Film Review: The Dig

The debut feature film from brothers Andy and Ryan Tohill sees Moe Dunford play Ronan Callahan, a man who returns to his family home to find it boarded up and dilapidated. He’s been gone a long time – it is 15 years, to be exact, since he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Niamh. Her body was never found, but everyone in Ronan’s tiny hometown believes he did it. He can’t be sure, himself – he was blackout drunk and doesn’t remember, but her skin was found under his fingernails. Ronan was not the only one imprisoned by this crime. He returns home to discover that Niamh’s father Sean (Lorcan Cranitch) has spent the years digging holes all over the endless, boggy landscape behind Ronan’s house, convinced that he’ll find her body.

Wide shots of the oppressive landscape look like a portrait of torment; the infinite holes resemble endless empty graves – a nightmarish visual portrayal of what it’s like to be haunted by grief. This examination of bereavement, trauma and obsession is where The Dig excels.

Ostracised and threatened by everyone in the village, there’s no hope of Ronan escaping the memory of Niamh’s death – so he decides to join Lorcan’s quest. Their interactions are initially violently aggressive, but the men reach a quiet, wary understanding, united by loss and an acknowledgement that they’re both scrambling in the dark, looking for answers. Dunford has a powerful talent for conveying depth, vulnerability and simmering ferocity, while the Tohills wring every ounce of atmosphere from the setting. The Dig stumbles badly in its final act, as the emotional build-up is reduced to a sudden onslaught of plot machinations and clunky mystery clichés. The poetic potential and emotional complexity get lost – but it’s still an intriguing idea, marking an auspicious start to the Tohill brothers’ career.