Godless is easily one of my favorite westerns I've seen in a long time. I'm actually blown away by how much I liked it. I had high expectations because of all the great ratings and reviews and it not only met those expectations but surpassed them in every way! The writing and acting is would really makes this show so special. Jack O'Connell and Jeff Daniels both give award worthy performances. It's a western that takes place in New Mexico in the 1880's. It follows Roy Goode (O'Connell) who's an ex protege of a a dangerous gang leader named Frank Griffin (Daniels) as he runs from his mentor and hides out in a town full of women after all the men died in a mining accident. If you haven't seen this series yet then do yourself a favor and go watch it as soon as possible!
460 Reviews
Terrific!
Supermanfan-1324 August 2021
I can't say anything about Godless that hasn't already been said! It's fantastic and judging by the ratings/reviews, most people seem to agree with me! It's easily one of my favorite westerns of all-time! Jack O'Connell and Jeff Daniels lead an absolutely incredible cast who are all at the top of their game here! Everything about this amazing show is great, I really can not recommend this show enough!
Do not miss watching Godless.
edinadental25 November 2017
SPOILER: Godless has a long list of actors who do a great job working with a wonderful director and a great screenplay presenting a very interesting story. The tale in this movie has been told before. A good example of a very similar story is the 1968 movie "Blue" (see information about Blue on IMDb) where a young gang member decides to leave the criminals he grew up with and start a new life; and then is pursued by his former bunch of hooligans, resulting in significant consequences for some innocent folks.
In Godless, an extreme event occurs in La Belle, New Mexico that leaves the town with a population that is almost all women and children. Fortunately, Marshall Bill McNue (Scoot McNairy ) and Deputy Whitey Winn (Thomas Brodie-Sangster ) are left to keep the peace. Things become complicated when Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell) shows up at the ranch owned by Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery). The plot darkens when the gang Roy abandons decide to chase him to wherever he is, and punish anyone who harbors him.
Michelle Dockery (as Alice Fletcher) is the movie's focus, and the actress dominates every scene in which she appears. Ms. Dockery is an exceptional and interesting actor with a tremendous "screen presence." Merritt Weaver (as Mary Agnes) is another stand out. She delivers a great performance that she refines and develops through the series of episodes until the climax.
A lot happens within the seven episodes, that vary from 40 to 80 minutes per episode (four episodes are 70 minutes, one episode is 50 minutes, one episode is 41 minutes, and the final episode is 80 minutes). I am admitting to watching all seven episodes (totaling 7.5 hours) in a single day, and almost continuously. Godless is that good. This is an entertaining mini-series that holds your attention as you watch an interesting plot develop and finally unfold in a dramatic and exciting climax.
In Godless, an extreme event occurs in La Belle, New Mexico that leaves the town with a population that is almost all women and children. Fortunately, Marshall Bill McNue (Scoot McNairy ) and Deputy Whitey Winn (Thomas Brodie-Sangster ) are left to keep the peace. Things become complicated when Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell) shows up at the ranch owned by Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery). The plot darkens when the gang Roy abandons decide to chase him to wherever he is, and punish anyone who harbors him.
Michelle Dockery (as Alice Fletcher) is the movie's focus, and the actress dominates every scene in which she appears. Ms. Dockery is an exceptional and interesting actor with a tremendous "screen presence." Merritt Weaver (as Mary Agnes) is another stand out. She delivers a great performance that she refines and develops through the series of episodes until the climax.
A lot happens within the seven episodes, that vary from 40 to 80 minutes per episode (four episodes are 70 minutes, one episode is 50 minutes, one episode is 41 minutes, and the final episode is 80 minutes). I am admitting to watching all seven episodes (totaling 7.5 hours) in a single day, and almost continuously. Godless is that good. This is an entertaining mini-series that holds your attention as you watch an interesting plot develop and finally unfold in a dramatic and exciting climax.
A Masterpiece
tunesplitter21 August 2021
Im a very huge Western Fan and i love everything about this Netflix production. What a great journey. The Actors are high quality. Everything seems perfect. But im sad that its not longer. I could watch easily 10 Seasons more.
One of the best westerns in the recent years
johnyrufus23 November 2017
This is one of the best western series in the recent years. Well scripted and acted. This has everything a good series warrants and feels like a 7+ hour treat. Personally, I liked this a tiny bit better than Deadwood and Hell on Wheels. I hope Netflix keeps producing more of these quality ones. Jack O'Connell shines in the lead role, as does most of the cast. Well done Scott Frank for such an engaging story line and script.
