Poster for the film 'The Butcher Boy', 1997.

'The Butcher Boy' is a 1997 Irish black comedy adapted to film by Neil Jordan and Patrick McCabe from McCabe's 1992 novel of the same name.

Set in the early 1960s, The Butcher Boy is about Francie Brady (Eamonn Owens), a 12-year-old boy who retreats into a violent fantasy world to escape the reality of his dysfunctional family; as his circumstances worsen, his sanity deteriorates and he begins acting out, with increasing brutality. The film won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival in 1998 and a Special Mention for Owens "astonishing lead".