God's Country (II) (2022) User Reviews

God's Country starts off strong but becomes flat and really unfocused

[chenp-54708 · 5/10 · 20 April 2022]

Saw this back at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

Director Julian Higgins creates a movie about a grieving college professor confronts two hunters she catches trespassing on her property, she's drawn into an escalating battle of wills with catastrophic consequences. Higgins starts off with a really strong beginning and introduction to the film but after 35 minutes into the film, the movie falls apart as the story becomes really basic, generic, and dull. There are many good aspects about this film. The cinematography, the score, atmosphere, production design, and sounding was really good. It helped to add flavor to the movie but the story and bland one sided characters really made the movie suffer. The pacing of the movie becomes really uneven as it dragged the movie from exciting to boring. Actress Thandiwe Newton gives a great performance throughout the movie as she does her best to keep this movie flowing well. But the other performances are just okay and some of them are quite bad.

Some of the dialogue is very clunky. The editing choices are bland. Lastly, the ending although is quite satisfying, because of the dull storyline, the ending doesn't really feel worth it by the end of the day. Higgins has talent but this movie was just meh and forgettable.

Rating: C+

Honorable Issues, Dispicable Actions

[rbsteury · 5/10 · 1 August 2022]

I saw "God's Country" at the Traverse City Film Festival on its closing day. I initially was going to skip it due to its poor reviews on this site and others, but a number of different people told me "It's great" so my wife and I decided to see it. I should have listened to my first instinct.

Thandiwe Newton is in almost every scene. I have always liked her acting even if she has never been in a really good film, and the same holds true here. She is introduced as Sandra, a lone and lonely, petite women living in remote Montana. We learn she and her mother moved here from New Orleans. She is grieving the very recent death of her mother and is also angry at the patriarchy and racism that she sees in her work as a professor at a small nearby university. She lives in a modern, lovely house in the middle of the beautiful Montana wilderness.

Sandra soon begins to be bullied by two young adult brothers - Nathan, belligerent but sometimes thoughtful and Samuel, clearly violent and evil. They trespass on her property to go up in the hills hunting. Sandra tells them to stop and soon an arrow lodges into her front door. She calls local law enforcement saying she does "not feel safe." It turns out he is the only officer in "300 sq miles", and one who is not very effective. He warns Nathan and Samuel to be respectful and abide by the law but tells Sandra that there is little he can do.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

So Sandra takes the law into her own hands, quickly escalating the conflict beyond any reason. And (big coincidence #1) it turns out that Nathan & Samuel are friends of her department head Arthur, who is also her closest neighbor (she can see his house using binoculars - big coincidence #2) And, by the way, Arthur sexually molested a young student of color (Gretchen) with whom Sandra is friendly at the university (big coincidence #3) Even though Sandra implied to Gretchen (when she revealed her molestation to Sandra) that their conversation would stay between them, she quickly spills the beans to Arthur in a threatening manner.

Meanwhile either Nathan or Samuel kill Sandra's dog (off-screen) and also a young deer (perhaps on her or on Arthur's property - it is not clear). The non-sensical violence escalates from that point forward. In the end Sandra murders both Nathan (who was the more reasonable of the two) and his brother Samuel. She clearly did it with "malice aforethought" even though they never physically harmed her. Then she calmly sits on the front porch drinking a beer while waiting to be arrested and imprisoned for the rest of her life - or even executed (which is still legal in Montana).

All of this takes place in about a week's time. We also find out (big coincidence #4) that Sandra was a policewoman in New Orleans (without a hint as to how she became a professor of public speaking.) And we find out (by occasional odd scenes of water dripping while hearing thunder) that Sandra quit the force due to her observation of police and government racism during hurricane Katrina (big coincidence #5). I mention all these disparate facts to show what an improbable construct underlies the whole film.