Satisfying
mweratcliffe25 November 2017
Excellent tale well told. Great cast - great screenplay - great music - great costumes - great cinematography. A thoroughly satisfying viewing experience. Definitely among the best films of the western genre. My hats off and I thank all who were involved in bringing this story to the screen.
Godless(2017
robfollower8 March 2021
Starring: Michelle Dockery, Jack O'Connell, Scoot McNairy, Merritt Wever, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kim Coates, and Jeff Daniels.
Description: Set in the 1880s, the series follows Frank Griffin and his gang's quest to seek revenge on his former protege, Roy Goode. While he's on the run, Roy seeks refuge in the mining town of La Belle, which is mostly occupied by women. When Griffin and his gang of outlaws get word of Roy's whereabouts, the women of La Belle must find a way to keep their town safe.
It's hard to find a series that is partly a female driven Western and also a commentary on fathers and sons. Apart from the magnificent cinematography, the show's dialogue is almost poetic. Godless is truly a unique find on Netflix, and is totally worth watching.
Description: Set in the 1880s, the series follows Frank Griffin and his gang's quest to seek revenge on his former protege, Roy Goode. While he's on the run, Roy seeks refuge in the mining town of La Belle, which is mostly occupied by women. When Griffin and his gang of outlaws get word of Roy's whereabouts, the women of La Belle must find a way to keep their town safe.
It's hard to find a series that is partly a female driven Western and also a commentary on fathers and sons. Apart from the magnificent cinematography, the show's dialogue is almost poetic. Godless is truly a unique find on Netflix, and is totally worth watching.
Deadwood meets Hell on wheels ...Awesome show!
P_Echo23 November 2017
What a gem this is. You gotta thank Netflix for letting this creation blossom and see the light of day. Scott Frank did a fantastic job here; the story is very intriguing and one of the best character building in recent westerns. The direction and cinematography are top notch. It is undeniable that we have a classic on our hands.
A masterpiece
biswashreepanda21 August 2021
Godless. Finally a good western
irenejonesrdle25 November 2017
Authentic, clever! All the actors are terrific.. Jeff Daniels amazing performance. Love the link to history. Outfits are well done... would love to see this series continue please.
Music is great. Opening of the credits is artistic. really enjoy how the story unfolds and how the back stories are brought forward.
Music is great. Opening of the credits is artistic. really enjoy how the story unfolds and how the back stories are brought forward.
So Much To Like And Then The Last Episode
rfcntwo22 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Great ambiance and a "western" feeling I liked a lot. It did remind me of Deadwood. Great performance from Dockery who I had only seen in Downton. O'connell also did a great job as did many others. I was really excited to watch the final episode to see the expected fireworks and who lived, if Dockery & O'connell's characters made a lasting connection, and so on.
So for many episodes the Buffalo soldiers were built up as tough hardened ex solders who knew what they were doing. Then in the last episode we learn that these Buffalo soldiers ran the bad guys out of Texas. So I expected that these ex soldiers would do a lot of damage to the bad guys. But no. They basically all fell over dead with no problems at all. Huh??? Plus Jeff Daniel's gang kills everyone in their settlement? This just makes no sense. So the bad guys wipe out the Buffalo soldiers without working up a sweat and then are all killed by a bunch of widows who were mostly not gunslingers.
Then we had the scene with Jeff Daniel's asking to be shot in front of the hotel and for some miraculous reason he alone is not killed.
Then Dockery ends up with the Sheriff who she showed no emotion towards at any time in any of the episodes instead of Roy Goode who she obviously cared a lot about. No physical chemistry on screen for the Sheriff and lots towards Goode. And Alice Fletcher's son really liked Goode and showed no connection to the Sheriff. I know Goode was an outlaw, but he was loaded with saddlebags of money and they could have gone anywhere to be together.
I realize that this show was trying to pull in elements from one of my favorite westerns Shane, but this ending just fails. In Shane Alan Ladd and the wife were mildly attracted to each other but she was married and had a son from her husband who she obviously liked in the movie, at least the characters did. In Godless Alice was a widow so not the same as Shane.
I realize this is just a show but the ending was just completely unsatisfying.
So for many episodes the Buffalo soldiers were built up as tough hardened ex solders who knew what they were doing. Then in the last episode we learn that these Buffalo soldiers ran the bad guys out of Texas. So I expected that these ex soldiers would do a lot of damage to the bad guys. But no. They basically all fell over dead with no problems at all. Huh??? Plus Jeff Daniel's gang kills everyone in their settlement? This just makes no sense. So the bad guys wipe out the Buffalo soldiers without working up a sweat and then are all killed by a bunch of widows who were mostly not gunslingers.
