“Killing a priest on a Sunday. That’ll be a good one.” This is the logline to John Michael McDonagh’s latest film “Calvary” and it’s outstanding. An examination of faith and guilt, set in a small Irish town and excellently cast.

A confession is started and as the priest and his parishioner converse it’s very quickly realized that this is not an ordinary confession. The unidentified confessor lays out less of a confession and more of a tirade ending with his promise to murder the priest in a week’s time, on a Sunday. The scene itself is a masterpiece of minimalism, precision and one man’s acting ability. That one man is Brendan Gleeson.

The performances really are all just pitch perfect right from the start. Gleeson heads the field and is the best performance as the stoic and conflicted Father James. His performance stands out but it also wouldn’t be as impactful without the others to play off of. Kelly Reilly, Chris O’Dowd, Aiden Gillen and Isaach De Bankole challenge Father James’ resolve and his commitment and along the way a deeper understanding comes of all of the relationships.

The score and the scenery are top notch and by the end of the film I simply didn’t want to leave the world that McDonagh had created. An earned ending is something that eludes many films and I’ve seen lots of them lately, don’t worry though, by the end of “Calvary” the conclusion’s impact will stay with you like a great film should.

Recommend? Yes, please see this movie.