So yes, it was tense and thrilling in the beginning, but soon made one want to laugh at why any intelligent person would make the choices Sandra made. And to illustrate how morally corrupt this plot is when it attempts to make us sympathize with and justify the cold-blooded murder of two people (only one of which was likely the instigator) for killing a dog, a fawn and property damage.

It appears the screenwriters wanted to address many issues - racism, misogyny, bullying and the elite/redneck divide. And I have heard that the directors asked (at a Q&A that I could not attend) "What would Clint Eastwood do and why are we judging Sandra differently?". Well, to my memory Clint (not my favorite person but...) did not murder anyone without warning for being bullies. The people he purposefully killed were killers themselves. That is western justice. This film does not achieve that level of morality.

God's Country features a remarkable lead performance from Thandiwe Newton, but the unfocused, predictable screenplay makes this film too dull to remember.

[msbreviews · 5/10 · 21 February 2022]

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free thoughts, please follow my blog to read my full review :)

"God's Country features a remarkable lead performance from Thandiwe Newton, but the unfocused, predictable screenplay makes this film too dull to remember. Technically, it's one of the strongest movies of the festival. Gorgeous cinematography, sweet score, gripping atmosphere -- it holds the essential technical ingredients for a great film.

However, by attempting to tackle many different subject matters, Julian Higgins isn't able to properly concentrate and exceptionally develop a single one. In addition to this, the protagonist carries relatable motivations, but her consequent actions feel contradictory. The racism and sexism that she has to deal with are real, but her way of confronting these situations is far from exemplary.

Finally, the impactful ending beautifully works in theory, but since everything plot-wise is so unsurprising and slow-paced, the viewers will probably feel too tired to care by the end."

Rating: C.

Watching the movie now and still struggling to finish

[desperado_here · 6/10 · 17 September 2022]

I get it. You should stand for something rather than fall for anything. Still, this lady was really pushing the envelope by escalating everything. I mean she was really asking for it. She broke more laws than the aggressors. Ironically, her past job should have gave her insight and made her smarter about it. Honestly, I don't know what the moral of this story is. I feel she should have put up a fence or moved. Why would any single woman live in the most remote area knowing there are few law enforcement to provide protection.? She had to have known how risky this would be. I'm a guy and even I wouldn't feel comfortable living in the middle of nowhere alone. To top it off, she threw her only friend under the bus. This is like watching any vigilante movie where the bad guys were not as aggressive as the vigilante. I dunno....

In the end the Gun wins in God's(forsaken) Country

[shunpikeproductions · 7/10 · 21 September 2022]

This movie is essentially an art house upsell of something like I Spit On Your Grave. About 30 or 40 minutes into it, when the professor meets one of the hunters in the little church and finds common ground with him (I won't spoil how) I thought the movie might turn into something redemptive for both of these characters. Nothing doing. Instead of such a turn, it devolves into stereotype and cliché, and exactly the end you could predict. You want Trump Country "deplorables" you got them. You want a clueless "woke" interloper, you got that. Yet in the end, all the issues are resolved with a shotgun, hardly any sort of politically correct finish. If the point of this movie is just an ironic play on the idea that God is nowhere to be found in that place, or in any of these people, the point is pretty overtly made. That doesn't mean it's bad or unwatchable. It's neither, but it's not gory enough to be a successful exploitation film, nor creative enough to be a true art film. It's nicely filmed and definitely conveys the damnation of its people and place through its cinematography, and while none of the main antagonist characters, as written, are deep, complex or unique, they are all well portrayed by the actors. A better example of something with a similar theme might be Wind River.

A potentially good story wrecked

[Madjack59 · 4/10 · 18 September 2022]

I came in hoping for a good story, but left shaking my head at the many lost opportunities to make it one. If you like being preached at for an hour and 43 minutes, this may be the film for you.

Besides the incessant lecturing, the movie had the pacing of a 78 played on a 45 player, the villains were all caricatures of bad people, and the protagonist was a preachy, "I know better than you about everything because" kind of a person.

The most interesting part of this movie was when I dropped a Milk Dud between my legs and spent 10 minutes groping around trying to find it.

