The Banshees of Inisherin

What is the meaning of Colm Doherty's bizarre self-mutilation?

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This post is dedicated to my most loyal readers—my parents—who watched The Banshees of Inisherin and specifically requested my interpretation of Colm’s digit-cutting. I am happy to say that I think I have it figured out. Well, if one defines “figured out” as understanding whatever the writers were trying to convey, perhaps not. Nevertheless, I have an interpretation of this plot device that is satisfying to me:

Banshees begins in medias res with Colm Doherty suddenly ending, rather callously, his lifelong friendship with the holy fool, Pádraic Súilleabháin. When pressed by Pádraic to explain his sudden change of heart, Colm expresses that Pádraic has nothing of substance to discuss, no passions, projects, dreams, etc. In a nutshell, Pádraic is boring. Pádraic is shocked by such a pronouncement; isn’t it enough for him to just be nice? The writers demonstrate Pádraic’s kindness through his friendship with the town simpleton, Dominic, and the affinity farm animals, like his miniature donkey Jenny, demonstrate toward him; Pádraic only gets upset when he drinks. Funnily enough, it is during these drunken, brutally honest tirades that Colm finds Pádraic the most likable, i.e., the most interesting.

Despite Colm’s mistreatment of him, Pádraic has no motive power left to his own devices. He is defined exclusively by his relationships. This proves catastrophic for him when Colm abandons him, his sister leaves Inisherin to pursue a job opportunity, Dominic commits suicide, and Jenny chokes on Colm’s amputated fingers, which he throws at Pádraic’s house.
So what’s up with these fingers?

Well, Colm is the opposite of Pádraic; he believes the only thing he requires in life can be enjoyed in isolation. For Colm, this activity is writing music and playing the violin. If Pádraic metaphorically rips off Colm’s gangrenous fingers by holding on to a dead relationship that he ought to leave behind, Colm is guilty of pretending that their past friendship is utterly meaningless. In radically discounting his friendship with Pádraic, Colm alienates his present self from his past self and compromises his ability to pursue his present passion: violin-playing. Colm is, both literally and metaphorically, cutting off essential parts of himself that he erroneously views as secondary, accidental, and superfluous.

Colm’s severed fingers simultaneously represent the danger of holding on to something that is no more and pretending that what lies in the past does not inform the present.