Pulling the viewer into a surreal version of western Ireland built from black comedy and motifs pulled from Hollywood, The Guard sees rogue Garda Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) facing off against international drug smugglers looking to exploit the West’s isolation. Unconventional and abrasive, Boyle prefers to spend time with prostitutes or his dying mother than invest himself in FBI agent Wendell Everett’s (Don Cheadle) efforts to intercept the incoming landing of a half-billion dollar cocaine shipment. Rubbing by-the-book Everett the wrong way with his unlawful and often disinterested approach Boyle finds himself barred from the case even after the disappearance of his partner Aidan McBride (Rory Keenan) piques his interest. Writer/director John Michael McDonagh packs The Guard with film references and sly winks to the audience, whilst its erudite and talkative characters escalate from trading barbs to bullets in what became the highest grossing Irish film upon release in 2011.