Then we had the scene with Jeff Daniel's asking to be shot in front of the hotel and for some miraculous reason he alone is not killed.
Then Dockery ends up with the Sheriff who she showed no emotion towards at any time in any of the episodes instead of Roy Goode who she obviously cared a lot about. No physical chemistry on screen for the Sheriff and lots towards Goode. And Alice Fletcher's son really liked Goode and showed no connection to the Sheriff. I know Goode was an outlaw, but he was loaded with saddlebags of money and they could have gone anywhere to be together.
I realize that this show was trying to pull in elements from one of my favorite westerns Shane, but this ending just fails. In Shane Alan Ladd and the wife were mildly attracted to each other but she was married and had a son from her husband who she obviously liked in the movie, at least the characters did. In Godless Alice was a widow so not the same as Shane.
I realize this is just a show but the ending was just completely unsatisfying.
Hard to watch, but so captivating
dickersonbethj6 September 2022
This show is hard to watch with its graphic violence and truths of the times in which it took place. I cannot imagine how hard existence was for folks who travelled to and homesteaded the west. I'm sure much of the very things portrayed in these episodes took place and some probably even worse.
The acting was excellent. The scripts were so believable. I was glad to see Jeff Daniels in a lead role though his character was brutal and, well, Godless. Who knows if any of us would be the same if we were faced with situations such as the ones portrayed in these episodes. Don't judge a man (or woman) until you've walked in their shoes.
The acting was excellent. The scripts were so believable. I was glad to see Jeff Daniels in a lead role though his character was brutal and, well, Godless. Who knows if any of us would be the same if we were faced with situations such as the ones portrayed in these episodes. Don't judge a man (or woman) until you've walked in their shoes.
Great visuals in a rather shallow and illogical tale
FabledGentleman25 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I have to say that for the most part this series had some truly great moments. The tale gets off to a very good start, but soon after, i was starting to ponder if this story goes any deeper, and have some nice surprises for me down the road. At episode 4 i was starting to wonder if this entire series was like it already had been portrayed, with too many coincidences happening, too many predictable outcomes, shallow characters, and being incredibly politically correct.
I was hoping that it all would come together and make sense as it moved closer to the end. But sadly, this show ends on a note with little to no explanation to why we have been taken this trip through all 7 episodes. And this is not one of those times where i will be sitting here pondering for weeks what i might have missed, this show is not that intelligent, even if some people here might think it actually is.
You can tell that the creator has spent a lot of time making this series, especially on the characters. The little things about them that make them stand out. The journalist with a bad eye, the vision impaired sheriff, the rich prostitute and school teacher, the rape victim and farm owner. There are lots of details to be found in this, but some of the details i would call over the top, i find some of these quirks and personalities to be what they are, just for the sake of it. The illusion of depth and variety, to make the story seem richer and more complex, but as it turns out, the traits these people have, rarely has anything to do with anything going on, except for being traits written into the script.
But on the other hand, the actors here are for the most part really good, and play their roles with lots of gravitas, and they are depicted with some really great visuals, the cinematography is outstanding. They really managed to capture the western feel of this. The wide shots of open landscapes, mixed with great set pieces of buildings that looks like they have been standing there forever, it really has a great atmosphere. You can almost smell the horse poop and the gunpowder.
But the story is the main problem here, it's not that the story itself is bad, though somewhat over the top, it's how it's executed that is the problem. For example that two characters that are suppose to end up doing something, and they construct scenes that makes no sense what so ever just so those two can have their moments. Instead of interlinking the stories better, they went for the easy solution, almost all the time.
Problem then is that since they made an entire scene just to be able to create a moment, the rest of the story surrounding this moment makes no sense anymore. This show is full of illogical moments which kept bugging me. Let me just explain one quick scene to underline my point. In the final shootout, and when there is still shooting going on, the kids and the old ones come walking into town like it's all over, no more danger. How on earth could they know that? It makes no sense. Someone would have gone for them when it's safe. And there still was shooting going on, they would never ever have come walking into town at that moment, but it was created to have this little emotional scene where the Sheriff meets his kids, and this is one of the scenes that they actually made it harder than it had to be, just to make a scene completely illogical.
What about the Sheriff and Roy suddenly bumping into each other with the mining companies security team after they had taken the horses? Small world ey? Huge open empty space for miles and miles, and yet we all come crashing into one another on the smallest of areas.
