Martin Faranan McDonagh earned accolades as a playwright while in his twenties, before turning towards screenwriting and directing films.
In 2004, McDonagh directed his first film, the black-comedy short ‘Six Shooters,’ which won him an ‘Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film,’ along with several other awards. He made his feature film debut with black-comedy crime-film ‘In Bruges’ (2008), which is about two Irish hit-men hiding in Bruges. It was screened at various film festivals and fetched him, along with other honors, an ‘Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.’
McDonagh’s next directorial venture was the dark-comedy crime-drama parody ‘Seven Psychopaths’ (2012), which was also written by him.
Further, McDonagh wrote and directed the dark-drama ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2017), which depicts a Missouri woman who draws attention to the unsolved rape and murder of her daughter by leasing three billboards. The film won several accolades, including ‘People’s Choice Award,’ two ‘BAFTA Awards,’ two ‘Golden Globe Awards,’ and ‘Academy Award’ nominations for ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Original Screenplay.’
McDonagh’s upcoming film is ‘The Banshees of Inisherin.’
Martin McDonagh's debut feature-length movie In Bruges is a darkly delightful film that focuses on two Irish hitmen who go into hiding following a botched-up contract and are being chased by their enraged boss.
When even months later, her daughter’s murderer is not found, an angry Mildred Hayes rents three billboards on the outskirts of her town, Ebbing. The message on the board questions the reputed chief of police William Willoughby, much to the chagrin of everyone around, especially Officer Jason Dixon. As Mildred persists in her stance, she enters into a conflict with the authorities.
A dark Irish comedy about an old widower who meets a young lad on a train journey.
The dark comedy revolves around struggling writer Marty Faranan. Things take a violent turn when his two best friends Billy and Hans kidnap violent gangster Charlie Costello’s pet Shih Tzu. Marty’s experiences, following that not only provide him the plot for his screenplay Seven Psychopaths but leave him a changed man.
The buddy-cop comedy finds crass but good-hearted Irish police officer, Sergeant Gerry Boyle, team up with straight-laced FBI agent, Wendell Everett, to investigate police corruption and to hunt down drug traffickers led by Francis Sheehy-Skeffington. Opposite to each other in nature, the two lawmen must form an uneasy alliance.
Martin McDonagh Awards
| Six Shooter | Best Short Film, Live Action | 2006 |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Best Screenplay - Motion Picture | 2018 |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Best Screenplay (Original) | 2018 |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Best Film | 2018 |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Outstanding British Film of the Year | 2018 |
| In Bruges | Best Screenplay - Original | 2009 |