See this movie only if you hate yourself.

Excellent performance by Thandiwe Newton

[trinaboice · 7/10 · 14 September 2022]

IN A NUTSHELL: When a college professor confronts two hunters she catches trespassing on her property, she's drawn into an escalating battle of wills with catastrophic consequences.

The dramatic film was directed by Julian Higgins. She and Shaye Ogbonna wrote the story.

Based on a short story by acclaimed author James Lee Burke, God's Country is a character-driven thriller set in the snowy wilderness of the American West. Thandiwe Newton plays Sandra Guidry, a Black professor living and working in a rural college town. She's also grieving her recently-deceased mother, for whom she'd served as the primary caretaker. On the day of the burial, Sandra discovers a mysterious red truck parked in her driveway. She soon learns it belongs to a pair of local hunters seeking to enter the forest behind her house. Sandra turns them away politely but firmly - her experience tells her these are not the sort of men to welcome freely into her world. But they won't take no for an answer, and soon Sandra finds herself drawn into an escalating battle of wills that puts her most deeply-held values to the test.

The film has already received the Founder's Prize at the Traverse City Film Festival.

THINGS I LIKED: The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to enthusiastic audiences.

Thandiwe Newton gives an excellent performance. Her subtle facial expressions and body twitches are powerful and insightful.

Other cast members include Kai Lennox, Jeremy Bobb, Joris Jarsky, Jefferson White, and Tanaya Beatty.

You could definitely call this movie a slow burn. That phrase is usually used as a negative description but in the case of this movie, it's a compliment. There are some incredible shots that allow you to linger in the moment such as when you see a small drop of water fall from a shoe that has been out in the snow or when the protagonist takes in the wonder of seeing a mother deer and her fawn in the middle of her mountain property.

I love movie titles that have multiple meanings. The location of the film invites us to see some beautiful landscapes out in the winter mountains, surely "God's country". Faith in God is one of the themes of the story that lends itself to another interpretation of the title. We also see title cards that divide the scenes into six days of the battle of wills. On the seventh day, there is rest.

Beautiful cinematography by Andrew Wheeler.

The sound production was noticeably good, as well as the music.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some viewers may be frustrated by the lack of resolution in the end. I think the director never intended to give us answers, but to provide fodder for conversations about the society we've created around us.

One of the problems with this kind of movie is that audiences might be led to believe that violence is okay and justified if someone is a jerk.

With all of the nuances provided to other characters, it seemed that the "bad guys" were super cliched and one-dimensional.

Thandiwe Newton's character seems delicate and easily frightened in the beginning, so the reveal of her backstory didn't seem believable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored waiting for something to "happen". So will some adults.

Some profanity, including F-bombs We see a bloody, dead bird Adult bullying Threatening behavior Hunters kill deer and a dog Gun use Arson

THEMES: Respect for others and their property Prejudice Racism and diversity Sexism Obsession Feeling safe Police protection Hurricane Katrina Grief "Identity politics" Revenge Fairness Taking action on injustices Broken systems Vulnerability

Monotonous, Directionless

[sammyt-62328 · 3/10 · 3 December 2022]

This movie is labeled as a thriller, let's not kid ourselves here it is most definately a drama and a slow one at that. The subject matter really is just a very small part of the movie and in reality this movie just becomes a slow drone about her feelings and her previous struggles and life. This may be some people's cup of tea but it cant be too many. I do not understand why people make movies this slow and think it is entertainment, the movie really does not know what direction it is heading in and quite frankly could be about 1 hour 30 minutes shorter, every scene drags on with nothing happening, it really was a bore. I will say it gets 3/10 because there is no cheese in it or plugged humour nor any far fetched plot or story so in that sense it feels real, real-ly boring... My advice avoid if you want any entertainment or interest.

