Taffin

Taffin

Year: 1988

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: English

Director: Francis Megahy

ActionThriller

He didn’t get mad… He got even. When a small Irish town is terrorized by a corrupt business syndicate, a lone hero wages an all out war.

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Timeline & Setting – Taffin (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Taffin (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Ballymoran, Dublin

Taffin unfolds in Ballymoran, a compact Irish town where debts, land deals, and a local sports field fuel community tensions. The meadow sits at the heart of a shady scheme to profit from a future chemical plant, drawing in councillors and developers. The setting paints a close-knit, morally murky town where intimidation and local power blocks shape everyday life. A climactic Dublin beach scene later frames the story with a harsher, metropolitan backdrop.

❄️ Small-town vibe 🏗️ Corruption 💼 Development

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:29

Main Characters – Taffin (1988)

Meet the key characters of Taffin (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mark Taffin (Pierce Brosnan)

A debt-collector with sharp wits and martial-arts skills who uses force when needed to defend locals from exploiters. He operates by a personal code, balancing courage with moments of doubt, especially when Charlotte questions his sense of purpose. His actions reveal a willingness to push against corrupt power, even at great personal risk.

💪 Determined 🥋 Martial artist ⚖️ Justice-seeker

Charlotte (Alison Doody)

A barmaid and Mark’s ally who becomes his girlfriend. She cares about the town and challenges Taffin to apply his talents for the common good, offering emotional support while pushing him to act. Her involvement anchors the human scale of the conflict against corrupt power.

❤️ Love interest 🧭 Loyal

Gibson (Jonathan Ryan)

A local councillor entangled with the landowner’s schemes, conspiring to obscure meadow ownership to boost property profits. He represents political maneuvering behind the scenes and the vulnerability of a town to corrupt influence. His role demonstrates how public figures can enable or resist foul play.

⚖️ Corrupt politician 🏛️ Local power

Sprawley (Alan Stanford)

The ruthless head of the syndicate driving the chemical-plant scheme, using fear and manipulation to control the town. He stays a step ahead through a web of henchmen and calculations, maintaining the illusion of legitimacy. His power is built on intimidation and financial leverage.

💼 Boss 🗺️ Leader 💣 Ruthless

Martin (Jeremy Child)

A key syndicate figure who is accused of rape by Charlotte at Taffin’s prompting, revealing how sexual violence is weaponized in the power struggle. He embodies the corrupt leadership under threat and the moral hazards of exposing wrongdoing. His fate becomes a turning point in Taffin’s campaign against the plant.

🎭 Villain 🧩 Hidden

Mo Taffin (Patrick Bergin)

Mark’s loyal brother who gets caught in the crossfire of Ballymoran’s conflicts. He stands by Taffin’s side, but is assaulted by thugs, underscoring the personal cost of fighting corruption. His involvement illustrates the risk to family when one challenges powerful interests.

👨‍👦 Brother 💪 Loyal

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:29

Major Themes – Taffin (1988)

Explore the central themes of Taffin (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Justice

Taffin’s methods blur the line between legality and vigilantism as he targets corrupt officials and developers. The pursuit centers on halting the meadow’s sale and the plant’s construction, using pressure, intimidation, and strategic blackmail. The town’s reaction—fear, betrayal, and wavering support—highlights how power can shield wrongdoing. The story frames justice as a personal, risky endeavor rather than a neat courtroom victory.

⚔️ Vigilantism

Taffin relies on his wits and fighting prowess to confront thugs and syndicate men. He withdraws after brutal assaults, then returns to defend the vulnerable and challenge corrupt power. The plot emphasizes the danger of taking the law into one's own hands and the costs of such actions. The climactic confrontations axe through the syndicate’s grip on Ballymoran.

🏗️ Power and Development

At its core is a land grab: hiding meadow ownership to boost building land value for a chemical plant. A shadowy syndicate and a councillor manipulate property rights to advance profit over people. The film pits progress against community protection, exposing how economic interests shape decisions and intimidate dissent. This tension drives most of the anti-hero’s battles.

🔥 Retribution

The story escalates to killings, arson, and fast-paced chases as the hitman Deacon and Conway pursue Taffin and his allies. Several figures die or are framed, and Taffin is briefly presumed dead after a car explosion. In a final twist, Taffin confronts Sprawley on a Dublin beach, shooting him to settle scores. The ending underscores personal vengeance over legal vindication.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:29

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Taffin Summary

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Taffin Summary

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Taffin Timeline

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