God's Creatures (film)

God's Creatures
God's Creatures
	File:God's Creatures.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Saela Davis; Anna Rose Holmer;
Screenplay by	Shane Crowley
Story by	Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly; Shane Crowley;
Produced by	Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Starring	Emily Watson; Paul Mescal; Aisling Franciosi; Declan Conlon; Toni O'Rourke; Marion O'Dwyer; Brendan McCormack; Lalor Roddy;
Cinematography	Chayse Irvin
Edited by	Jeanne Applegate; Julia Bloch;
Music by	Danny Bensi; Saunder Jurriaans;
Production; companies	A24; BBC Film; Screen Ireland; The Wrap Fund; Nine Daughters;
Distributed by	A24
Release dates	19 May 2022 (Cannes); 30 September 2022 (United States);
Running time	94 minutes
Countries	United States; United Kingdom; Ireland;
Language	English

God's Creatures is a 2022 psychological drama film directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer and written by Shane Crowley, based on a story he wrote with producer Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly. It stars Emily Watson, Paul Mescal, Aisling Franciosi, Declan Conlon, Toni O'Rourke, Marion O'Dwyer, Brendan McCormack, and Lalor Roddy. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2022 and was released in the United States on 30 September 2022 by A24.

Premise

In a windswept fishing village, Aileen O'Hara lies to protect her son Brian from a serious allegation, causing a rift in the close-knit community.

Cast

Emily Watson as Aileen O'Hara
Paul Mescal as Brian O'Hara
Aisling Franciosi as Sarah Murphy
Declan Conlon as Con O'Hara
Toni O'Rourke as Erin O'Hara
Marion O'Dwyer as Marry Fitz
Brendan McCormack as Francie D'Arcey
Lalor Roddy as Paddy O'Hara
Isabelle Connolly as Emma Daly

Production

Holmer, Davis, Crowley, Watson, Mescal, Franciosi, and O'Rourke at the 2022 Directors' Fortnight.

God's Creatures was announced on May 22, 2019, when it was reported that Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer would direct a then-untitled Gothic film produced by Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly.^[2] In June 2020, it was announced that BBC Film, Screen Ireland, and the Western Region Audiovisual Producer's Fund (WRAP) would finance the project.^[3] In May 2021, Emily Watson and Paul Mescal joined the cast. Crew members included production designer Inbal Weinberg, cinematographer Chayse Irvin, and editor Julia Bloch.^[4]

Release

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2022.^[5] It was released in the United States in theaters and on demand on 30 September 2022.^[6]

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 71 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Painfully raw yet rewarding, God's Creatures explores the limits of a mother's love with an outstanding Emily Watson leading the way"^[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[8]

Screen Rant gave it a 4-star rating. The header summary stated: "God's Creatures is an unnerving rural gothic tale with two quietly fierce performances that make the film's slow burn to its climax worth the wait."^[9]

References

^ "God's Creatures". Directors Fortnight. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^ Clarke, Stewart (May 22, 2019). "Anna Rose Holmer, Saela Davis to Co-Direct Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly-Produced Gothic Drama (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
^ McCarthy, Esther (June 10, 2020). "Ireland's WRAP Fund backs BBC Films' God's Creatures, horror title The Ten Steps". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
^ Kroll, Justin (May 11, 2021). "Emily Watson And Normal People Star Paul Mescal To Headline in A24 in Psychological Drama God's Creatures". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
^ Grater, Tom (April 19, 2022). "Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2022 Lineup Unveiled: Alex Garland, Mia Hansen-Løve, Alice Winocour On List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
^ Ntim, Zac (August 16, 2022). "God's Creatures: First Official Trailer For A24's Psychological Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ "God's Creatures". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
^ "God's Creatures". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
^ Guttmann, Graeme (September 30, 2022). "God's Creatures Review: Intense & Unsettling Gothic That Takes Its Time". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 3, 2022.

External links

God's Creatures at IMDb

[1] "God's Creatures". Directors Fortnight. Retrieved May 2, 2022.

[2] Clarke, Stewart (May 22, 2019). "Anna Rose Holmer, Saela Davis to Co-Direct Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly-Produced Gothic Drama (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.

[3] McCarthy, Esther (June 10, 2020). "Ireland's WRAP Fund backs BBC Films' God's Creatures, horror title The Ten Steps". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.

[4] Kroll, Justin (May 11, 2021). "Emily Watson And Normal People Star Paul Mescal To Headline in A24 in Psychological Drama God's Creatures". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.

[5] Grater, Tom (April 19, 2022). "Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2022 Lineup Unveiled: Alex Garland, Mia Hansen-Løve, Alice Winocour On List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 19, 2022.

[6] Ntim, Zac (August 16, 2022). "God's Creatures: First Official Trailer For A24's Psychological Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2022.

[7] "God's Creatures". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[8] "God's Creatures". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 25, 2022.

[9] Guttmann, Graeme (September 30, 2022). "God's Creatures Review: Intense & Unsettling Gothic That Takes Its Time". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 3, 2022.

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