SPOILERS ALERT: This article contains potential spoilers for Small Things Like These.

Small Things Like These paints a fascinating picture of life in Ireland throughout the 20th century. Adapted from the 2021 novel by Claire Keegan, the movie looks into the life of Bill Furlong, a coal merchant living in Wexford, Ireland, working hard to provide for his wife and children. In the run-up to Christmas 1985, he grows suspicious of the town’s local convent and strives to uncover the secrets of the Magdalene laundry run by the convent’s nuns.

The cast of Small Things Like These is led by Irish actor Cillian Murphy in his first film since his Academy Award-winning performance in Oppenheimer. Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival, Small Things Like These has received a high critical score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been considered an excellent follow-up movie for Murphy after his success in Oppenheimer. Small Things Like These has been described by critics as “a subdued and purposeful drama” that looks into Ireland during the 1980s, and offers insight into the experiences of women living in the infamous Magdalene laundries.

Small Things Like These Is Inspired By The True Story Of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries

Magdalene Laundries Housed “Fallen Women” Across Ireland

While the characters depicted in the movie are fictional, Small Things Like These is inspired by the history of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. Throughout the movie, Bill has to live with the stigma of being the child of an unmarried mother. His mother, Sarah, was ostracized by her family for falling pregnant out of wedlock, but she was allowed by her employer, Mrs. Wilson, to continue working. Mrs. Wilson helped her raise Bill as a child. While Bill’s mother escaped having to move into a Magdalene laundry, there were thousands of other women who were not as fortunate.

Established in Ireland during the 18th century, the Magdalene laundries were created to house and redeem women who had “fallen” in Irish society. Named after Mary Magdalene, the laundries admitted unmarried pregnant women, orphan girls, petty criminals, and those who were deemed “too promiscuous” by society. Those who were admitted were often disowned by their families and were made to do unpaid labor, washing and cleaning laundry from morning until evening, under the strict observation of the nuns who ran the laundries. According to the NCWI, between 1790 and 1996, an estimated 30,000 women and girls were detained in Magdalene laundries across Ireland.

The Scandals Of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries Explained

The Laundries Were Riddled With Stories of Abuse and Forced Adoptions

Reviews of Small Things Like These have called the movie an excellent example of seeing but not saying. When delivering coal to the local convent, Bill witnesses a young girl being forcibly taken to the laundry. Later, he discovers a girl named Sarah, locked out of the building in the cold weather. These moments make Bill question the true nature of the Magdalene laundry, but he is repeatedly told to remain quiet about what he sees.

Although there was silent speculation about abuse, it was not until 1993, when a mᴀss grave of 155 Magdalene women was discovered in Donnybrook, that the realities of life inside the laundries were revealed (via The Irish Times).

Since 1993, survivors have spoken about the harsh abuse and cruelty they faced at the hands of the nuns; Magdalene women were often deprived of food, severely beaten if they performed work poorly, and locked in solitary confinement (via History). Children of unmarried mothers were forcibly adopted, and anybody who tried to escape was beaten and transferred to another laundry. Some inmates did successfully escape or were rescued by sympathetic relatives, but many women were forced to work in the laundries for the rest of their lives (via JFMR).

What Happened To The Magdalene Laundries In Ireland

The Last Magdalene Laundry Closed In 1996

The movie Small Things Like These takes place in New Ross, Co. Wexford. The laundry located in New Ross was run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and it was one of 10 Magdalene laundries in Ireland. While the movie depicts the laundry as open and running in 1985, in reality, it closed in 1967. Over time, society changed, and women’s rights were introduced in Ireland, meaning the number of women sent to Magdalene laundries slowly decreased until the last laundry closed in 1996.

In 2013, the Irish government issued a formal apology to the Magdalene women, acknowledging the harsh treatment they endured; survivors continue to campaign for further justice. Several of the laundries were abandoned or demolished, but according to UCD Research, there are plans to establish a remembrance center at the former laundry in Sean McDermott Street, Dublin. While there is no confirmation date of the center’s opening, there are hopes that people will be able to learn the true history of the Magdalene laundries, and, as illustrated in Small Things Like These, the importance of speaking up in society.

Cillian Murphy Is At His Best Playing Characters Inspired By True Stories

Cillian Murphy Always Nails Historical Characters

Cillian Murphy is undoubtedly one of the best actors working today, as his long list of incredible roles and accolades prove just that, but often, it feels like Cillian Murphy is at his best when portraying historical figures or in movies either based on or inspired by true stories. The obvious one is his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s monumental masterpiece, Oppenheimer, which not only won Nolan’s first Best Picture and Best Director Oscar, but Cillian Murphy won for Best Actor.

While Oppenheimer is an incredible achievement for Murphy, he has also had amazing roles in other films and shows that are at least inspired by true stories. Peaky Blinders, and his performance as Tommy Shelby, comes to mind, and although it is historical fiction, it revolves around real gangs. He has proven himself a strong collaborator with Christopher Nolan over the years, and his Dunkirk role is also very good. Of course, his performance in Small Things Like These is also breathtaking, adding to Cillian Murphy’s rich tapestry as an actor.

Sources: NCWI, The Irish Times, History, JMFR, UCD Research