Yeah this show is full of these, where things are constructed just to get the story going, but makes absolutely no sense. Well i notice these things. But, the show is still good, has a good nerve throughout all episodes, there is almost always something to admire or take in, just that the story lacks logic and depth.
All in all a 7 out of 10.
I was hoping that it all would come together and make sense as it moved closer to the end. But sadly, this show ends on a note with little to no explanation to why we have been taken this trip through all 7 episodes. And this is not one of those times where i will be sitting here pondering for weeks what i might have missed, this show is not that intelligent, even if some people here might think it actually is.
You can tell that the creator has spent a lot of time making this series, especially on the characters. The little things about them that make them stand out. The journalist with a bad eye, the vision impaired sheriff, the rich prostitute and school teacher, the rape victim and farm owner. There are lots of details to be found in this, but some of the details i would call over the top, i find some of these quirks and personalities to be what they are, just for the sake of it. The illusion of depth and variety, to make the story seem richer and more complex, but as it turns out, the traits these people have, rarely has anything to do with anything going on, except for being traits written into the script.
But on the other hand, the actors here are for the most part really good, and play their roles with lots of gravitas, and they are depicted with some really great visuals, the cinematography is outstanding. They really managed to capture the western feel of this. The wide shots of open landscapes, mixed with great set pieces of buildings that looks like they have been standing there forever, it really has a great atmosphere. You can almost smell the horse poop and the gunpowder.
But the story is the main problem here, it's not that the story itself is bad, though somewhat over the top, it's how it's executed that is the problem. For example that two characters that are suppose to end up doing something, and they construct scenes that makes no sense what so ever just so those two can have their moments. Instead of interlinking the stories better, they went for the easy solution, almost all the time.
Problem then is that since they made an entire scene just to be able to create a moment, the rest of the story surrounding this moment makes no sense anymore. This show is full of illogical moments which kept bugging me. Let me just explain one quick scene to underline my point. In the final shootout, and when there is still shooting going on, the kids and the old ones come walking into town like it's all over, no more danger. How on earth could they know that? It makes no sense. Someone would have gone for them when it's safe. And there still was shooting going on, they would never ever have come walking into town at that moment, but it was created to have this little emotional scene where the Sheriff meets his kids, and this is one of the scenes that they actually made it harder than it had to be, just to make a scene completely illogical.
What about the Sheriff and Roy suddenly bumping into each other with the mining companies security team after they had taken the horses? Small world ey? Huge open empty space for miles and miles, and yet we all come crashing into one another on the smallest of areas.
Yeah this show is full of these, where things are constructed just to get the story going, but makes absolutely no sense. Well i notice these things. But, the show is still good, has a good nerve throughout all episodes, there is almost always something to admire or take in, just that the story lacks logic and depth.
All in all a 7 out of 10.
Okay for what it is, but baffled by all the 10 star reviews
mmanville3 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I think what this series strove to be was a modern twist on the Ford/Wayne classic "The Searchers?" and/or the Leone/Eastwood trilogy. It had the same overriding theme of the former, a protagonist who is simultaneously the salvation for civilization but a necessary outsider to it himself, and the slow scenes, interesting camera angles, and mysterious motivations of the latter. Added to this are the modern themes of lesbianism, women's rights, interracial relationships, identity/"daddy" issues (Frank/Roy, Roy/Truckee), crazed spiritual mumbo-jumbo, and so on.
Unlike others with lower ratings, I didn't mind all the completely anachronistic additions. I even could tolerate the the obvious exaggeration of mayhem in the gunfight in the finale (honestly, as depicted Frank could not have had only 32 men, I feel we must have witnessed at least twice that number get shot, and how on earth did they kill everyone int he Blackdom gunfight without losing a single man?) But I think what drove me nuts was the pacing. I felt a good director could have squeezed this all into a 2-3 hour movie, which would have been much more satisfying. This felt interminable towards the end, I half watched only because I'd made a commitment to do so, even though I knew exactly how it would end (every plot outcome in the final episode was COMPLETELY predictable IMO -- well at least I anticipated it all). The big La Belle gunfight went from an engrossing climax to the series, to something I kept thinking "are they really going to drag THIS out that long too?" after 10, 15, 20 or however minutes it lasted. If I were bored I might go back and count all the bullet impacts shown, there must be many hundred.
