Reviews

Hangmen by Martin McDonagh

novel_ideas's review

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

dearbhlanoonan's review

dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Sexual content, Racism, and Sexual assault

arp_3103's review

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ruexx's review

challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

holly_xena's review

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racial slurs, and Violence

shervinbr's review

4.0

طنز خاصی داره این نمایشنامه. به سخره میگیره جدی مسائل رو و از این طریق سعی داره به جدی بودنشون فکر کنیم.

jhamm's review

3.0

The plot was very different than what I expected. The humor was good, dialogue was typical McDonagh, and there were certainly some good twists thrown in too. I was expecting a bit more from Martin McDonagh, but that may just be because the last play of his I read was The Pillowman which is a masterpiece. Still, a very good play and it would be interesting to watch a performance of it.

lukija's review

4.0

Little souls desperate to be loved or fit in? Black humour to deal topics we might not be comfortable to talk about? And sure there's criticism towards death penalty.

joshgauthier's review

5.0

On my second reading of this play, I definitely found even more to appreciate than I did the first time. McDonagh's comfort with ambiguity is remarkable, not to an extent that it leaves the actual events of the story uncertain, but in such a way that the truth and the "meaning" of the play are as much the responsibility of audience to understand as they are the responsibility of the author. While McDonagh's stories are big and bold, shocking and dramatic, the subtlety of McDonagh's attention to even small details is full of skill and helps elevate his work to a greater level. Compared to his earlier work, "Hangmen" clearly is a product of McDonagh's growth as an artist, but in spite of whatever changes he may have undergone, his skill has not decreased.

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*Original review*

The usual summary of McDonagh's newest play feels slightly untrue for the complexity of the story being told. In his return to the form that he began with, McDonagh meets all expectations with a complex tale full of humor and horror. With possibly some of the darkest and best crafted black comedy being produced today, "The Hangmen" follows the clash of celebrity, regret, family strife, and old rivalries in the wake of historic changes in England. Alternating between amusing banter and shocking revelations, McDonagh continues to ply his craft with force and precision, leaving the reader/viewer to mull over the weight of the events and themes he has woven together in his newest work.

wetnrusting's review

dark funny fast-paced

3.5