Hayloft

When a young Shay is forced to move back to his father’s farm, following his mother’s failed attempt to break away from her abusive bible-thumping husband, old scars are ripped back open. A family is at war, but Shay’s attention is turned somewhere else, reconnecting with his boyhood friend, Ruairi. But times have changed, as have they, and they are drawn passionately together while tensions build up against them. Worlds collide on his God-fearing father’s farm; religious trauma erupts back to the surface and Shay’s struggles with self-acceptance of his sexuality may be more than he can bear. Just as he is on the brink of discovering himself through falling in love, he becomes trapped between the judgement of his father and the guilt of a moralistic God, he must return to a childhood sanctuary to set himself free.

Directed by —, Hayloft leans on a strong ensemble — Mikey McMahon, Shelley Leitch, David Smyth — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about romance titles of 2025.