In short, something worth watching, but hardly the "masterpiece" all these 10-star ratings imply. Even more baffling is that the paint-by-numbers final episode is the highest rated one of the seven as of the time I am positing this, it is rated 9.1, while the next highest of the other six is 8.5
Unlike others with lower ratings, I didn't mind all the completely anachronistic additions. I even could tolerate the the obvious exaggeration of mayhem in the gunfight in the finale (honestly, as depicted Frank could not have had only 32 men, I feel we must have witnessed at least twice that number get shot, and how on earth did they kill everyone int he Blackdom gunfight without losing a single man?) But I think what drove me nuts was the pacing. I felt a good director could have squeezed this all into a 2-3 hour movie, which would have been much more satisfying. This felt interminable towards the end, I half watched only because I'd made a commitment to do so, even though I knew exactly how it would end (every plot outcome in the final episode was COMPLETELY predictable IMO -- well at least I anticipated it all). The big La Belle gunfight went from an engrossing climax to the series, to something I kept thinking "are they really going to drag THIS out that long too?" after 10, 15, 20 or however minutes it lasted. If I were bored I might go back and count all the bullet impacts shown, there must be many hundred.
In short, something worth watching, but hardly the "masterpiece" all these 10-star ratings imply. Even more baffling is that the paint-by-numbers final episode is the highest rated one of the seven as of the time I am positing this, it is rated 9.1, while the next highest of the other six is 8.5
A Thinking Man's Western
dianeand24 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I found this series to be excellent. Scott Frank found a way to make a tired genre come alive for a more modern audience. The cast was excellent, with Jeff Daniels creating a formidable villain. Flashbacks reveal the source of his villainy to lie in the violence of his own childhood, the loss of his "mammy and pappy" and his religious extremism. That he is mentally disturbed is clear, but his childhood story both resembles and provides a contrast to that of Roy Goode in a way that moves the series toward its many lessons of redemption and love. Griffin is ruthless and obsessed --in ways that remind us of the extremism of some in today's society both here and around the world. His false and twisted idea of "family" contrasts with that of Alice Fletcher or Mary Agnes, who owns hard life experiences lead them to find real family, one based on more positive values. It is the message the late-arriving preacher gives at the funeral, one I found quite moving. It is the message Roy Goode came to find.
I found the series' treatment of minorities to be realistically refreshing-- a band of black people struggling to eke out an existence in the middle of nowhere. They remain wary of the neighboring white town, greeting each visitor with a gun in hand. That they could do such a thing testifies to why their choose to live in a god forsaken desert. That these experienced Buffalo Soldiers are admired for their past deeds and allowed to live as they choose is important to the story. Their reluctance to help the people of La Belle is clear but their humanity remains. The Native Americans in the story are human beings, individuals with warmth and humor and not just "noble savages" but people who make their own mistakes and struggle to live. I loved the character of Truckee.
I wasn't sure if the ending was over-prolonged, but have decided I like it. The series might have ended with a final shot of Goode as he left, but instead we follow him westward and I found it very satisfactory to do so. Finally, a word about Sam Waterston and Scot McNary. Each played a lawman, and each displayed a quiet and determined persistence to bring a man to justice and stop the carnage. Waterston was simply outstanding, and his final scene standing in bar, in total darkness, outlined in light, unknowingly standing amid the darkness of man's evil, was iconic. McNary found his shadow, and found a way to live with loss, and how to love his own child. I found the thematic and metaphorical material to raise the series to a level above the usual "shoot 'em up" nonsense often seen on TV. Bravo to Netflix and Scott Frank.
I found the series' treatment of minorities to be realistically refreshing-- a band of black people struggling to eke out an existence in the middle of nowhere. They remain wary of the neighboring white town, greeting each visitor with a gun in hand. That they could do such a thing testifies to why their choose to live in a god forsaken desert. That these experienced Buffalo Soldiers are admired for their past deeds and allowed to live as they choose is important to the story. Their reluctance to help the people of La Belle is clear but their humanity remains. The Native Americans in the story are human beings, individuals with warmth and humor and not just "noble savages" but people who make their own mistakes and struggle to live. I loved the character of Truckee.
I wasn't sure if the ending was over-prolonged, but have decided I like it. The series might have ended with a final shot of Goode as he left, but instead we follow him westward and I found it very satisfactory to do so. Finally, a word about Sam Waterston and Scot McNary. Each played a lawman, and each displayed a quiet and determined persistence to bring a man to justice and stop the carnage. Waterston was simply outstanding, and his final scene standing in bar, in total darkness, outlined in light, unknowingly standing amid the darkness of man's evil, was iconic. McNary found his shadow, and found a way to live with loss, and how to love his own child. I found the thematic and metaphorical material to raise the series to a level above the usual "shoot 'em up" nonsense often seen on TV. Bravo to Netflix and Scott Frank.
