Wild Mountain Thyme was released today and with it Emily Blunt's cursed attempt at an Irish accent.

When the trailer was released in November it caused a huge stir on Twitter as Irish people were both aghast and bemused that a film so full of paddywhackery and tired stereotypes managed to make it past the pitching process.

How can you go full Quiet Man in this the year of our Lord 2020?

Renowned actor Christopher Walken also stars in Wild Mountain Thyme and doesn't even try. Even the actually Irish Jamie Dornan isn't convincing (what the hell, Jamie?)

However, much like the cliche-ridden Emily In Paris irked the French, Wild Mountain Thyme was not made to impress Irish people; it is a twee Hollywood plastic-Paddy nightmare that only Americans who wistfully look back at the "old country" they've never been to, could earnestly enjoy.

Director John Patrick Shanley even said himself, "I'm not making this movie for the Irish," (per Variety.) Shanley, of Moonstruck fame, even compared the backlash from Irish people to the receptions triumphs Angela's Ashes and Playboy of the Western World got in Ireland.

"The Irish reaction to things written about Ireland has been tumultuous from the time of John Millington Synge when they disrupted Playboy of the Western World because they thought that it was pornographic," he said. Frank McCourt was a friend of mine and he took a lot of guff for Angela's Ashes."

Hmmmmm not quite the same.

The film is being (rightly) panned by critics, as Newsweek's own review put it: "Ultimately, the film feels like a pint of green beer on St. 'Patty's' Day—ostensibly resembling Irishness, but no true Irish person would go near it, and it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth."

Blunt has now joined the likes of Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts in the league of terrible Irish accents, but it's not all bad, some actors have completely nailed it (looking at you James McAvoy) and we shouldn't let Wild Mountain Thyme overshadow their accent mastery.

So here we have a list of the best and worst Irish accents in film and television as decided by an actual Irish person.

The Best

Anjelica Huston in Agnes Browne and The Dead

Anjelica Huston starred in the 1999 film Agnes Browne as a working-class Irish mother and she nails the inner city Dublin accent. However, Huston has strong connections with Ireland, her father filmmaker John Huston renounced his U.S. citizenship for Irish citizenship in 1964 and Anjelica attended school in Ireland at Kylemore Abbey for a number of years.

Huston also starred in her father's 1987 adaptation of James Joyce's The Dead and her accent is faultless.

James McAvoy in Inside I'm Dancing

This heartwarming 2004 film about a young man with muscular dystrophy sees Scotsman James McAvoy do a completely pitch-perfect, natural Dublin accent. His English co-star Romola Garai also nails her accent as carer Siobhan.

Judi Dench in Philomena

Judi Dench does a perfect accent in this heart-wrenching true story about Philomena Lee's 50-year search for her forcibly adopted son. (Steve Coogan also stars who gets a special shout out for one of his Alan Partridge characters, Martin Brennan.)

Kelly MacDonald in Intermission

We'll give Kelly MacDonald a shout-out for her role in Intermission here—at times the accent veers into "beggora" territory but it's mostly a decent attempt at a more posh south Dublin accent. MacDonald reprised an Irish role years later when she was cast as Margaret Shroder in Boardwalk Empire—that's not on the list because the accent is often strangely indistinguishable but it is set during the prohibition era so maybe that's why.

Anna Friel in Watermelon

This charming comedy based on the Marian Keyes novel sees the English actress do a great Dublin accent. No complaints, totally believable.

Jon Voight in The General

Jon Voight is the perfect country Garda (policeman) in this classic crime film.

Cate Blanchett in Veronica Guerin

Cate Blanchett's performances as murdered journalist Veronica Guerin has been lauded, with her accent skills always particularly praised.

Matthew Rhys in Death and Nightingales

The Welsh actor is famed for pulling off different accents in his hit show The Americans, but his lesser-known performance in the 2018 BBC period drama Death and Nightingales sees him pull off a perfect Fermanagh drawl.

Alan Rickman in Michael Collins

The late Alan Rickman does a great job of inhabiting the role of former Irish President Éamon De Valera in this classic film about the Irish revolution.

Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father and The Boxer

Isn't he Irish you ask? No, Daniel Day Lewis is English with dual British and Irish citizenship. However, he is renowned for his roles and accents in My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father and The Boxer.

Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine in In America

Both Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine pull off great accents in this heartwarming 2002 tale of immigration.

Kate Hudson in About Adam

In a rom-com starring lots of Irish people, Kate Hudson manages to blend in in the right way.

Will Poulter in Glassland

Will Poulter nails a working-class Dublin accent in this 2014 film.

The Worst

Matthew Goode in Leap Year

In one of the few flops of Amy Adams' career (shout out to Hillbilly Elegy) Matthew Goode's attempt at a Kerry accent is embarrassingly inept in this absolute turkey.

Julia Roberts in Michael Collins and Mary Reilly

Just no.

Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own

Why Brad? Pitt' makes a hames of the Belfast accent as IRA man Francis 'Frankie' McGuire in The Devil's Own.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York

Was not one Irish actor available for these roles? Just bad.

Gerard Butler in PS I Love You

Unlike his fellow countrymen James McAvoy and Kelly MacDonald, Gerard Butler makes a complete mess of the accent in this weepy rom-com.

Joe Gilgun in Preacher

This over the top series stars Joe Gilgun as Cassidy and his accent is as all over the place as the plot. Shame his Irish co-star Ruth Negga couldn't intervene.

David Boreanaz in Angel

David Boreanaz has long been ridiculed for his terrible accent in that infamous flashback scene. Truly, offensive.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far and Away

This is always at the top of the bad Irish accents—for a very clear reason. It's atrocious. No redeeming aspects whatsoever.

Sean Connery in Darby O'Gill And The Little People

Just plain bad.

Kevin Spacey in Ordinary Decent Criminal

Did he even try?

Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away

Another "Irish terrorist" film of the 90s, complete with a hokey attempt at an accent from Tommy Lee Jones.

Special mention to Debra Messing in the stage production of Outside Mullingar—the play which later became, you guessed it, Wild Mountain Thyme.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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