Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Pillowman

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

18 reviews

mint_frog's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A haunting read. I've seen this play performed in a theatre some years ago, but the emotions are the same even just from reading it, which comes as a big surprise.

I can't form any coherent thought about themes and meanings at this point, but I'm sure this play is going to stay with me for a while. This is true art - it penetrates the skin and settles deep within you.

This play is masterfully written and keeps being funny even amongst all of the morbid details of the described situation. It never feels boring or dry, and the few characters feel alive and distinct.

In conclusion, I am in awe.

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angrybookworm's review

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Another close to perfect read. I really loved this play and hope to get to produce it or work on it soon. There were a lot of things in this script that seemed like they weren't relevant to the story, but those things do get answered in the end. Some of those things, I heard got changed in an updated version of the script, and I'm glad they did. I did not like the idea of seeing the little girl at the end or the scene where there would have been a little girl being treated that way on stage. Reading it is one thing, but this is a play that has been and continues to be produced and that should be taken into account when thinking about these things. Writing that something terrible happens to a child is one thing, writing a script that would require a child to act out something terrible on stage is quite another.

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patchworkjester's review

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Favourite modern play I've read thus far- shame I couldn't see it performed! It truly seems like a once in a lifetime experience and even just reading it is a truly harrowing experience. While it definitely isn't for the feint of heart, it's something I would highly recommend to people who enjoy dark and twisted stories that mess with your mind a bit along the way.

While the actual murders are never explicitly described, rather being told through the in-universe short stories that inspired them, even just the implications snapping into place is a mortifying feeling. The twist near the end, too, is simultaneously shocking and fantastically set up in prior scenes.

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