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Child of God

Play trailer Poster for Child of God R Released Aug 1, 2014 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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42% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 26% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In 1960s Tennessee, a violent loner (Scott Haze) loses his last vestige of humanity as he enters a downward spiral of madness, crime and degradation.
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Child of God

Child of God

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Critics Consensus

An obviously reverent adaptation that fails to make a case for the source material being turned into a movie, Child of God finds director James Franco outmatched by Cormac McCarthy's novel.

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Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Romney Film Comment Magazine With Child of God, Franco has come up with something distinctive that both captures the atmosphere of McCarthy's neo-Gothic universe and suggests a consolidation on the director's As I Lay Dying. Sep 15, 2014 Full Review Alonso Duralde TheWrap Beautifully shot, well acted, and the score is lovely, but the film has nothing to say about the human degradation in which it wallows. If you're gonna make me smell dung for two hours, at least fertilize my lawn. Aug 3, 2014 Full Review Andrew O'Hehir Salon.com There's no denying Franco's ambition, and in "Child of God" you can see evidence (almost for the first time) that he's reaching for something he may one day attain. Aug 1, 2014 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com There's a captivating performance and a queasy ambience to the film that at least makes it a sober sort of hillbilly horror. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 30, 2019 Full Review Forrest Cardamenis The Film Stage Child of God toes the line between success and failure - but, ultimately, leans into success, and occasionally threatens to leap into it entirely. Rated: B Jun 23, 2016 Full Review Mark Jackson Epoch Times Ultimately the movie's message is that community is sacred, all God's children should be cared for, and the destitute need a human net to save them from descent into madness. Rated: 3/5 Jun 13, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ron R Sad and disgusting. No redeeming value that I can see. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/02/23 Full Review N L The guy takes a dump on camera. What else do we need in a movie? Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/24/23 Full Review dave s James Franco has to be given credit for tackling adaptations of literary works that nobody else would consider touching, including Cormac McCarthy's Child of God. In the film, Lester Ballard (Scott Haze), a repugnant and merciless sociopath, roams the woods of rural Tennessee with a rifle in his hand and malice in his heart. The movie is worth watching for Haze's incendiary performance as the frightening Ballard, a man devoid of any human emotions other than blind rage. Franco's direction is, for the most part, effective, but he sometimes borders on pretentious with the inconsistent use of fades to end scenes and the number of close-ups of the barrels of guns and the barren branches of trees. It's a bit of a mixed bag but Haze's performance makes it worth watching. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Abysmal film on almost every possible or conceivable level. A lesson in overwrought and confused blocking, direction, cinematography, scoring and editing. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/07/20 Full Review Audience Member I like the movie very much Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/19/20 Full Review Audience Member Growing up in a small, rural mountain town somehow I feel like I've met Lester Ballard before. If you didn't, I'd venture to guess the details that make Scott Haze' performance so convincing could be understatedly lost on you. Regardless of some short comings, the directing, cinematography and humor undoubtedly make up for them. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Child of God

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1960s Tennessee, a violent loner (Scott Haze) loses his last vestige of humanity as he enters a downward spiral of madness, crime and degradation.
Director
James Franco
Producer
Caroline Aragon, Vince Jolivette, Miles Levy
Screenwriter
James Franco, Vince Jolivette
Distributor
Well Go USA
Production Co
Rabbit Bandini Productions
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Aberrant Sexual Content|Some Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 1, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 27, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$37.9K
Runtime
1h 44m
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