Crossed trails

[avindugunasinghe · 6/10 · 7 May 2023]

A complex subject matter is carefully investigated and demonstrated in God's Country. How many of us had lashed out and acknowledged to ourselves of the misdirection of it. It's Sandra's view of herself unable to challenge the right place like many other men and women it bursts out, this is what's impressive of this tale it manages to give a perfect demonstration of unrests that has no roots. The snowy mountains and misty plains surrounded by gloomy forests is symbolic to the nothingness but conflicts are possible even in god's country. For the wonderful performance by Ms Newton's flawless this movie deserves credit.

Great premise fell flat

[thesnowgirl147 · 5/10 · 20 September 2022]

What the trailers look like plot is: A black woman has to defend herself against racist men antagonizing her.

What the movie is actually about: A karen continually escalating a conflict. Yes, that one brother was a racist asshole, but they were actually only wanting to hunt.

At first I was on the protagonist's side, but after everything from the trailer is shown in the first thirty minutes and she's calling her neighbor and colleague about them in his driveway, I questioned if she was a reliable narrator and everything was in her head. I got the director's intent about a minority woman fighting against racism and sexism (did a great job showing microaggressions) but the execution was a complete failure.

People just cannot leave a woman alone..

[kgindh · 9/10 · 20 October 2022]

I actually came to like this movie; though slow, and perhaps deliberately so; both the direction and cinematogaphy play to the slow reaction of the protagonist through the countless second chances and warnings given to two intruders on a womans land. This is an interesting movie, because Netwons character does not behave like a woman, and maybe that is what makes this movie edgy too. In contrast you have her male neighbor, shown as being one of the guys with the tresspassers; which leads Newtons character to set about creating a long standing power play, against masculinity, society and its norms. Questioning what is right for who and why. This movie takes a woman, living alone, who seems to like living that way, and pits her against an entire community and society that will not leave alone, because she said that she though it best that people ask before parking on her land. It begs the question, had she been a man, would there have even been an issue. This movie cleverly, though sometimes in a uncomfortable way, shows the dichotomy that exists, between who is and who is not allowed to do what they want to do.

Personally, at times I did wonder if Newtons character has a backstory, and this is slowly revealed throughout the movie, there to explain perhaps why she is the way she is.

This movie is an open minded watch, it wont suit everyone, but its worth watching.

Too unfocused, but well-crafted.

[benjaminskylerhill · 6/10 · 18 September 2022]

God's Country is disqualified from being considered "bad" by its performances and cinematography alone. The film is largely breathtaking to behold, even when it at times becomes dull from a storytelling standpoint.

And this is where the film falters: its storytelling.

The "plot" technically has an inciting incident, but is really just a meandering series of events that make up a 90-minute petty neighborhood feud between a grieving Karen and a group of spited pseudo-alpha-males.

Given what we come to know about Cassandra's character background, some of the plot's events do hit pretty hard emotionally, especially the film's final 5 minutes and it's EXCELLENT final one-take scene.

But the brilliant conclusion does feel like a bit too little too late, as a great chunk of the story feels largely inconsequential to the film's larger themes that it's going for.

A Predictable Series of Cliches

[benjaminlatta · 5/10 · 14 November 2022]

The characters in this film were essentially all caricatures of a trope. The angry black lady, clueless cop, misogynist and subtle racist "thinks he is a good white guy guy', the white lady that tries but is outnumbered, then the podunk Trump despicables.

They weave in Hurricane Katrina, affirmative action, and even a MeToo moment.

I don't disagree with the point of the film, but they beat the viewer over the head with it. It didn't say anything new or offer any insights. They might as well have put out an infomercial or a paid political advertisement.

The lead actor is great, but she didn't have anything to work with.

we know it's headed to a bad place

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 20 September 2022]

Greetings again from the darkness. Do you ever have that feeling that if no one's going to do something then "I guess I will"? These days it seems our systems and institutions are failing us, and that's at the heart of what is eating at Sandra (Thandiwe Newton), a college professor living in a remote house in the mountains. When the film opens, she is at the crematorium for her recently deceased mother. Soon after, two hunters park on her land, and their reactions after she politely asks them not to, tells us where this story is headed.

