Certificate: 15 (strong language, sexual violence references, domestic abuse). Running Time: 101 mins. UK Distributor: BFI
WHO’S IN GOD’S CREATURES?
Emily Watson, Paul Mescal, Aisling Franciosi, Declan Conlon, Toni O’Rourke, Marion O’Dwyer, Brendan McCormack, Lalor Roddy, Isabelle Connolly
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer (directors), Shane Crowley (writer), Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly (producer), Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (composers), Chayse Irvin (cinematographer), Jeanne Applegate and Julia Bloch (editors)
WHAT IS GOD’S CREATURES ABOUT?
A mother (Watson) finds her morals tested when she defends her troublemaking son (Mescal)…
WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON GOD’S CREATURES? [TW: SA, R*PE]
A24’s reputation is at an all-time high following the recent Oscars success of Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Whale, and yet when it comes to international distribution the studio is still struggling to find its feet. Both those movies were released in the UK through A24 themselves without a larger local distributor to support them, and now with God’s Creatures, the studio’s acclaimed drama that gained praise and hype following last year’s Cannes premiere, they’ve settled for a much smaller platform release through the BFI instead of taking full advantage of the film’s hype.
While it’s clear that A24’s stability as an international distributor (at least, here in the UK) is still having teething issues, the films are of course still being seen by audiences who are intrigued by their positive word-of-mouth. Given its much smaller rollout, God’s Creatures is unlikely to see audiences on the same level as those recent Oscar winners, but those who do seek it out will find it to be a compelling, if not completely magnificent, mood piece with great performances and harrowing themes.
Set in a small fishing village right by the Irish coast, the film follows Aileen (Emily Watson), a woman who works at the local seafood processing plant alongside co-workers such as Sarah (Aisling Franciosi). One day, Aileen is ecstatic to find that her adult son Brian (Paul Mescal) has suddenly returned after years of living in Australia, and their close bond is reignited as he assists the family with their oyster farming business.
However, things become tense when Sarah accuses Brian of sexual assault, which Aileen instinctively lies about when confronted by the authorities, opening up a can of worms regarding her standing in the community, and even within her own household, where Brian’s remorselessness and recklessness begins to become too much for even his loving mother to bear.
Co-directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, from a script by Shane Crowley, God’s Creatures is a slow-burning psychological drama that explores the harsh and cruel currents of male privilege through the eyes of an enabling mother. As soon as she first lays eyes on her son Brian after so many years away, Emily Watson’s Aileen sees only her innocent and playful young boy, and proceeds to stick herself in a bog of denial when anything, least of all the disturbing offenses that he is soon charged with, threatens that perceived image. Crowley’s script is smart in how it gradually, carefully peels back layers of this uncomfortable oedipal relationship to reveal the subtle yet firm grip that Brian has on his own mother, to where she begins stealing some oysters from work to help him get a head-start with his revitalised farming business.
Meanwhile, Davis and Holmer’s direction is precise in its ability to make the viewer feel more and more uncomfortable as this toxic relationship plays out, with long takes of things like the calm but deadly (as we find out almost right away) ocean mixed with an unnerving musical score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans. The directors highlight the dark power of male dominance in every corner of this secluded village, which in a way makes this film a survival film of sorts for its female leads as they try, and often fail, to make waves against the patriarchal authority that everyone, including Watson’s doting mother, unconsciously adheres to.
The women in this community are quietly forceful in ways that upset the aforementioned patriarchy, even if their efforts often put them in conflict with each other. Aisling Franciosi’s Sarah struggles to convince that Brian is her rapist, despite it being clear as day to the rest of the female workforce that he’s guilty, but even worse is that Aileen, her close confidant at work, chooses to throw her under the bus instead of Brian, therefore ensuring that justice is never brought.
The film offers no easy answers to such a devastating situation, especially for Sarah who faces open discrimination from the men for her accusations (she and a friend are refused service at the local male-dominated pub). However, it is Aileen’s inner struggle over what is right and wrong that takes centre stage here, and Emily Watson is fantastic as she brilliantly conveys her character’s growing anger over her bad decisions that have only helped the offenders rather than act against them. Her borderline-incestuous chemistry with on-screen son Paul Mescal (also excellent) is infectious, but there is a sly cleverness in how we, in Aileen’s shoes, start to see the cracks forming in this perfect image she has of him, the more that his nastier side begins to show.
There’s plenty to digest here, from the ominous mood that Davis and Holmer set to the great performances from Watson, Mescal and Franciosi, but God’s Creatures is an acquired taste that may not sit well with more contemporary audiences. It is a slow-burn, with the pace often moving at tortoise speed before the main conflict comes into play, which can make scenes feel much longer than they actually are. It also ends up saying a number of things about patriarchy and suppressed womanhood that are rather familiar and well-worn by this point (though that doesn’t make the messages any less powerful), and there is a conclusion which feels a little bit overblown for a small-scale film such as this.
I can also see this being the kind of A24 movie that people often refer back to as a typical example of the characteristics within an A24 movie; the mood, tone, atmosphere, subdued performances, and stylised filmmaking in this film are all on point with the studio’s brand, and for some that may open up mockery and ridicule that, flaws aside, it doesn’t really deserve.
While it isn’t as airtight as it perhaps could have been, God’s Creatures does leave a firm impression with its ominous examination of a deeply patriarchal society, and is well-made and well-acted enough to convey its familiar messages without losing its credibility or noble intentions.
SO, TO SUM UP…
God’s Creatures is a compelling psychological drama that explores male privilege via ominous and carefully constructed filmmaking along with excellent performances by Emily Watson and Paul Mescal, though its slow pace and familiar messaging may slightly sully its overall power.
