A basic background knowledge of the laundries going in is useful to feel the movie.
The story follows Cillian's character and there is a lot of silence in the movie which leaves space to try to imagine what he is thinking and feeling because he never says what he’s feeling- we are left to feel that- he tells his wife the facts about what he saw but the feelings are stored in looking out the window and washing soot from his hands. His actions later show us what he was feeling. The movie shows why people would mind their own business and gives an understanding to everyone struggling to do that in a tough economy. Advice is given to mind your own business from a well meaning business owner. But in the end, can we really just watch, keep our silence and mind our own business?