Writer-director Julian Higgins and co-writer Shaye Ogbanna never give Sandra (or us) any reason to think everything is going to be just fine. It's a slow-burn towards disaster, and we can't help but watch to see how bad situations turn worse and how the conclusion plays out. Violence is expected ... especially after we see how ineffective the local acting Sheriff (Jeremy Bobb) is at his job.

The "chapters" in this story are actually the days numbered so that we can keep up with the tension. A red truck, an arrow in the door, a police report, a faculty meeting, a church organist, and the disclosure by a student (Tanaya Beatty) all lead us to the dreaded seventh day. The stress builds for Sandra, who manages to hold her tongue quite often, right up until she doesn't. It's clear to us that she's carrying a bitterness and a chip ... and seeking vengeance. It's easy for us to emphasize with Sandra in the first two acts, though it's likely many will join me in being a bit disappointed in the final act.

VIEWS ON FILM review of God's Country

[burlesonjesse5 · 7/10 · 9 February 2023]

A fraught college professor from New Orleans moves to a small town out in lower Montana. There she becomes irked by some townies who feel the need to claim their Podunk turf. That's the blueprint for 2022's God's Country, a slow burn drama that is listed as a thriller. Hey I get it. There is confrontation and a shooting or two but "Country" takes its time, bemused by suspect character motivations, lawlessness, and tranquil mystery. In truth, you watch it ultimately trying to figure out where things are headed.

Bare questions aside, God's Country rides on the deft direction of Julian Higgins, the wintry cinematography by Andrew Wheeler, and the calculated performance of one Thandiwe Newton (she portrays Professor Sandra Guidry). Higgins commits to every shot as he somewhat catches the viewer off guard. I mean it's what you don't see in "Country" that feels more numbing than what you could've seen. I was besotted with it all. As for Newton, well she underplays and does it well, her persona an enigma, possibly a rootless instigator. Thandiwe's eyes are well, an acting tool. Heck, she always seems to appear downcast, like the girl lost her dog in a messy car accident.

Now do I feel compelled to recommend God's Country? I do and I will. The film's look is beautifully unsettled, desolate and cold with canvased wide shots of good old Big Sky. And would I say "Country" is perfect in its overall framework? I wouldn't go that far. There's a mild Straw Dogs approach here where things could've been left well enough alone. Oh well. God's Country needs to corral its 102-minute running time. It's a movie after all and to omit a forced "eye for an eye" SITU would just leave things floating in the wind. Honest to "god".

Pass

[matheusswsantos · 3/10 · 27 May 2023]

She's the villain.

I get it that those guys weren't the best to have around and they trespassed a private property. But she escalated the situation by a 1000%....

Pushing racial agenda, following people around like a creep, being noisy by their every action and at the end doing the most stupid thing.

Plus, the movie is so dull and uninteresting that I almost slept in the first 10 min, even so I tried to give it a go and see where it would go.

Well, it didn't go anywhere, complete waste of time. The only reason is getting a few stars is because of good acting, but that's about it.

No story, annoying character, expected ending to a bad movie.

A well told story

[deandublin-88486 · 7/10 · 7 October 2022]

While I do not agree with all the political views held up here, that does not take away from good storytelling. I don't think killing animals for meat is bad, and I don't think there is anything wrong with choosing the best people for the job, although, sure, people from different backgrounds do sometimes think differently.

This is a story told in real time, which is such a good break from overedited crap, with unbelievable plots and fireworks. It's an underdog story really, except that we know she is capable of looking after herself.

Really enjoyed the church scene. Shows how we don't know what we think we do about each other and how a good distraction can elevate us from raw emotion.

Take a break from the franchises, superheroes and reboots - enjoy this movie.

