’t always the case.
“I think acting, to put it in slightly mathematical terms, is experience multiplied by imagination. So you’re always using less or more of one of the other. I’m not sure how much experience I was putting in there. You know, what was much harder was being in In Bruges. There was a scene in the hotel where we were doing lines of coke, and that was difficult. That was really difficult. Because it was a lot earlier. It was less than three years since I’d been clean and I had a massive reaction to that, I got really upset. Because I still really understood the dynamic of five people in a hotel room, with nobody listening to what anyone’s saying, all looking for company and to alleviate their existential aloneness. So I understood that, and really felt that. With this one, not so much. Because in Seven Psychopaths, even though as an actor you’re approaching it from a place that’s true, the world we’re portraying is so absurd. It’s so heightened and unlike any reality I’ve ever experienced. Confronting reality is not really an issue!”
In spite of Marty’s struggle with both Hollywood and writing, in real life McDonagh reckons his passion for writing and film-making is only increasing over time. While he recognises that if he were to direct other writer’s scripts, he would probably become a more prolific and wealthy director, he remains adamant that he would never want to do that.
“No,” he very definitively agrees. “I mean, you have to invest so much time in films anyway, a couple of years usually, so I think you should just sink your teeth into the story. I’ve no interest in doing that script-doctoring work and investing time trying to bring other people’s words to life. I have some more of my own stuff that I want to work on anyway – though I’m keeping it under wraps for the moment.”
Very mysterious altogether. Do any of them include a happy reunion between the irreverent and unholy trinity of himself, Gleeson and Farrell?
There’s a twinkle in the director’s eye as he smiles.
“You’ll have to wait and see!”
Everyone get writing their ‘Dear Santa’ letters now!

Seven Psychopaths is in cinemas now