Are you looking for a gripping Ireland-set heist thriller? Channel 4 has just added Pixie to its roster of films, and it could be one to add to your watchlist.
Led by Slow Horses star Olivia Cooke, the comedy crime thriller was first released in 2020 and is set in the coastal seaport town of Sligo. The story follows Pixie, the daughter of a gangster, who stages a heist to avenge her mother's death and fund a new life.
Not only does the film come from director Barnaby Thompson, who previously produced St Trinians, The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband, but it also boasts a stellar cast led by Olivia alongside Ben Hardy, Daryl McCormack, Colm Meaney and Alec Baldwin.
The film is currently available to stream on Channel 4 after airing on Film4 last week, but be quick. You have less than a month to watch it. Intrigued? Here is everything you need to know about Pixie.
What is Pixie about?
The story centres on Pixie O'Brien, an ambitious young woman desperate to escape her life and the shadow of her stepfather, small-town gangster Dermot O'Brien.
The Channel 4 synopsis reads: "When a heist goes wrong, the daughter of a small-town gangster ends up on the run alongside two slackers – with pistol-packing priests in pursuit."
Who stars in Pixie?
The film is led by Olivia Cooke (House of the Dragon, Slow Horses) as Pixie, joined by Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody, X-Men: Apocalypse) as Frank and Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters, Peaky Blinders) as Harland.
They are supported by Rory Fleck Byrne (This Is Going to Hurt) as Colin, Fra Fee (Les Misérables) as Fergus, Colm Meaney (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Dermot O'Brien and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) as Father Hector McGrath.
Turlough Convery, Chris Walley, Pat Shortt and Frankie McCafferty also star, with Ned Dennehy as Seamus, Dylan Moran as Raymond and Sebastian de Souza as Gareth rounding out the cast.
What have critics said about Pixie?
Pixie was received positively by critics and currently holds a 76 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Reviewing the film, The Guardian praised Cooke's leading performance, writing: "Cooke really is terrific, easily carrying the movie with her swallowed-a-lightbulb screen presence."
Meanwhile, Empire wrote: "The climax, in which Baldwin engages in a slow-motion gunfight, in a church, with nuns, is the kind of am-I-really-watching-this moment that is just the right side of absurd."
The Hollywood Reporter added: "Pixie is a lively caper, and intermittently good fun on a trashy escapism level," while The Mercury News wrote: "Some gorgeous Irish scenery along with stunning (sometimes violent) plot twists and snappy one-liners (and some gorgeous scenery) make 'Pixie' a quirky winner, ideal for the weekend while knocking back a Guinness."
What did Olivia Cooke say about Pixie?
Speaking to the Golden Globes about her starring role, Cooke reflected on the film's female-led message.
"That is the moral of life. Don't underestimate the power of a woman. I just loved that," she said. "Usually, this genre is dedicated to men and we only really had only one female character in this film. We could have used a few more. But it was fun to take the men and lead them on a wild goose chase."
Discussing her co-stars Ben Hardy and Daryl McCormack, she added: "It was so fun and the chemistry was pretty instant. We didn't have to do any team-building exercises. The fun of the set and script was infectious. We just took Belfast by storm. That rapport even continued after work for the two months we shot."
Pixie is available to watch on Channel 4.