Terrible

[Draysan-Jennings · 3/10 · 19 October 2022]

After reading the premise and watching the trailer, I decided to give this film a shot. Bad idea! This film is complete garabage. I know a lot of people like to use the term "one of the worst movies ever" but I really mean it. That statement is totally acceptable when it comes to this film. It was a total waste of time. When it was all said and done I had no idea what I had just watched. I liked the idea of the film, but the way it played out was pointless. The events that took place could of been easily avoided. But most of all, there's a good 45 minutes where nothing happens. The lead character just kinda mopes around feeling sorry for herself. It was torture getting through that. The film starts to pick up a little in the last 15 minutes. But it doesn't save the film from being any good. Do yourself a favor and watch something else. 3 stars.

A Female John Wick!!!

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 11 March 2023]

No, I haven't read James Lee Burke's short story "Winter Light," but I have seen the latest cinematic adaptation of it. Writer & director Julian Higgins' above-average revenge epic" God's Country" amounts to a slow-burn, seven-day melodrama with a female "John Wick" of sorts to handle the hard stuff. Thandiwe Newton stars as our conscientious, middle-aged protagonist, Sandra Guidry, who has recently relocated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Crescent City. Ultimately, she moved to Montana with his elderly mother to accept a tenure-track position at a local college as a speech teacher. Not surprisingly, Sandra is a fish out of water as the only African American professor in a largely Caucasian college. Not only does her mom--homesick for New Orleans--die early in the film, but also our heroine tangles with two Neanderthal redneck outdoorsmen, Nathan (Joris Jarsky of "Empire of Dirt") and Samuel (Jefferson White of "Yellowstone"), who park their two-door, red pickup truck on Sarah's property without her permission. These reprobates are blue-collar, deer hunters. Initially, Sandra leaves them a note, which they ignore, shred it, and come back for more hunting. When Sandra complains to the local authorities, acting Deputy Sheriff Gus Wolf (Jeremy Bobb of "Godless") seems reluctant to arrest these guys. He claims it will do nothing more than escalate an already out of hand predicament. Gus informs her that he lacks the required manpower to serve all the warrants and maintain the status quo. Indeed, he is only one of two detectives in a 300-mile radius. As it turns out, Sandra served as a New Orleans' police woman, but she saw too much of the corruption in the town and cleared out to Montana. The icy reception she receives prompts her to tow their vehicle the next time they trespass on her property. They shoot an arrow into her front door. Yes, Sandra lives in the middle of nowhere, with her university Department Head residing close by. Later, after Gus approaches both men, they resume their hunting, but they park with the permission of her department head on his property. Julian Higgins conjures up considerable suspense with his slow-burn thriller that hinges on revenge. Eventually, these villains escalate their feud with Sandra. Not only do they burn down her house, but they also kill her pet dog. The ending has Sandra showing up at Samuel's house with a pump action shotgun. She strolls inside and cuts loose with the weapon. Blam! Blam! Abruptly, "God's Country" comes to an end, but it is an above-average revenge thriller that will have you gnashing her teeth and awaiting for comeuppance that Sandra's adversaries so richly deserve.

Liberal Hogwash -- and this from a Liberal!

[MIDDLEMYATT · 3/10 · 22 September 2022]

Of course, the acting is on-point, but otherwise there's no movie here. Just an episodic showcase of Newton's stoic, one-dimensional character making one bad decision after another. A liberal message movie that says so little -- and I too am a liberal! This film underscores the intersectionality of stupidity, self-righteousness, dismissiveness of any value that isn't considered progressive, of and throw in some ennui for good measure too. To think I had high hopes enough to go out of my way to see this heavy-handed piece of misguided propaganda. Just leave the men alone and let 'em park on your outer-property; they ain't bothering nobody! Oh, but then, there would, literally, be no premise for this silly film. Be a good, kind, considerate neighbor--that would've nipped all the film's conflicts in the bud. But no, she needed a cause. And ruins her life and others' in the process. I was so bored--and I'd snuck in alcohol into the theater. Apparently not enough!