This is one of the best Westerns I have seen for a long time
morganamadej24 November 2017
I am hooked by a series on Netflix called 'Godless' I'm now on episode 4 since last night and I can honestly say that it is one of the best Westerns I have seen for a long time since the likes of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper etc.
The cinematography is stunning in full screen and as the story-line unfolds and revisits the plot cleverly, the shocking and gruesome happenings become clear. For an episodic series it is a worthy 45+ minutes of attention grabbing and human moments.
The title becomes self evident quickly and the characters have true depth and realism. The story would be a riveting read if one had the book. I highly recommend Godless!
The cinematography is stunning in full screen and as the story-line unfolds and revisits the plot cleverly, the shocking and gruesome happenings become clear. For an episodic series it is a worthy 45+ minutes of attention grabbing and human moments.
The title becomes self evident quickly and the characters have true depth and realism. The story would be a riveting read if one had the book. I highly recommend Godless!
Netflix is definitely leaving its mark on almost every television genre out there.
Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-218716 July 2018
Godless is great Western storytelling: it's got callbacks to John Ford's Westerns and even echoes of Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, but Godless brings about something that Westerns haven't really explored properly: feminism and LGBT themes. It's a highly enjoyable mini-series that deserves to be kept in the 'tv-golden-age' lime-light as more Netflix originals come crashing in like a tsunami of entertainment upon the masses. For Western lovers like myself, this series is an absolute must-see!
4.5/5 stars.
4.5/5 stars.
Must watch for western lovers
Aesthete1824 November 2017
If someone would have told me the plot of this show, I would have said nah I'm not watching it. Since no one told me and I'm a sucker for westerns, I did and by god am I glad I did. This show is fantastic! The music is some of the best I've heard in a TV show. The flow is great, the characters have character, the story is so well told. The cast were amazing, I couldn't find anyone to dislike in terms of their character.
Listen, if you're into westerns. You should stop reading this and watch it now! If you're not into westerns and wondering about it, then yes I'd recommend it. It's a good western to get a taste of the genre. It's only 7 episodes so you don't have to stick with it for long. You'd be convince in 1-2 episodes anyway.
Listen, if you're into westerns. You should stop reading this and watch it now! If you're not into westerns and wondering about it, then yes I'd recommend it. It's a good western to get a taste of the genre. It's only 7 episodes so you don't have to stick with it for long. You'd be convince in 1-2 episodes anyway.
Brilliant
bryangary6526 September 2018
Without doubt the best Western series I have watched
Full of drama and wonderful acting with deserved Emmys for Merrit Wever & Jeff Daniels
But the whole cast deserved praise, watch this and you will not be disappointed
Full of drama and wonderful acting with deserved Emmys for Merrit Wever & Jeff Daniels
But the whole cast deserved praise, watch this and you will not be disappointed
Well developed western
timothy_mcd23 November 2017
Quite a good movie which hits all of the buttons for a classic western.! The violence was a little high and very realistic, which is my only real problem with it. Interesting to note that the reviewers who didn't like it had a problem with the inter-racial relationship as well as the lesbian relationship. I thought that these brought a note of realism to it, as these relationships have been going on forever, but social mores kept them from being portrayed in the past. The cinematography was excellent and I found myself just looking at the scenery in some spots instead of following the plot. The casting of little known, but excellent actors, topped off the film, and Michelle Dockery sure is a natural beauty.!
Heathen Chemisty
southdavid12 February 2021
It's been on my Netflix list for a long time, but I've finally found the time to get back to 2017's "Godless" from writer/director Scott Frank, who would later reteam with Netflix for "The Queen's Gambit" another 7-episode miniseries. Reminiscent of the all-time classic "Deadwood", I enjoyed it overall, but I felt that with a tighter story, told over less time, it would have been even better.
The mining town of LaBelle has stagnated since an accident took 200 of its menfolk two years previously. Now populated almost exclusively by the widows and children of those men, the town's sheriff Bill McNue (Scoot McNairy) captures the notorious criminal Roy Goode (Jack O Connell). Goode had betrayed his former gang leader and father figure, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and he and his posse have been hunting him ever since. Word has spread that the Griffin gang murdered everyone and razed a town that had previously given Goode shelter and it's only a matter of time before word gets out that he's in LaBelle.
