[8] Father James accepts confession from an unseen person, a victim of priest sexual abuse.

The confessor says their abuser is dead and the Catholic community is largely indifferent, so they will murder an innocent priest to draw greater outrage.

James hears butcher Jack Brennan has hit his wife, Veronica, for having an affair with mechanic Simon.

Simon refuses to talk with James, citing violent missions in his native Africa.

James takes supplies to Gerald, an elderly American writer working in a cottage.

Michael drunkenly brags about his exploitative wealth, bemoans detachment from his family and reality, and insults James.

James visits cannibal prisoner Freddie Joyce, who is flippant about his crimes but still asks for forgiveness.

Hearing James' remorse for Bruno, Jack asks if he cried for children abused by priests.

James admits feeling detached, and Jack shoots and wounds him; an altar boy witnesses the shot and runs for help.

The final scene ends as Fiona visits Jack in prison, both picking up their phone handsets as it cuts to black.

McDonagh conceived the idea for Calvary and wrote the screenplay while filming The Guard with Gleeson in late 2009.

The critical consensus states "Led by a brilliant performance from Brendan Gleeson, Calvary tackles weighty issues with humour, intelligence, and sensitivity.

[19] Tim Griersen of Screen International also praised Gleeson for his performance and the film, calling it "A rich character drama that's equally eloquent and despairing, Calvary carries a weary resignation that feels lived-in and deeply considered."

He cautions that the film might prove to be a hard sell as it examines religious faith and does not fit in an easily marketable genre.

[20] Praising Calvary for its treatment of its weighty thematic elements, Lauren Ely for First Things wrote: "Is it possible for a film to capture the horror of the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church while at the same time presenting a case for the necessity of the institutional priesthood?