Peter Coonan, an actor who has played his fair share of morally corrupt chancers, is working overtime in this competent and compelling drama from first-time feature filmmaker Dermot Malone.
It’s 2019, and Coonan is Frankie, a Dublin taxi-firm owner with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Frankie used to be a different man – a nastier one, but it all came crashing down a decade ago at his daughter’s birthday party. What exactly happened that day? We’ll find out soon enough.
In the meantime, Frankie’s dad (Owen Roe) has just died, and our anxious protagonist is needed at the removal.
The last thing he expects is for a face from the past to show up on his doorstep. Throw in a dodgy business venture and a broken friendship and you have yourself a very bad day indeed.
A nervy, tension-fuelled melodrama with big themes and a bigger heart, King Frankie fancies itself as a crafty Celtic Tiger tale with a twist, and that’s fine. But it would be a better film without all the flashbacks.
Still, all that bouncing around allows for a committed Coonan to show us what he’s made of. He’s terrific here, and this flawed yet fascinating film is lucky to have him.