“Impressive” Irish crime drama with “twisty ending” gets new UK streaming home

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The Irish crime drama The Dig, known for its twists and turns, is now available on BBC iPlayer. Originally released in 2018 and recently shown on BBC One, the film from directors Andy and Ryan Tohill has quickly gained attention for its surprising conclusion.

Written by Stuart Drennan, the movie centers on Sean McKenna (Lorcan Cranitch), a father grieving the loss of his daughter who was murdered. He becomes consumed with finding her body.

After spending 15 years in prison, Ronan Callahan (Moe Dunford) is released, but he has no recollection of the crime he committed. Despite initially resisting, he agrees to help Sean search for Niamh’s remains, maintaining that he doesn’t remember the murder.

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Emily Taaffe plays Roberta McKenna, Francis Magee plays Murphy, and Katherine Devlin plays Siobhan in the film.

Rotten Tomatoes reports a 75% approval rating from critics, who have called the film both a unique and compelling watch, and a powerfully gritty Western. According to The Irish Times, it’s “an impressive oddity,” while Screen International describes it as “a grittily effective oater.”

According to Screen International, the film is tightly plotted and visually striking, filmed in a dark, wintery setting, and features a surprising ending that will please fans of the genre.

According to RogerEbert.com, the story’s twist ending doesn’t live up to its promising start, feeling like a disappointing trick rather than a satisfying reveal.

RTÉ’s review noted that while the film The Dig resembles a western, it would have been more effective as a ghost story, and arguably functions as one anyway.

The upcoming horror film Hokum, directed by Damian McCarthy (who also directed Oddity), will also be filmed in Ireland and features Adam Scott, known for his role in Severance.

The new trailer introduces Jason Scott as Ohm Bauman, a writer who travels to a secluded Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes.

He soon becomes obsessed with a local story about witchcraft, and when strange visions begin and someone goes missing, he’s forced to face the most painful parts of his history.

Scott is joined by a group of talented individuals including Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Will O’Connell, Michael Patric, Brendan Conroy, Siox C, Austin Amelio, and Ezra Carlisle.

You can watch The Dig on BBC iPlayer. Hokum will be in US theaters on May 1, 2026, but a release date for the UK hasn’t been announced yet.

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2025-12-16 16:49