There are dozens of little stories that feed back into the main narrative thrust of "Godless". Some of which run over episodes, others that just take a few scenes. Much of it was really good, but I did feel myself thinking that as this is a seven-episode mini-series, rather than an ongoing affair, wouldn't we have been better served focusing more on the actual story we're here for? That was my problem with "Godless" in a nutshell. It's often beautiful, funny, entertaining, exciting and the performances are, too a person, excellent. But if it was just a bit more focused on its story. I don't think I want to lose any of the other tales either, because I felt we needed it all for the last episode to hit like it does, I just want the show to be tighter with them. Once I've got that Roy Goode is a master horse wrangler, I don't need 45 more minutes of him breaking in the horses, for example.
I don't want to sound too negative though. It really is wonderfully shot and as I say, performances are excellent and the actual story is really good, it's just a little buried.
The mining town of LaBelle has stagnated since an accident took 200 of its menfolk two years previously. Now populated almost exclusively by the widows and children of those men, the town's sheriff Bill McNue (Scoot McNairy) captures the notorious criminal Roy Goode (Jack O Connell). Goode had betrayed his former gang leader and father figure, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and he and his posse have been hunting him ever since. Word has spread that the Griffin gang murdered everyone and razed a town that had previously given Goode shelter and it's only a matter of time before word gets out that he's in LaBelle.
There are dozens of little stories that feed back into the main narrative thrust of "Godless". Some of which run over episodes, others that just take a few scenes. Much of it was really good, but I did feel myself thinking that as this is a seven-episode mini-series, rather than an ongoing affair, wouldn't we have been better served focusing more on the actual story we're here for? That was my problem with "Godless" in a nutshell. It's often beautiful, funny, entertaining, exciting and the performances are, too a person, excellent. But if it was just a bit more focused on its story. I don't think I want to lose any of the other tales either, because I felt we needed it all for the last episode to hit like it does, I just want the show to be tighter with them. Once I've got that Roy Goode is a master horse wrangler, I don't need 45 more minutes of him breaking in the horses, for example.
I don't want to sound too negative though. It really is wonderfully shot and as I say, performances are excellent and the actual story is really good, it's just a little buried.
Engrossing Western Tale
arthurlally14 September 2021
Wasn't sure at first, seemed a bit low key and slow' so checked out the IMDB reviews and decided to stick with it. Am I glad i did, as it was thoroughly absorbing to watch. Apart from the intriguing story line it was to care that went into flushing out so many of the main characters. Its been a long time since i have seen that level of detail and its one of those rare events where you find yourself thinking about the characters, long after the credits have rolled. I am not an out and out Western fan but this was top notch, so well done to all the writers and cast, they did a great job. One I will remember for a long time to come , give it a go i think you will be pleasantly surprised if you like high drama.
A good western series
ruhsa29 December 2017
Authentic, clever! All the actors are terrific.. Jeff Daniels amazing performance. Love the link to history. Outfits are well done.Music is great. Opening of the credits is artistic. really enjoy how the story unfolds and how the back stories are brought forward . just I think It was three problems: 1) Heroes can only be wounded, never killed. 2) The mining company bought the mine then disappeared 3) Heroes always know where the bad guys went and can always catch up to them, even with poor eye sight, while both are on horseback. Overall it's definitely still watchable,and a good TV western series .
Amost good
jsjsalerts30 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers Ahead:::
Godless was easy on the eyes, beautiful countryside, which for some reason kept toggling between color and black and white. A lot of the artifacts like the wagons looked authentic. I kept thinking that something important was just about to happen, but it never did until the totally predictable final gunfight between the outlaws and the townsfolk.
