Cast of Small Things Like These Film – Full List & True Story

When Cillian Murphy steps into the role of Bill Furlong in “Small Things Like These”, he brings a quiet intensity that feels born of the Irish winter. Adapted from Claire Keegan’s 2021 novella, the film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024 and has since earned acclaim for its restrained handling of a painful history.

Runtime: 98 minutes ·
Director: Tim Mielants ·
Lead Actor: Cillian Murphy ·
Release Date (Ireland): 8 November 2024 ·
Based on: Novel by Claire Keegan ·
Language: English

Six key specs capture the essentials of this quietly powerful adaptation.

Who Stars in Small Things Like These?

The principal cast is led by an Oscar-calibre performer and supported by a deep bench of Irish talent. The main ensemble, confirmed across multiple authoritative sources, includes:

• Cillian Murphy as Bill Furlong – also a producer on the film (Fandango (ticketing platform))
• Eileen Walsh as Eileen Furlong (Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator))
• Michelle Fairley as Mrs. Wilson (Cineuropa (European film news))
• Emily Watson as Sister Mary (Fandango (ticketing platform))
• Clare Dunne as Sr. Carmel (IMDb (industry cast database))
• Helen Behan as Mrs. Kehoe (IMDb (industry cast database))

Supporting roles include Peter Claffey, Ian O’Reilly, Liadán Dunlea, Agnes O’Casey, Mark McKenna, and Zara Devlin, listed on IMDb (industry cast database).

Who is Ned in Small Things Like These?

Ned is a minor character played by Irish actor Mark McKenna, according to Fandango (ticketing platform). McKenna’s credits include “Sing Street” and “The Commuter”.

The implication: Murphy’s gravitational pull as both star and producer means the film lives or dies on his restrained performance — a bet that early reviews suggest pays off.

Is Small Things Like These Based on a True Story?

Yes, the film is grounded in the real-life Magdalene laundries scandal in Ireland. Wikipedia (film database) confirms the film is a historical drama, and Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator) notes its theme of “complicit silence in a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.” Claire Keegan’s novella drew on the same institutional abuse that led to the Ryan Report and the Tuam Mother and Baby Home revelations.

What is the true story behind Small Things Like These?

An NPR (public radio) article (archived reference) details the Magdalene laundries as church-run institutions where “fallen women” were forced into unpaid labour. The film’s narrative mirrors this historical reality, with Bill Furlong discovering one such laundry’s operation in 1985.

“The film is set in 1985 over Christmas and follows coal merchant Bill Furlong as he uncovers disturbing truths about a convent and his own past.”

Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)

The implication: what makes the story so haunting is its refusal to exaggerate. The facts – laundries operated until the 1990s, with thousands of women affected – need no embellishment.

Where in Ireland Was Small Things Like These Filmed?

The production shot on location in County Wexford and County Wicklow, with specific sites in New Ross, Enniscorthy, and Dublin. Wikipedia (film database) lists these as primary filming locations. The choice grounds the story in the landscape of Ireland’s southeast, where the Magdalene laundries operated.

Why this matters: by filming in authentic small-town settings, the production avoids the “studio backlot” feel and lets the damp, grey December of the Irish countryside become a character in itself.

The pattern: location authenticity reinforces the story’s moral authenticity — a film about hidden truths shot in places where those truths were once buried.

What Is the Main Message of Small Things Like These?

The central theme is moral courage in the face of institutional silence. The Hollywood Reporter (film trade journal) describes Bill Furlong as a “loving father of five daughters” who risks his standing in the community by questioning the convent. The message is less about grand heroism and more about the small, everyday choice to do what’s right when no one is watching.

Is Claire Keegan Catholic?

While Keegan was raised in Ireland and her work often engages with Catholic social structures, she has not publicly stated her personal religious affiliation. The novel treats religious institutions with a critical but compassionate eye, leaving the question of Keegan’s own beliefs open.

The catch: Keegan’s silence on her own beliefs mirrors the film’s central tension — some questions are more powerful left unanswered.

What Happens to Bill’s Mother in Small Things Like These?

Bill’s mother, who died when he was young, is revealed through flashbacks to have been a victim of the Magdalene laundries. The memory of her fate drives Bill’s empathy for the girls he sees at the convent. This plot thread, confirmed in Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator) synopsis, parallels the plight of the women Bill later helps.

The catch: the film never shows her full story – only fragments. That restraint is deliberate, forcing the audience to piece together the generational trauma that Ireland is still reckoning with.

“Cillian Murphy stars as Bill Furlong and also serves as a producer.”

Wikipedia (film database)

The implication: Murphy’s dual role as actor and producer gives him unusual control over how this maternal backstory is handled — and the fragments we see are precisely the ones he chose to show.

Are Small Things Like These Worth Watching?

Critical reception strongly suggests yes. Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator) lists a “Fresh” rating, with consensus praising Murphy’s performance and the film’s understated tone. The Hollywood Reporter (film trade journal) calls the adaptation “powerfully restrained,” while Cineuropa (European film news) highlights the ensemble’s chemistry.

What do critics say about Small Things Like These?

Early reviews from Berlin praised the film’s refusal to overplay the drama. The consensus: it trusts its audience to feel the weight of history without melodrama. For viewers seeking a thoughtful, character-driven drama with historical teeth, this is a standout.

“The film opened the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival.”

Wikipedia (film database)

The pattern: two festival sources — Hollywood Reporter and Cineuropa — independently describe the tone as “restrained,” a word that rarely appears in reviews of Oscar-bait dramas. That restraint is the film’s signature.

Pros and Cons

What’s Confirmed and What Remains Unclear

Confirmed facts

• Main cast list from Wikipedia and IMDb (Wikipedia (film database))
• Release dates: Berlin 15 Feb 2024, Ireland/UK 1 Nov 2024, US 8 Nov 2024 (Wikipedia (film database))
• True story inspiration from Magdalene laundries (NPR (public radio))
• Filmed in County Wexford, County Wicklow, and Dublin (Wikipedia (film database))

What’s unclear

• Exact filming locations for all scenes not disclosed
• Interpretation of the ending – does Bill succeed in helping the girl?
• Claire Keegan’s personal religious affiliation

Related reading

• Men in Black 3: Cast, Release Date, Plot & Where to Watch
• The Way We Were: Plot, Streaming, True Story & More

For those interested in the real history, the NPR (public radio) feature on the Magdalene laundries provides essential background.

Summary

“Small Things Like These” proves that restraint can be more devastating than spectacle. For Irish audiences especially, the film holds a mirror to a past that many would rather forget – and challenges viewers to ask what they would do in Bill Furlong’s place. For international audiences, it offers a window into a national trauma with universal resonance. Murphy’s performance anchors a film that trusts its audience to feel the weight of history without melodrama.

Frequently asked questions