The Perished (2019 film)

The Perished, a 2019 Irish horror film, was written and directed by Limerick-based independent filmmaker Paddy Murphy. Courtney McKeon, Paul Fitzgerald, Conor Lambert, and Fiach Kunz lead the cast. Celtic Badger Media, an independent Irish production company, handled the film’s production, with Barry Fahy, Aaron Walsh, Vachn Gill, and Marie Hourigan credited as producers. The story follows Sarah Dekker, a woman grappling with the aftermath of an abortion. After being rejected by her mother and abandoned by her boyfriend, she seeks refuge in an old parochial house. Unbeknownst to her, the property sits atop a mass grave of deceased infants—and they are searching for a mother. Murphy conceived the script after learning about the 800 babies buried at the former Mother and Baby home in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. To ensure the female characters felt authentic, he collaborated closely with lead actress Courtney McKeon. The entire film was shot in Limerick, Ireland. The Perished premiered globally at FrightFest in 2019, and ScreenAnarchy reported in 2020 that it would arrive on DVD in the United States on April 7th. Critical and audience reception was largely negative. The Irish Film Critic awarded it half a star out of five, calling it shallow and urging viewers to avoid it. Brit Flicks offered a negative assessment, noting the film’s failure to effectively critique church doctrine or the legal inequities faced by unmarried pregnant women in modern Ireland. Killer Horror Critic argued the film lacked trust in its own script, characters, and actors, though they praised its unique concept and expressed hope that director Murphy would revisit pregnancy-themed horror.