I wont repeat whats in the other reviews, here's what I'd like to add. I liked the characters but was put off by the 2017 morality. Everyone was a lesbian or bi racial or a whore who saved her money and became a wealthy school teacher. Just your average western town. For all the background on the characters, I was left with some really big questions like why were those men following Jeff Daniels all those years? They didn't seem to have possession or wives or girlfriends or houses. They just rode around year after year hurting people. Why? They didn't even have back up horses or a wagon full of food. Alice had a ranch or farm but, like all the others, she didn't grown any crops. She had no employees, she just spent her time digging wells and fixing fences. Why? When the finale started, all the hard tough villains rode into a trap. And stayed there. No one sought cover. A couple charged the townspeople but most just stood around waiting to get shot while the inexperienced women were smart enough to hide behind fortifications. In the finale Jeff Daniels kinda sat on his horse looking around amid seemingly thousands of rounds fired at his brigade. Wouldn't most of the bullets been aimed at him? During the movie Jeff Daniels starts as a crazy sadist roaring his anger at Roy Goode. Then he has scenes where he's crazily kind ie: he and his men surround the lone sheriff who swears to kill them but they let him walk away? For a man that destroyed a whole town this seems out of character. Speaking of the sheriff, much was made of his going blind. Then someone sells him 'spectacles' and he's amazed that he can see again. WTF! He never heard of glasses (even in 1865)? Yet they are so common that a man he casually bumps into happens to have a pair for sale in his pocket. I found that some of the characters tried too hard to have an accent and wound up sounding like a member of an 8th grade Christmas play. People kept ignoring their gunshot wounds. I imagine that if I had a gun shot wound in my stomach I'd be rolling on the ground screaming for the 1865 equivalent of morphine, but none of these characters ever did. Michelle Dockery was beautiful and enigmatic but in the end her character was hollow.
Godless was easy on the eyes, beautiful countryside, which for some reason kept toggling between color and black and white. A lot of the artifacts like the wagons looked authentic. I kept thinking that something important was just about to happen, but it never did until the totally predictable final gunfight between the outlaws and the townsfolk.
I wont repeat whats in the other reviews, here's what I'd like to add. I liked the characters but was put off by the 2017 morality. Everyone was a lesbian or bi racial or a whore who saved her money and became a wealthy school teacher. Just your average western town. For all the background on the characters, I was left with some really big questions like why were those men following Jeff Daniels all those years? They didn't seem to have possession or wives or girlfriends or houses. They just rode around year after year hurting people. Why? They didn't even have back up horses or a wagon full of food. Alice had a ranch or farm but, like all the others, she didn't grown any crops. She had no employees, she just spent her time digging wells and fixing fences. Why? When the finale started, all the hard tough villains rode into a trap. And stayed there. No one sought cover. A couple charged the townspeople but most just stood around waiting to get shot while the inexperienced women were smart enough to hide behind fortifications. In the finale Jeff Daniels kinda sat on his horse looking around amid seemingly thousands of rounds fired at his brigade. Wouldn't most of the bullets been aimed at him? During the movie Jeff Daniels starts as a crazy sadist roaring his anger at Roy Goode. Then he has scenes where he's crazily kind ie: he and his men surround the lone sheriff who swears to kill them but they let him walk away? For a man that destroyed a whole town this seems out of character. Speaking of the sheriff, much was made of his going blind. Then someone sells him 'spectacles' and he's amazed that he can see again. WTF! He never heard of glasses (even in 1865)? Yet they are so common that a man he casually bumps into happens to have a pair for sale in his pocket. I found that some of the characters tried too hard to have an accent and wound up sounding like a member of an 8th grade Christmas play. People kept ignoring their gunshot wounds. I imagine that if I had a gun shot wound in my stomach I'd be rolling on the ground screaming for the 1865 equivalent of morphine, but none of these characters ever did. Michelle Dockery was beautiful and enigmatic but in the end her character was hollow.
Anomaly Masterpiece
BirdmanT729 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is among the best Westerns ever made in the last thirty years since "Lonesome Dove", but I would say this is even better. I have seen "Godless" several times since 2017 and each time I loved it even more. The writing of this show is what surprised me the most, how the scenes of each character from their past to the present are presented in such a subtle yet moving way. The pacing of those horse scenes with Jack O'Connell (Roy) hardly had any words, but the expressions of the character standing back, just summed up the feelings of what the character felt, and this happened all throughout this show with almost every character.
The direction of Scott Frank is really among the best when it comes to how he sets up the scenes, the camera work, and how he spent time with these characters that went further than western to date. I wish there were more Westerns made this way, with a story that was about characters and their struggles than just a shoot-out. The last scene when Roy rides to California was like you rode with him the entire way, the only thing I would have liked to see is that he finally found his brother in person. I doubt anyone can top "Godless" in decades to come, this was an anomaly masterpiece.
The direction of Scott Frank is really among the best when it comes to how he sets up the scenes, the camera work, and how he spent time with these characters that went further than western to date. I wish there were more Westerns made this way, with a story that was about characters and their struggles than just a shoot-out. The last scene when Roy rides to California was like you rode with him the entire way, the only thing I would have liked to see is that he finally found his brother in person. I doubt anyone can top "Godless" in decades to come, this was an anomaly masterpiece.
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