A profound and poetic masterpiece

[thao · 9/10 · 25 February 2023]

My kind of film. Incredibly beautifully filmed and all the shots are so well thought out. There is not a single shot that feels out of place, rushed, or compromised. This may sound like a strange observation but those who have made films will know what I'm talking about. Julian Higgins directs the hell out of this slow burner.

God's Country tells a simple story about an escalating conflict but it can also be seen as a take on what is happening in the USA today. This dialogue from the film captures the essence perfectly:

• "I wonder sometimes, why do you choose to be the person you are."
• "Like you're just whatever happened before you? Maybe it takes some kind of sacrifice to break the cycle."

What happens when no one is willing to sacrifice to break the cycle? When everyone just reacts to what happened before them? Are they masters of their destiny or just puppets of history - controlled by their past and the past of those who came before them?

A profound and poetic masterpiece.

quiet anger

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 4 June 2023]

College professor Sandra (Thandiwe Newton) lives alone in the middle of nowhere Montana after losing her mother. Two local hunters keep trespassing on her property. The confrontations slowly build. She's struggling with an unevolved superior at work. The acting sheriff is limited help. The actual sheriff is on leave after shooting a local.

This movie is quiet. In a way, it's too quiet. Newton is doing good quiet with simmering rage. The tree farm confrontation is good tension. So is the invitation into the trailer home. There are moments and scenes with great tension. Mostly, the movie is way too quiet and the tension slips. It needs to build the tension, but Sandra doesn't change. It's a little flat.

Boring 25 mins into a 100 min movie and nothing has happened

[Ckn48 · 4/10 · 31 March 2023]

She's a teacher She leads a pretty ordinary life Two Hunters park on her property and act threateningly towards her The next time, she tow's there car off her property They fire an arrow into her door She calls the cops The cop tries to brush her off.

All of this to tell the story of an Ex Cop, let down, during the New Orleans hurricane & floods.

And now it's about employment diversity.

Then it escalates to dogiside Then her house is burnt down Finally she looses it and takes the law into her own hands

The Plot is boring The Script is boring The sound is mediocre The Photography is mediocre The Acting is mediocre

Not worth bothering 👎

An impressive debut feature

[glenaobrien · 6/10 · 23 February 2024]

God's Country is a slow burn but quite an impressive debut feature from Julian Higgins, beautifully enhanced by cinematographer Andrew Wheeler. Thandiwe Newton is good in the lead role of college professor, Sandra, who faces not only the power of the Patriarchy in the workplace but the existential threat of violence living alone and isolated on her Montana property. When she pushes back against two brothers who feel they have the proprietary right to hunt on her property, she is set on a collision course with the local men. An ex-New Orleans police officer, she's no pushover but you will have to decide whether or not her final resort to violence is a justifiably measured response.

Thought provoking

[brianchavez-93639 · 6/10 · 21 September 2022]

Thandiwe Newton has a solid performance as Sandra; an apathetic former New Orleans officer turned public speaking professor at a local university in the American west. By the looks of the majestic scenery, it appears to be in Montana. Though slow paced and limited dialogue, the story and underline tone leaves the viewer to deduct there is more than just what is apparent on the surface. One can believe this movie addresses identity politics and the embedded patriarchy in the university and law enforcement professions. One can also focus on the symbolism of the deer, her fawn and dog which could represent societies argument and struggle with abortion and single parenthood. The viewer can also focus on the evil white males who seem to not only struggle with their own personal demons, but with why society needs them to change and how some of those evil white males know change needs to happen but are not strong enough to speak out and make it happen.

Or maybe the movie is just a simple story of a lonely embittered woman who is trying to run from her past, hide in "Gods Country" only to find there is no peace. She has had enough and displaces the anger she has with a broken system on the brothers and work colleague whom she feels represents all that is wrong with our society.

Either way, it was thought provoking and maybe worth another watch in order to catch what was missed or reinterpret what may actually be.